"Journalists" wanted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week placed a help-wanted listing on journalismjobs.com, an employment website. The department sought reporters to participate in TOPOFF 3, a biennial exercise directed by Congress that simulates a terrorist attack on the United States.

The posting, which has since been taken off the site, sought applicants who can write copy for an online news service “reporting events within the exercise for an audience of exercise participants.”

Instead of acting as advocates, the reporters would be prohibited from relaying the results of the exercise outside of the “virtual news network” that is part of the training exercise.

“You must NOT be currently employed by a real news organization and will be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement barring you from writing about this in the future,” the job posting stated.
  The Hill article

The ad wasn't up long. I guess they got their unemployed journalists. Must be the cream of the crop.

Short said the department wanted to hire reporters to help department officials better understand how the media would respond to a weapon-of-mass-destruction attack.

That's a very important thing for this administration to know. However, I think we already have a good idea based on the Twin Towers lack of honest investigative reporting. The administration should be pleased with what the media will do. Besides, if a reporter knows it's only a simulation, how is that going to reflect what he/she would do in the event of the real thing? I wonder how many they hired - and what they'll use them for after this little "exercise".

“We want them to act like reporters and to push the story forward,” Short said. The exercise would help public-relations officials better respond to any real terrorist attack, he said.

That's right. Still fine-tuning their control over the news.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.