Military Veterans in Journalism hosted a webinar on April 23, 2024, as part of its Information Integrity Project, bringing together seasoned journalists within the military-connected media world to address the critical issue of countering disinformation and extremism within the military veteran community.
Zachary Fryer-Biggs moderated the event with panelists Dana Coester, Konstantin Toropin, Nikki Wentling, and Sonner Kehrt – who all conduct reporting on disinformation and extremism. They discussed their experiences and outlined best practices for others looking to work within the space.
Summary of Best Practices:
- Reframe coverage to avoid political polarization and focus on broader issues of preventing violence.
- Develop a plan to keep safe when navigating online spaces to uncover extremism-related content.
- Avoid dehumanizing people while accurately depicting ideologies.
- Keep track of current and future trends in disinformation distribution and the formation of violent extremist groups within the military space.
- Look at support and safety resources available from your newsroom when covering extremism and disinformation.
- Tailor reporting to engage civilian audiences as well as military readers.
The following are details on the lessons learned as shared above.
- Reframe coverage to avoid political polarization and focus on broader issues of preventing violence.
For creating effective and engaging coverage in this space, reporters should reframe coverage in order to steer clear of potential political polarization. Instead, the focus of articles should be on providing factual information and preventing violence.
Additionally, avoid damaging stereotypes toward veterans in storytelling, which will only contribute to widening the military-civilian divide rather than bridging it. Journalists should aim for a balanced approach that humanizes people while accurately depicting ideologies to foster a more nuanced understanding of extremism among readers.
Journalists should also adopt a solutions-oriented approach to reporting on extremism via showcasing community members who are actively working against extremist ideologies and promoting positive change. By shifting the narrative away from sensationalism and towards constructive dialogue, journalists can play a crucial role in fostering understanding of extremism as a whole.
Resources:
– Solutions Journalism Network’s Basic Toolkit for Solutions-based Journalism
– MVJ’s “Cultural Competence for Reporting on Veterans” - Develop a plan to keep safe when navigating online spaces to uncover extremism-related content.
Reporters may have a difficult time distinguishing between genuine rhetoric and trolling or edginess in online spaces. Collaborate with extremist monitoring organizations, who can provide perspective and information effectively in place of journalists using resource-intensive monitoring methods themselves. Use secure communication channels and digital tools to protect sources and data, and stay informed about the latest digital security best practices. Lean on organizations like Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Poynter Institute to learn more about how to stay safe online. The consequences, e.g. doxxing, can be truly disruptive to reporters’ lives. - Avoid dehumanizing people while accurately depicting ideologies.
Avoid dehumanizing or giving undue sympathy towards individuals holding extremist beliefs in their work. Instead, coverage should hold institutions and societal factors accountable while recognizing the complexities behind these behaviors.
Avoid the “damaged veteran” stereotype, too – reporting should showcase the diverse experiences and actions of veterans beyond the stereotype of trauma and vulnerability. Focus on veterans who are actively working towards solutions, such as recruiting veterans for volunteer work or advocating against extremism and disinformation, rather than giving most of the story’s attention to those who aren’t. - Keep track of current and future trends in disinformation distribution and the formation of violent extremist groups within the military space.
Reporters must become more agile and adaptable in their journalistic practice when covering disinformation and extremist activity. Stay informed about emerging trends and technologies, as well as how extremist groups are using them, to better anticipate and respond to evolving threats. Build connections with other organizations, such as Task Force Butler, START at the University of Maryland and the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton, to find and access vetted, credible information when researching.
Journalists should seek opportunities to collaborate and share information with fellow journalists. Working together will better enhance the public’s collective resilience against disinformation and extremism. - Look at support and safety resources available from your newsroom when covering extremism and disinformation.
Take advantage of ongoing training and professional development opportunities that will help with more effective coverage in this space. Journalists can enhance their capacity to produce high-quality, impactful stories by being equipped with the most current knowledge, skills, and resources.
Seek to foster an ethical work culture within the newsroom that prioritizes accuracy, fairness, and accountability in reporting on these often sensitive and complex issues.
Look for newsroom support offerings to protect your mental health, and take full advantage of them. Reporters covering sensitive and potentially distressing topics within the extremist landscape should always be mindful of their own safety.
Likewise, newsroom leadership teams should help prepare journalists before delving into reporting on this topic. Equip reporters with resources that will keep them safe, such as subscriptions to Delete Me to protect their personal information, and prepare an action plan on appropriate responses to safety issues beforehand.
Training Resources:
– START training series
– ICFJ: Disarming Disinformation
– RTDNA Disinformation Coverage Guidelines
– Poynter Institute’s Beat Academy, which usually includes a session or two on extremism coverage
– Poynter Institute: Covering Political Extremism in the Public Square - Tailor reporting to engage civilian audiences as well as military readers.
It’s important to consider the audience when writing any article, and extremism and disinformation coverage is no different. Use accessible language and explain military-specific terms as necessary for military-curious civilian readers seeking deeper insights.
Reporters should engage with local communities directly to address the issues affecting them the most. Strive to provide coverage beyond those issues so readers may better understand how to discern misleading information about them. Informing readers about the origins of the narratives they see will foster healthy skepticism and raise news literacy in the affected community.
Resources:
– MVJ’s Military & Veteran Affairs Reporting Guide
Examples of Excellent Reporting on …
- Recruiting vets to work polls boosts election trust, study finds: From Nikki Wentling of Military Times, this piece discusses the positives of involving veterans in civic processes as a way to curb extremist beliefs.
- Advocacy Groups Call for Pentagon Progress Report on Ending Extremism in Military: From Rebecca Kheel of Military.com, this article covers the pressures on the military to make progress on promises to root out extremism in the ranks.
- Researchers Say Military Service Is the ‘Single Strongest’ Predictor of Violent Extremism: From Konstantin Toropin of Military.com, this piece breaks down a report by START at the University of Maryland on what makes military service concerning among extremist groups.
- After attempted Trump assassination, veteran groups urge calm: From Nikki Wentling of Military Times, this article about veteran service groups coming together to discourage political violence encourages unity in “lowering the temperature” around political discourse.
- After Trump Assassination Attempt, Some Veterans Spread Misinformation. Others Pushed Back. From Sonner Kehrt of The War Horse News, this piece uses a recent political event to humanize veterans as a group with differing opinions while quickly countering conspiracies spread by veterans online about it.