Polish Based Encounter - Journalists

[Rainbow Six]

Afternoon all,

Attached piece is intended to offer material for a slightly different encounter in a Polish based campaign. It can also potentially be used as a source of NPC's to fill any skill gaps that the party may have.

Comments / feedback welcome as always

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Afternoon all,

Attached piece is intended to offer material for a slightly different encounter in a Polish based campaign. It can also potentially be used as a source of NPC's to fill any skill gaps that the party may have.

Comments / feedback welcome as always

Really nice article (worryingly I recognize the BBC journalist - mybe he should have ambitions to become a politician?).

I would add a local fixer to the group.

Jan Fields(-Dixon) in Harold Coyle's books would make an interesting NPC - particularly in Mexico.

Not sure about the arming of journalists, particularly with the prevalence of marauders. Many journalists in Vietnam went armed and modern journalists frequently have bodyguards (worth noting Ross Kemp went through weapon training before going to Afghanistan although he noted this was unusual).

Radio Free Europe (see my article) is another source of jornalists.

[Rainbow Six]

Thanks James, thought the BBC bloke might ring a Bell with a few people (although it includes elements of at least one other who still works for the BBC, and if you change the gender another may spring to mind.

You're right about a fixer of course, and I should have included one. I may add one if I do an updated draft, although I have a few other things on the go at the moment. A "security advisor" / bodyguard is also a possibility, although I suspect a lot of them may have been called back into the armed forces (from where, I think, a lot of them originally come). A cameraman would also be a good addition I think. Some of them were real characters (and not in the RPG sense).

With regard to arming them, I wasn't aware that it was a common practice (most of the research / background for the article was based on reporting from the 1991 Gulf War onwards). That said, I have seen the Ross Kemp piece you're referring to, which I think would justify giving any journalist at least a minimal level of small arms skill. Also, I seem to recall that it was mentioned in that clip that journalists could bear arms in self defence (I seem to remember the implication was that if the unit he was embedded with was about to be overrun there was an expectation that he would arm himself).

Also, I want to thank Raellus for some suggestions concerning the original draft - cheers Rae.

[rcaf_777]

Just something I cam up with, going on what we saw with the frist Gulf War

Embedded Journalism Team (Frontline)

Field Reporter
Cameraman
Soundman
Driver
Security Consulate
Public Affairs’ Officer (Optional)

Vehicle

SUV/Humvee

Remote Broadcasting Team (CINC HQ)

5 Technicians
Producer
Headquarters Journalism Team

Vehicles

Production Truck
5 SUV/Humvees – for Embedded Journalism Teams

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Thanks James, thought the BBC bloke might ring a Bell with a few people (although it includes elements of at least one other who still works for the BBC, and if you change the gender another may spring to mind.

You're right about a fixer of course, and I should have included one. I may add one if I do an updated draft, although I have a few other things on the go at the moment. A "security advisor" / bodyguard is also a possibility, although I suspect a lot of them may have been called back into the armed forces (from where, I think, a lot of them originally come). A cameraman would also be a good addition I think. Some of them were real characters (and not in the RPG sense).

With regard to arming them, I wasn't aware that it was a common practice (most of the research / background for the article was based on reporting from the 1991 Gulf War onwards). That said, I have seen the Ross Kemp piece you're referring to, which I think would justify giving any journalist at least a minimal level of small arms skill. Also, I seem to recall that it was mentioned in that clip that journalists could bear arms in self defence (I seem to remember the implication was that if the unit he was embedded with was about to be overrun there was an expectation that he would arm himself).

Also, I want to thank Raellus for some suggestions concerning the original draft - cheers Rae.

That was the most obvious BBC character - mind you I am reading about Jugoslavia at the minute. Actually I would suggest the characters from "Drop the Dead Donkey" might make a fun group to encounter... Another fun option is to have Oliver North appear - in my campaign he is actually a respected journalist currently embedded with the USMC in Poland (and actually blurring the line between a journalist and an unofficial officer - I can post my write up if anyone is interested. A nice NPC might be a young person who wants to become famous and has set out to be a photographer using his own skills hoping to sell the pictures to someone later.

The bodyguard could easily be a veteran who has been discharged because of age or injury - again makes a colourful character.

