Air Force used Twitter to track NY flyover fallout (Air Force One flyover)

AP via PhysOrg ^ | August 10, 2009 | RICHARD LARDNER

[Prodigal Son]

The Air Force tracked online messaging service Twitter, video-sharing site YouTube and various blogs to assess the huge public backlash to the Air Force One flyover of the Statue of Liberty this spring, according to the documents.

And while the attempts at damage control failed - "No positive spin is possible," one PowerPoint chart reads - the episode opens a window into the tactics for operating in a boundless digital news cycle.

(snip)

According to the Air Force One documents released through the Freedom of Information Act, a unit called the Combat Information Cell at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida monitored the public fallout from the April 27 flight and offered recommendations for dealing with the fast-breaking story.

Formed two years ago, the cell is made up of as many as nine people who analyze piles of data culled from the Internet and other sources to determine whether the Air Force's message is being heard.

The presidential plane took off for New York from Andrews Air Force in Maryland accompanied by two F-16 jet fighters. The purpose of the flight, which wasn't publicly announced, was to get new photos of the specially modified Boeing 747 with the statue in the background.

The mission quickly became a public relations disaster as panicked New Yorkers, fearing another 9/11-style attack, emptied office buildings. In the aftermath, Louis Caldera, director of the White House military office that authorized the flight, was fired.

The Combat Information Cell's first assessment of the event said "Web site blog comments 'furious' at best." Local reporting of the flyover was "very critical, highlighting scare factor," it added.

[Prodigal Son]

Read the whole article at the source. It's interesting.

[Islander7]

Hmmm....reaction to a dry run?

[Carley]

Guess they didn’t learn much. They can’t spin the reaction to their health care destruction plan either.

[Fiddlstix]

Ping

[RobinOfKingston]

In the aftermath, Louis Caldera, director of the White House military office that authorized the flight, was fired.

It is more accurate, and certainly more honest, to say that Mr Caldera "fell on his sword." I hope he got a good price for his silence and acquiescence.

[KarlInOhio]

a unit called the Combat Information Cell at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida monitored the public fallout from the April 27 flight and offered recommendations for dealing with the fast-breaking story. Formed two years ago, the cell is made up of as many as nine people who analyze piles of data culled from the Internet and other sources to determine whether the Air Force's message is being heard.

Isn't this domestic spying which Obama warned us the Bush administration was doing? Seriously, if they are a Combat Information Cell, why are they analyzing the AF1 flyover response instead of looking for text messages in the Middle East saying "OMG! They killed Khalid!" "Those Bastards!"

[FReepaholic]

If this flyover had happened while Bush was in office (it wouldn’t have, but just hypothetically speaking) the MSM would still be harping on it to this day.

[TigersEye]

No mention that at least one of the planes was a “Red Tail.” Still covering that up I guess.

[james500]

Sir! Sir! LuvzPonies1993 says, “OMG!”