MEDIA VISITS
Media representatives visiting your ship or station
are considered guests of the CO, even when they are
covering an assignment. As guests, they are due the
utmost courtesy and respect. As working men and
women, they rate your frill cooperation and assistance.
If you are assigned to escort a reporter on a tour of
the ship or station, plan your route ahead of time. Include
as many points of interest as possible within security
limits. Be relaxed and natural in your actions. Let the
reporter know you know your job, but do not try to talk
above your level of expertise. Any experienced reporter
can sense a “snow job.”
Reporters may be permitted to travel aboard Navy
ships and aircraft to cover news events when this travel
is in the interest of the DoD or DON. However, travel
must not place the Navy in a position of competing with
established commercial transportation facilities along
the same route. Transportation furnished is not
considered to be in competition with commercial
facilities when the travel is necessary for news material
to be obtained which is related to the ships or aircraft in
which the media representative is embarked or to
personnel or cargo on board or when correspondents are
invited to report on a matter considered of special
interest to the Navy.
While aboard, reporters traveling on Navy ships
may transmit their stories using shipboard com-
munications facilities. Specific regulations and
procedures for the handling of press traffic are found in
Chapter 3 of PA Regs and the Navy Communications
Manual, NTP-9.
For more detailed information regarding media
visits, consult Chapters 3 and 4 of the JO 1 & C
TRAMAN.
EXCLUSIVE STORIES
Exclusive stories are in great demand, especially
where competition is strong. It is the policy of Navy
public affairs not to release regular news stories on an
exclusive basis. A Navy release of general interest
usually goes to all outlets on your media mailing list
simultaneously.
There are some exceptions to this rule. For instance,
if you have an idea for a magazine feature story, it must
be written or slanted toward a particular market. Since
most magazines demand exclusives, the story would
naturally be submitted to one magazine outlet.
Another exception is when a commercial writer
develops an idea for an exclusive on his own initiative.
When a reporter comes to the PAO with an idea for a
story, the writer should be given full cooperation. The
idea should be kept in confidence and should not be
relayed to other media or made the basis of a Navy
release.
If another reporter hits on the same idea, the writer
should be told that the first person is already working on
that angle. Do not reveal who the other writer is, unless
the identity is made obvious by circumstances. If the
second person wants to continue on the same idea
anyway, the reporter should be given the same
cooperation as the first person. However, in a case like
this, always tell the first reporter what happened.
The same process should be repeated if a third
reporter becomes involved. However, when more than
three requests are received for the same information,
everybody should be informed that the information
cannot be provided on an exclusive basis and the
information will be disseminated as a general Navy
news release.
MEDIA QUERIES
A media query is a request for information by a
reporter, usually made by telephone. This indicates that
the reporter needs the information now — not tomorrow
or next week.
As a rule, you should refer all queries to the PAO if
they are other than simple, routine questions. The PAO
has the authority to release information and is more
likely to know the representative calling.
When your boss is not available, you should answer
the query provided the requested information is either
releasable or within the limits of security. Inmost public
affairs offices, a set of ground rules is established to
cover situations of this type. The first one is to write
down the exact question and the name and organization
of the caller. Many PAOs use the query sheet shown in
figure 16-8.
If the information is not readily available, explain
this to the reporter and promise to call back in 5, 10 or
15 minutes, depending on how long it will take you to
get the answer. Never brush a reporter off with a vague
promise, such as, “I will see what I can find out.” Be
courteous — remember you are representing your
command and the U.S. Navy.
Once you are off the telephone, start digging up the
information. Check the files, consult reference material
16-14
