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PR Move Could Backfire On MoD, Warns Max Clifford |
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Lifestyle Extra , 8 April 2007 The decision to allow the freed British troops to sell their stories could backfire on the Ministry of Defence, PR guru Max Clifford said today.
Anger over payments and potential inaccuracies could come back to haunt the MoD as it strives to win the propaganda war, said Mr Clifford.
He said he was not surprised at the move, saying the MoD had almost 'frogmarched' the captives into given their accounts to prove its side of what happened was accurate.
He said that the plan is to convince the public that Britain was in the right over the crisis, with readers more likely to believe the accounts if they come from the troops themselves.
But the money could cause a public backlash, said Mr Clifford, adding that he had advised that all money made from the stories should go to families who have lost loved ones in conflict.
Mr Clifford is not representing any of the marines and sailors, but he said he had given 'free professional advice' to the families of two or three of them after they contacted him.
The money from the stories is expected to go into a pot, which Mr Clifford said is believed to be close to quarter of a million.
He had advised this go to the families of those killed in the wars, although it is not thought that this will be the case.
He added that there was a potential for inaccurate accounts, and even the possibility that something said in interview could endanger colleagues fighting in the Middle East.
Mr Clifford said: "I'm not at all surprised at the move. The MoD almost insisted on it.
"Why? Because the public might not believe the MoD, they don't believe the politicians, so the MoD are hoping they will believe the Marines and Sailors and what they are saying themselves.
"It is all a propaganda war. They hope that the accounts in the newspapers will convince the British public that we are are right and they are wrong about how they were treated, whose waters they were - it's purely a propaganda exercise.
"The potential backlash could have been avoided if, as I suggested, all of the money coming from these stories, which is being put into a pot, was given to the families of those who have lost loved ones in conflict. That way there would not be a backlash.
"With the pot, we are talking probably close to quarter of a million pounds.
"They should have also made sure that someone from the MoD sits in on the interviews so what they say is accurate.
"I don't think this is going to happen. My understanding is that they have been given free rein.
"For years I have had lots of people coming to me to sell stories about the armed forces, and it has always been stopped. Suddenly they are almost frogmarching them to to the interviews.
"The reason why is simply - propaganda, 'lets hope that the public believe the service people themselves'.
"But though the idea might be sound, how you conduct it makes a lot of difference. The money is causing a backlash.
"I think the MoD are doing the right things for the right practical reasons, but how it's being done could have been a lot better, with the money going to the families of those who have lost loved ones and making sure what they say isn't inaccurate.
"There is a chance they might say something that could cause problems to colleagues out there.
"As this is a propaganda exercise the MoD have got to control it.
"If they don't it could backfire on them and instead of being a plus it could be a minus." |
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