Home
An organization that uses mass media to communicate with the individuals that make up its society cannot afford to overlook a medium. This is especially important if the medium in question has the potential to provide some members of that society with misinformation that runs counter to the organizations’ standpoint. Such was the result of the Department of Defense's initial failure to consider the impact of the Internet as a source of information about the anthrax vaccine.
This paper uses the theories of diffusion of innovation and uses and gratification to discuss not only how DoD should have anticipated such a backlash, but how the department should have been proactive to counter the misinformation campaign. In addition, recommendations in this paper address how DoD should research Internet use among its people, and places emphasis on using the Internet in future communication efforts.