MILITARY / MEDIA
RELATIONS
1
PUBLIC PERCEPTION HAS
AN IMPACT
• Elected Decision Makers
• Military Members
2
INFLUENCES
ON THE PUBLIC’S PERCEPTION OF THE
MILITARY
• Media
• Political Leaders
• Private Organizations
• Personal Contact
3
KEYS TO POSITIVE
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
• Awareness of impact of public
perception
• Training
• Public Affairs / Procedures
• Transparent Military Justice
System
4
PRINCIPLES FOR
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS
• Make information available
• No censorship
• Withhold only to protect security, safety,
or privacy
• Conduct public affairs planning &
coordination
5
FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC
AFFAIRS OFFICE
• Media Relations
• Internal Information
• Community Relations
6
LAWS REGULATING RELEASE OF
INFORMATION
Freedom of Information Act
- Disclosure is the rule
- Equal access
- Government must justify any denial of access
7
CLASSIFICATION OF INFORMATION
Classified documents procedure:
- Decision to release by designated officials
- Classification limitations
Internal practices and rules
Trade secrets
Memos and letters
Personnel and medical files
Investigatory records
Exempt by statute
8
Media goals
vs.
Military Goals
News is a product to sell
-----
Mission comes first
Information = commodity
-----
Information = asset
Seek access to information
-----
Restrict access
Broad principles, loosely organized
-----
Rules, tightly organized
9
THE DILEMMA. . .
MILITARY JUSTICE
PUBLIC
INTEREST
PERSONAL
PRIVACY
10
U.S. SOLUTION !
MILITARY JUSTICE
• Courts-Martial Open to Journalists--But
No Cameras
AP Photo/William Hennessy
• Release:
 Name
 Rank  Hometown
 Charge  Details of Confinement
11
THE DILEMMA...
MILITARY OPERATIONS
PUBLIC
RIGHT
TO KNOW
OPERATIONAL
SECURITY
12
U.S. SOLUTION!
MILITARY OPERATIONS
• Commander’s Control
• Roaming Journalists
• Press Pools
13
Press Pools
• Pre-selected, given access to area of
operations and military information
• Possible conditions for inclusion:
– Ready to respond when notified to deploy
– No reporting of deployment without
permission
– Remain with military escort
– Military review of reporting prior to release
14
Embedding of Media
Provides long-term, minimally
restrictive access to military
operations
– Live, work & travel with
military units
– Commanders to ensure
media provided
opportunities to observe
actual combat operations
– All interviews on the record
15
FALSE REPORTING . . .THE
DILEMMA. . .
FREE
SPEECH
MISLEADING
THE PUBLIC
16
U.S. SOLUTION. . .
• Rebuttal
• Media Conference
• Defamation Laws
17
CONCLUSION
• Vital Role of the Media
• Military/Media Cooperation
• Methods of Allowing Media Access to
Information
18
19