Report: Retired Military Analysts Often Have Defense-Industry Ties

During eight appearances on Fox News and Fox Business Network in early January, Jack Keane was introduced several ways: as “a retired four-star general,” as the former “vice chief of staff for the U.S. Army,” and as Fox News’s “senior strategic analyst.”

The Washington Post reports all of those are accurate descriptions. Keane is a distinguished veteran, having commanded American troops in such places as Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia. Fox employs him to provide analysis of national security and military operations, such as the unfolding hostilities between the United States and Iran.

But another part of Keane’s résumé wasn’t mentioned: the former general is also executive chairman of AM General, a leading defense contractor, best known as the manufacturer of the Humvee and other tactical military vehicles. He is also a partner at a venture-capital firm that specializes in the defense industry.

In other words, viewers never learned that Keane has a direct financial interest in the war policies he was assessing on the air.

Fox News’ nondisclosure of Keane’s role in the military-industrial complex is standard operating procedure for network news shows.  Like Fox News, none of the leading networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC — makes a regular practice of announcing its military analysts’ financial ties to the Pentagon, connections that could color their on-air comments.

News organizations typically prohibit their employees and contributors from working for another entity that might profit, even indirectly, from the employee’s analysis or reporting. Others permit such affiliations but disclose them to readers or viewers.

The underlying principle is transparency. Disclosures help readers and viewers understand a commentator’s personal stake and possible motivations.