War on Social Media

“Social media allows us to tell our own story quicker than ever before and unfiltered by any journalist’s pen. It is the most revolutionary concept in communications”, says Randy Clinton, Public Affairs Specialist for the Marine Corps.

Just recently, Randy had posted his heartfelt sympathy for the loss of two Marines on the unit’s Facebook page and moments after it was deleted. Not a day after, but seconds after. In the eyes of others, his post had violated the terms of use for military social media sites. But in Randy’s eyes, he was being transparent and honest. In the eyes of the decade-long war, does transparency not exist? Are there certain boundaries set forth (beyond the official terms of use) that don’t allow the unfiltered atmosphere to seep through in relations to war and communications?

[Tragic News Demands Marine Corps Social Media Leadership, Not Retreat]

With the phenomenon of social media, citizens of the world have been able to get their news directly from digital sources more quickly than traditional sources. The above incident, amongst many others, has allowed this new-way of communicating to be seen as dangerous in the eyes of top Marine officials. Marine officials want to be able to protect the family, and report the news “first”. However, according to Randy Clinton’s post, mothers and wives have voiced their concerns and said that these digital resources are there way of knowing whether or not their loved ones are okay.

Social media is on a constant rise, and the decade-long war is not over yet, so new means need to be reached in which the families are protected, but a level of transparency is met at the same time. What do you suggest Marine Corp officials can do to ensure this?