The Army and YouTube - a deadly combination?

Donald mentioned that Howard has used YouTube to promote the ADF but recently this social media tool caused unwanted publicity and had the potential to damage the reputation of the Australian Army. Soldiers in the Northern Territory posted a video on YouTube called "My experience in the Australian Army" which showed images of soldiers drinking and wearing the KKK uniform. It was a traditional media source, The Sunday Times, who notified the ADF of this video. As soon as I heard about this I immediately went to YouTube to check it out but it had been removed. The ADF got in quick. What do you think about this? Obviously the ADF reacted appropriately. A quick response is one of the keys to successful issues management. Is this a matter of public interest? I think it is since it is the Australian public who are paying for these soldiers wages, so let me see the video! This was what I wanted - a real glimpse into the army way of life, not a recruitment advertisement! Social media - uncontrolled and unfiltered, everyone and anyone can be exposed. But then it can simply be erased. It will be interesting to see what action is taken against the soldiers involved. The ADF should be very aware and responsive to social media. They should know that many of their soldiers are on networks such as MySpace and Facebook and list the Army as their occupation. The potential to criticise the ADF to a large audience is easy.