or contact officers who may answer the question with
authority. If you run over the time limit, return the call
and explain the delay. Always keep in mind that the
reporter is probably working against a rapidly
approaching deadline.
MEDIA INFORMATION KIT
The media information kit is one way to provide
visiting reporters with valuable background information
on your ship or station A typical media information kit
contains the following materials:
l
l
l
l
l
l
Command history
Pertinent facts about the population of the
command
Welcome aboard booklet
Biographies of senior officers
Photographs
Any other appropriate information that will
supplement the subject on which they intend to
write
Media information kits can seine many other useful
purposes. For example, you may give them to visiting
dignitaries or guest observers on fleet exercises and
operations. They are used during command public
visitations, commissioning ceremonies and other
special occasions. Aboard ship they are forwarded with
advance news releases to local editors in ports scheduled
to be visited. American officials in foreign countries also
need kits for publicity purposes when ships visit them.
Use standard-size double-pocket folders to assemble
your media information kits. You can arrange material
in several different ways, but we recommend placing the
command history, photographs and biographies on the
left side, and other amplifying information on the right
side.
You should review information kits regularly,
because the material in them becomes outdated.
TOURS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the purpose
of tours and the characteristics and skills
required of the one conducting a tour.
An important part of your community relations
efforts center around public tours of the command.
Regardless of its size, your command will generate a
great amount of community interest. Therefore, the
public affairs office staff conducts tours so visitors can
witness the Navy in action firsthand. Tours also carry
great recruiting potential.
In general, Navy commands honor requests for
tours throughout the year, with certain days set aside for
general public visitation, such as Navy Day and Armed
Forces Day. (Note the use of the term general public
visitation. Never use “open house” when referring to
public tours of your command because it implies
unlimited public access.)
Additionally, you will receive tour requests from a
wide variety of groups, including (but not limited to) the
Boy and Girl Scouts, NJROTC units, veterans’ alumni
organizations, junior high/high school classes and other
community groups. Sandwiched between these groups
are the occasional VIP and celebrity tours.
The availability of your command to provide public
tours is driven primarily by the following three factors:
l The security conditions in force
l The personnel available to conduct the tours
l The operational commitments of the command
Now take a look at some of the areas you must
become familiar with before you conduct a tour. They
are as follows:
. Appearance
l Command knowledge
l Demeanor
l Patience
l Voice projection
c Emergency procedures
APPEARANCE
As you learned in Chapter 1, your appearance must
be impeccable. Remember, you represent not only the
command but the U.S. Navy. Begin evaluating your
appearance by first examining your haircut, and
working your way down to the edge dressing on your
shoes. Replace old, worn-out ribbons and name tags.
Prepare for a tour with the same intensity as if you were
preparing for a major command personnel inspection.
16-16
