Military and the Media - How Information Works in Conflict Environments

Although war remains the scourge of humanity, things are changing. Over the past few decades, awareness has increased with regard to the role local civilian populations play in armed conflict. They are no longer
considered to be a passive factor, but instead their needs and perceptions
have explicit influence upon the success of a mission. Triggered by rapid
technological change in the media, information no longer simply describes
on-scene developments, but increasingly shapes the dynamics by influencing
perceptions, opinions and loyalties. Information has been a means of
warfare used by the military in all ages everywhere. On the one hand it
can be misused for propaganda or disinformation purposes, but on the other
hand it has great potential to promote local ownership in peacebuilding.
Armed forces committed to democratic core values are transparent in their
operations in order to maintain the basic right to information both in the
theatre and at home.

The Bundeswehr Academy for Information and Communication (AIK) offers
advanced training to press and information personnel of the German armed
forces and other nations. Contributing to the Global Media Forum, the AIK
will focus on how media-based interaction works in conflict environments. The
workshop will shed some light on the theoretical background and framework
as well as on practical experiences.