‘6 Certified’ Initiative Aims to Improve Veteran Portrayal in Media

This week, Got Your 6, the organization developed to recreate a more positive and accurate image of veterans and service members in today’s culture, announced the first list in its “6 Certified” campaign.

The 6 Certified campaign was launched earlier this year to focus on battling negative veteran stereotypes and misconceptions in popular media. The first round of accolades includes full-length films American Sniper and Amira and Sam, along with certain episodes of the television shows Dancing with the Stars, Hawaii Five-0, Modern Family and The Night Shift.

To comply with the 6 Certified programs, the creators of these were to fulfill one or more of the following actions as outlined on the Got Your 6 website:

• DO YOUR HOMEWORK
  Research or consult with real veterans, family members, or subject matter experts in an effort to create accurate representations
• CAST A VETERAN
  Hire a veteran actor to play a substantial role
• HIRE A VETERAN WRITER
  Employ a veteran writer to contribute to the narrative
• PORTRAY A VETERAN CHARACTER
  Develop a multi-dimensional veteran character
• TELL A VETERAN STORY
  Develop a narrative with meaningful and accurate veteran themes
• USE VETERANS AS RESOURCES ON SET OR IN WRITERS’ ROOMS
  Have veterans present to consult throughout the film making process

These projects were submitted by representatives from their respective studios when production was over and were then reviewed for eligibility by the 6 Certified committees.

Hopefully, this initiative and others created by the Got Your 6 campaign will continue to improve the image of veterans and returning service members on the whole so they can be seen in a more accurate light.

For More