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The Kelly Review has found that the MoD Communications Directorate violated the Civil Service Code & Government Communication Service Proprietary Guidance plus wider issues. A thread about MoD Comms
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In Aug a journalist contacted @DefenceHQPress for a comment and was told 'we no longer deal with your publication'. This was a serious breach of the Govt requirement to treat media outlets 'with fairness and impartiality'.
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The issue was raised in Parliament where @BWallaceMP expressed his serious concern and asked Tom Kelly to conduct a review. That review was published today.
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Kelly found that it happened after a military officer attached to DDC suggested that the publication be 'blacklisted' as it was 'hostile'. This is not how democracies work. Unfortunately Director Defence Communication's reply was misinterpreted by the Dept as agreement.
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Hence while there was no formal policy of blacklisting 'the effect was the same'. the issue arose because a military officer with limited media experience thought that blacklisting was OK and those who knew it isn't failed to challenge (Chilcot forgotten already?)
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'The officer did not consider the wider reputational and ethical considerations of what he was proposing, not least for the UK’s position as a champion of democracy and of the free press as an essential ingredient of that democracy.'
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This is an issue which regularly crops up on #miltwitter, (incl. with one RN officer today). There seems to be a sense amongst some that 'muggles should mind their own business', the media should only write good news stories, and the MoD shouldn't have to answer questions.
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'The MoD, inevitably, has particular security considerations around its work, but that does not take away from the necessity that those who speak on its behalf...understand the proper relationship between the State and the media in a democracy.'
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I'd argue military folk here (anon or not) also represent Defence to some extent whether they acknowledge that or not. Some also need to understand the proper relationship between the armed forces & media in a democracy.
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