This sounds like what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to do — via a contractor, and not only during disasters, but 24/7. That will be some contract!!!
The disaster function I've identified above is a well-documented need. The issue, as illustrated by this opinion piece, Department Of Homeland Security Compiling Database Of Journalists And 'Media Influencers' is the era we are living in with mainstream "respected" media being called "fake news" by the president of the United States. That puts a whole new spin on anything that the DHS is going to do when it relates to the media. If the attorney general had announced something similar, the roof would be blown off the top of the Capitol in D.C.
I read someone's reaction to the story, and I'm in concurrence with the thinking behind it, "Not being into conspiracies, my guess is that they want to be able to know about — and if necessary respond in an appropriate way — to media (social and otherwise) stories. It goes a little further than companies are advised to do, tho. Normally they are told to monitor social media to be able to respond to rumors, negative stories and so on. Only difference here that I can see is that DHS is looking to make their response more resonant with the audience of the 'influencer.' Given the flurry of negative stories about DHS in particular — some of which are unnecessarily so — this makes sense to me. The only difference between this and previous administrations' approach is that here the net is cast wider and more systematically."
Eric here: The reality is that we are living in a very "low-trust" environment and everything, everyone and every action is suspect. I don't see this changing very soon, no matter which political party is in power.
I hope DHS is watching me. It means more clicks for my blog! Hey DHS, over here!
