Al Jazeera and the Dod

A review of the recently published Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) highlights a complex security environment marked by an ever-changing and easily accessible global information network. Because of this expanding phenomenon, military actions and operations will be conducted under increased media scrutiny and will require greater transparency especially for the international audience. Additionally, U.S. military operations within the Middle East will be widely scrutinized by a global Muslim audience, who has become more distrustful and critical of U.S. policies and military strategy. As such, this necessitates greater engagement with international news networks by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and its military services. In particular, the Al Jazeera Media Network represents one of the fastest growing and most influential news networks among the myriad media who dominate the global information environment. This research highlights the need for the DoD and the Joint Services to examine current communication strategies with the Al Jazeera Media Network and incorporate the findings into its senior leader engagement plan and its leader development strategies for public affairs and communication specialists.