Gunner's Blog

Situation:

Almost two years ago, Chief of Naval Information (CHINFO) ordered Fleet Home Town News Center (FHTNC), Norfolk, VA to cease emailing USAFNS.com their releases. Security issues were cited as the reason for this action. However, FHTNC continues to distribute their releases to thousands of daily and weekly newspapers, along with a smaller number of other media, including websites. The releases are clearly public domain. That being the case, USAFNS.com has every right to publish the same releases. Subsequent correspondence with CHINFO reveals that he is quite adamant in this decision. Since the order, USAFNS.com has tried to resolve the situation within "the system" quietly, within the family so to speak. All efforts have proven fruitless.

Why should you be concerned about a small website?

Because if this precedent is allowed to stand, CHINFO could order FHTNC to stop sending media organizations their releases - individually, or collectively! He would need absolutely no further justification if one publishes them on the Internet. He could stop the releases if one stepped on his spit-shined shoes at a cocktail party, or because one parts their hair on the wrong side, or your last story did not flatter him, or any other trivial non-related matter - using "National Security" as his trump card. That could affect most newspapers, radio and TV stations that have websites on the Internet. In a worst case scenario, CHINFO could order all US Navy and US Marine Corps activities to cease sending your organization any news releases at all.

What a can you do?

I implore the media to put the situation outlined in this document in front of the public. The Navy will continue to deny their releases unless there is national media attention and the Navy's action is exposed to public scrutiny. Someone of national prominence is needed to investigate the situation that is threatening the rights of a small website's right to public domain news releases. If Chief of Naval Information (CHINFO) can make an arbitrary decision to stop distributing public domain releases to a small website, who is next? It is a dangerous precedent. Security issues were cited as justification for the action, but that claim does not hold up in the light of analysis. If there is any interest on your part, I will go any place, any time, and meet with anyone. If this matter is outside your interests, please pass it on to someone else.

USAFNS.com's Position:

FHTNC releases are either in public domain, or they aren't. If they are distributed, USAFNS.com should get them. If they truly constitute a security risk, no-one should get them. CHINFO is hiding behind the cloak of National Security to make an arbitrary, capricious decision. Before this, I had never heard of anyone selectively withholding press releases prepared at considerable taxpayer expense. Have you?

Gunner's Position:

Speaking as an individual, CHINFO is trampling on my rights as a citizen, taxpayer, webmaster and part time cyber journalist.

Background:

FHTNC publishes news releases about graduations, promotions, transfers and decorations of US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard personnel. The vast majority of their releases are about junior enlisted men. FHTNC started emailing their releases to USAFNS.com on 15 July 2002. The Army & Air Force Hometown News Service (AAFHN) of San Antonio, TX continues to email releases, and has done so since March 2003.

On June 12, 2003, CHINFO verbally ordered Fleet Home Town News Center (FHTNC) to cease emailing their releases to USAFNS.com. Security issues created by the "aggregation" of information was cited as justification. However, these releases are being sent to, and published on the Internet by almost 12,000 (1997 data) media outlets. Most of them are newspapers that now have websites. A study conducted on December 1, 2003 indicates that there were at least 32,000 FHTNC releases posted on the Internet, and the number might be as high as 100,000. The study can be viewed at http://www.usafns.com/googlesearch.html. The releases are without question public domain. That being the case, USAFNS.com has as much right to publish them as anyone using any medium.

Contact Information:

Here is a partial list of the individual/organizations involved:

RADM Stephen R. Pietropaoli, CHINFO (Now Retired)

Stephen R. Pietropaoli, National Executive Director, Navy League of the United States (http://www.navyleague.org/, execdirector@navyleague.org)

RADM T.L. McCreary, CHINFO (incumbent) (http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/people/flags/biographies/mccrearytl.html)

Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) (http://jones.house.gov/)

Mrs. Betty Bashara, FHTNC Employee (Retired), (bbashara@cox.net, 757-587-0775)

Complete chronological details with names, dates, telephone numbers, and email addresses are available on request.


Gunner ~M