Israel’s army is recruiting soldiers for a new unit that is waging a virtual public relations battle on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to improve the military’s image.
“Because of the platform you can get a lot of information out relatively easily,” said Sergeant Aliza Landes, who heads the unit. “The Internet, and especially social networks, Web 2.0 and bloggers, are an increasingly important and powerful way to disseminate information.”
Israel first began seriously using the Internet as a public-relations tool during a three-week military initiative in the Gaza Strip that began on Dec. 27...
A unit dedicated to Internet publicity was officially formed in September and we “continue to grow and invest in manpower and resources,” Major Erik Snider, an army spokesman, said by telephone...
...The most recent action for the army’s Internet social network unit came during last month’s naval interception of a ship heading for Syria...
Landes and her soldiers made sure bloggers, whom she calls “a very critical and key element” of her work, were getting the same information the traditional media received...
The army so far has formed relationships with about 50 bloggers, primarily in Israel and the U.S.
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