ACCURACY.— In the turmoil of disaster, there may be many temptations for you to rely on memory or to make  educated  estimates  in  answering  seemingly inconsequential  questions.  Reporters  may  be  pressing from all sides for bits of information which must be laboriously  checked  for  accuracy. An offhand answer to a question, such as, “How many crew members does an airplane like the one that crashed usually carry?” may haunt you for weeks or months. A low estimate might imply the aircraft was permitted   to   fly   with   an   incomplete   crew.   An overestimate  might  excite  speculation  about  a  special mission or an overloaded airplane. No detail is too small to confirm. Checking and rechecking  facts  in  a  disaster  situation  should  be standard  operating  procedure.  It  could  very  well  spell the difference between success or failure of your whole effort. In this regard you must resist efforts by the media to force the answer to a question before it has been authenticated.   This   is   particularly   difficult   when deadlines approach or there is pressure from a reporter who is personally known and trusted. Being stampeded into an answer at a time like this can only result in additional problems. Say you will check and get back to them by a specific time. Whether you have the answer or not, at least give them a status report. One  important  aspect  of  accuracy  is  the  release  of the names of disaster victims. A misspelled name, wrong initials, incorrect grade or rate can mean unwarranted anxiety or suffering to the next of kin. An example of this was the crash of a military transport plane several years ago. The public affairs office, in its haste to oblige reporters, released the flight manifest from another aircraft of the same type which was flying a similar mission on the same day. The identification numbers of the  aircraft  were  similar  and  were  not  double-checked before they were released. In an attempt to provide quick assistance,  a  tragic  mistake  was  made. INITIATIVE.—  A  good  JO  anticipates  the  needs  of the news media. Get them the facts, figures and other information they will need before they get a chance to ask for it. When you take this initiative, the following advantages  will  result: l    It shows you are interested in their problems and want  to  cooperate. l  It indicates the public affairs staff is ready for such  situations  when  they  arise.  Reporters appreciate  enterprise  and  resourcefulness l l l l because  these  qualities  are  required  of  them  in their  own  professions. It establishes an air of honesty and frankness. They know you are not trying to hide anything. It  saves  time–both  yours  and  theirs.  If  you provide  information  as  soon  as  it  becomes available, reporters do not have to go out and dig it  up  themselves.  Releasing  news  promptly  also saves you from repeated queries on the same subject. It enables the Navy to state its position along with the  facts  it  releases.  You  have  to  be  careful, however, to avoid the appearance of trying to whitewash  the  facts. It provides alibi copy for the public affairs files. This is an area where you, as a senior JO, are certain to be of value to your command. Most of the decisions concerning media relations and public affairs policy will be made by the officer in command or PAO—although you  may  get  deeply  involved  in  this  if  there  is  no full-time PAO in the command. But whatever the situation, digging up facts and figures is the JO’s job, a job you can embark upon as soon as you get the word that an accident has occurred. Almost any fact your research brings out will help the PAO and the news media. If  you  follow  the  preceding  releasing  procedure,  the job of reading bulletins over the telephone to the media will probably rest on you also. You will do this while the PAO (or director of the CIB) talks to other officers and gets new information and guidance. You can take down any questions you are asked, and either get the answers yourself  or  refer  them  to  your  boss.  However,  you should never assume the role as spokesman unless specifically  designated  by  the  officer-in-charge. HONESTY.— Honesty in dealing with the media is always   of   prime   importance.   The   circumstances surrounding a disaster are often negative in connotation and sometimes painful to admit. The only solution, however, is complete honesty and candor. Overt  dishonesty  is  generally  not  the  problem. Many of the facts are readily available or discernible to the press. The problem of indirect dishonesty is most often encountered. Neglecting to tell the whole story or glossing over certain unsavory facts is dishonest. Failing to  tell  the  news  media  that  the  CO  of  a  ship  was previously involved in a similar disaster is a form of dishonesty. 2-24