(Cincinnati Beacon)
Yesterday, we published this retrospective—a piece detailing behind-the-scenes work on last year’s “Grandma in Iraq” blog hosted by The Enquirer. “Grandma,” otherwise known as Suzanne Fournier, worked doing PR for the Army Corp of Engineers, but her blog did not make that affiliation completely clear. This omission brought lots of negative attention, as critics claimed The Enquirer had engaged in pro-war propagandizing. Now, documents recently made available online from an open records request show The Pentagon involved with installing this propagandistic media enterprise into Cincinnati’s corporate news culture.
Check out this email exchange between The Enquirer’s William Croyle and Suzanne Fournier.
Croyle wrote an email asking for some of Fournier’s qualifications as a writer. What’s strange is that the letter indicates how The Enquirer had already sealed the deal on the blog before interviewing Fournier in any significant capacity:
Suzzane,
The people here who run our blogs think that one by you while in Iraq would be a great idea. They sent the following questions to me to send to you:
We need to be sure of her access, so we can guarantee posts on a pretty regular basis.
We’d like to look at a sample of her writing.
And we’d like to have some idea of what she thinks she will be writing about.
I assume if you have e-mail and will be on your computer regularly, the access won’t be an issue. As for a writing sample, maybe just a past press release or something like that will be fine. And tell me what you think you’ll be writing about. I’m guessing the more human interest (like your interaction with Iraqi people, etc), the better they’ll like it. Please respond ASAP and call me if you have questions. Thanks!
Bill
Here is Fournier’s response. I have placed in bold lettering where she indicates that people inside the Pentagon are pushing for this blog’s existence:
Bill,
Sorry I didn’t respond sooner, I was out at the Motor Vessel Mississippi with media and public visits all day. If your editors Google or Yahoo me, they will find that I’ve put out many press releases. The latest was the MV Mississippi announcement that you received in your office. I am trying to work the approvals from my end. What I intend to do with my blog is to record my observations and interaction with Iraq people, Corps people, US media, international media, and Iraq media. That is what my job entails and I won’t misrepresent who I am or why I am in Iraq. I’ll also be comparing Iraq quality of life to what we take for granted here in the US. I won’t just be doing a PR piece for the Corps of Engineers, but you will see observations about what the Corps has done in Iraq. When I go out to a school that the Corps has built or refurbished, you will hear about school children, or if I am at a hospital serving families, you will see pictures and observations on how this clinic serves that community. I will also do stories about the Corps people who work there and I’ll try to focus on people from this region so you have a local tie.
I have my request in several different offices of the Army. Two personal friends of mine who work at Department of the Army in the Pentagon are championing my request. I won’t go forward without official approval and I realize that you are in a similar situation. We are charting new waters and we both have to know the parameters of a safe channel. Thanks for the opportunity, I hope it works out for our mutual benefit, but it we can’t make it work, I understand. The article was well written, but I have told everyone you made one big error in fact. Actuall I am only 39.
Thanks, Suzanne
I also find the statements about this blog relationship working “for our mutual benefit” noteworthy. What kind of benefit did Suzanne Fournier, or by extension the Army Corp of Engineers, expect to gain?
I think this clearly indicates that the Enquirer gladly participated in the government's effort to disseminate propaganda. With this information, should we take anything the Enquirer has published or publishes in the future as truth or just propaganda?