The poor coverage of the Pathankot attack, marked by confusing commentary based on half-baked facts, underlines once again how important it is for the authorities to set up a proper mechanism for media briefings in such crises
The anti-terrorist operation at Pathankot air base is finally over, and it is now time for introspection. Despite the fact that advance warnings of an attack were given, it appears that the Defence Security Corps personnel at the air base were caught by surprise when they were attacked in the early hours of January 2.
The importance of briefings and of preparing troops on action required to be taken for various contingencies cannot be glossed over as that forms an important part of command functions. That notwithstanding, the follow-up reactions were well executed, leading to the elimination of all six terrorists.
Once military operations are underway, it is understandable that the focus of commanders must remain on winning the engagement in a swift and efficient manner. But in the information age, it is equally important to win the battle of perceptions that inevitably will be waged across the world. This too is a command responsibility, which the Armed Forces need to pay greater attention to.
A terrorist attack on a forward airbase will certainly attract headlines across the world. The fact that such an attack took place just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Pakistani counterpart in lahore, simply increased the newsworthiness of the dastardly event. But the way the media was handled showed glaring ineptitude and a total lack of understanding of such a vital aspect of operations.
For the common citizen, it was difficult to determine what exactly was happening on the ground. The information being beamed out from different news channels was contradictory and confusing, and this continued for the first two days of the operation. There appeared to be no clarity on the number of terrorists that had infiltrated into the base, or on how many of them had been eliminated. Worse, the information about own troops who had been killed in action or who had been injured was presented in a haphazard manner, thereby conveying a sense that all was not under control at the airbase. Winning the kinetic war is of little consequence if the battle for perceptions is lost in the public domain.
During crisis situations, it is incumbent on the part of the security forces to keep the media engaged for the entire duration of the operation. This facet cannot be overstated. The media must be provided with information that is factual, timely, and relevant.
If news from the security forces is not forthcoming, the media will simply get what information they can from any available source, which may or may not be true. The Armed Forces must hence be prepared at all times for such an eventuality.
In crisis situations, a media briefing room must be established immediately, which should be manned by trained personnel, who have complete knowledge of the events that are taking place on the ground. Hourly briefings and updates should be provided. Journalists should be given the news they need and provided a balanced perspective of what is happening on the ground.
It stands to reason that there will be periods of lull. This must be filled in with other tidbits of information that the media could make use of. The need for the media to crowd the place of action will hence not arise, if the information it seeks is made available at the briefing room established for the purpose.
The media too needs to show some level of sensitivity. Images of wailing relatives of deceased soldiers does no good to national morale, but acts as a motivator to terrorists and their handlers to continue to target and bleed India. What needs to be projected while covering such actions is the national resolve to fight the forces of evil and defeat their nefarious designs.
Perception management must hence be an integral part of military operations. Otherwise, even a brilliantly conducted operation as evidenced in the elimination of six terrorists in the Pathankot air base, can become the subject of loose talk and ridicule.
(The writer is a retired Major General and currently the editor of the news magazine, Salute)