Regarding arming journalists - I think it depends on the war, modern practice of targeting reporters is really too late to impact TW2000, the first real time it started was in the former Jugoslavia and it only became apparent in the post 9/11 campaigns. My guess is that the Soviets would have interred captured journalists not targeted them. Best practice early war would probably be to be unarmed and only arm when marauders start to appear.

A really obvious example of an armed journalist is seen in "We Were Soldiers." Here however the enemy were quite likely to kill journalists so it is not surprising he picked up a weapon.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by James Langham2

Actually I would suggest the characters from "Drop the Dead Donkey" might make a fun group to encounter...

The "British based independent cable network" that the Screw Up worked for was originally named as Globelink News in early drafts...

[Targan]

Originally Posted by James Langham2

A really obvious example of an armed journalist is seen in "We Were Soldiers." Here however the enemy were quite likely to kill journalists so it is not surprising he picked up a weapon.

IIRC Sgt Major Plumley basically forced him to.

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Targan

IIRC Sgt Major Plumley basically forced him to.

By co-incidence I have just come across the fact that he was carrying an M16 when he boarded the flight out. Plumley as well as the M1911 he carries in the film also carried an M14.

[Badbru]

Originally Posted by James Langham2

Regarding arming journalists - I think it depends on the war, modern practice of targeting reporters is really too late to impact TW2000, the first real time it started was in the former Jugoslavia and it only became apparent in the post 9/11 campaigns. My guess is that the Soviets would have interred captured journalists not targeted them. Best practice early war would probably be to be unarmed and only arm when marauders start to appear.

Ahem, have to take issue with this, ever heard of the Balabo Five? Five Australian journo's, (one might have been a Kiwi) went missing from Balabo in Timor Leste in 1975. The common belief (unproven) is that they were executed by Indonesian troops active in the area.

Also circa 1975 I think, cant recall specifics at the moment, but think the Khmer Rouge executed some journo's.

Nicaraguar, maybe I'm getting a film and reality mixed up but some nuns were executed and I think a journo too.

All of these were long before the former Jugoslavia break up conflicts but I'll admit its probably a more recent trend most likely tied to that other trend of conflicts not being wars between two or more standing armies anymore.

Nice article though. I'll admit to not recognising anyone but they're usefull fleshed out templates.

[Rainbow Six]

There's some quite sobering stats on this website (it only has data since 1992 so more or less coincides with the start of the Balkan Wars)

https://cpj.org/killed/

Same site also has some general information that might be useful if running a Journalist NPC (or PC), particulary the section on security

https://cpj.org/reports/2012/04/jour...rity-guide.php

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Badbru

Ahem, have to take issue with this, ever heard of the Balabo Five? Five Australian journo's, (one might have been a Kiwi) went missing from Balabo in Timor Leste in 1975. The common belief (unproven) is that they were executed by Indonesian troops active in the area.

Also circa 1975 I think, cant recall specifics at the moment, but think the Khmer Rouge executed some journo's.

Nicaraguar, maybe I'm getting a film and reality mixed up but some nuns were executed and I think a journo too.

All of these were long before the former Jugoslavia break up conflicts but I'll admit its probably a more recent trend most likely tied to that other trend of conflicts not being wars between two or more standing armies anymore.

Nice article though. I'll admit to not recognising anyone but they're usefull fleshed out templates.

There have always been incidents as far back as records go, perhaps I should have made it clearer that the policy of targeting journalists specifically instead of just those that had discovered something inconvenient, had outlived their usefulness as hostages, etc.

I actually did a little bit of work a few years ago teaching aid workers and journalists and talking to veterans they felt much more threatened now. Worth noting that in the Second Gulf War, journalists had a higher percentage casualty rate with UK forces than infantry subalterns, traditionally the highest percentage casualty sufferers.

I hadn't heard of that incident, thanks for the heads up.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Badbru

Nicaraguar, maybe I'm getting a film and reality mixed up but some nuns were executed and I think a journo too.

You're thinking of the (very good) 1986 Oliver Stone film Salvador which depicts the real-life murders of 4 American nuns by a group of El Salvadoran national guardsmen in December 1980. The main character in the film was American photojournalist Richard Boyle (played by James Woods) but he wasn't murdered, he just knew one of the murdered nuns.