You must not favor one medium over another;
however, you must take advantage of the potential and
recognize the limitations of each for circulation,
selectivity of publics, influence or prestige, appearance
and flexibility in the timing of news releases. One
common limitation is that coverage does not guarantee
public knowledge or understanding of an issue. You
cannot expect radio to do a job that is better suited for a
newspaper, or for a newspaper to do the entire job of
communicating in an era when the electronic media
have access to virtually all American homes.
NEWSPAPER
The newspaper is the oldest medium of mass com-
munication and the backbone of public information.
While the number of newspapers published in America
has declined with the ascendancy of television, total
circulation is increasing.
Characteristics of newspapers include the follow-
ing:
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l
l
l
l
l
Attraction of habitual readers and a tendency to
build confidence among them
Coverage in greater depth than broadcast or
pictorial media
Style of presentation and organization that
permits gaining superficial knowledge of readers
Timely coverage when compared to magazines
or books
Provide information and entertainment that help
shape public opinion
More permanence than messages from electronic
media or oral communication
There are differences between the metropolitan
daily, the suburban or neighborhood daily and the
weekly newspaper. Where a metropolitan daily focuses
on international, national and top-level local news and
features, a suburban daily (or weekly) may limit itself
to local and regional news with only brief summaries of
national and international news. Suburban newspapers
have grown in popularity recently because of their
comprehensive coverage of local news.
RADIO
Radio became a medium of mass communication in
the 1930s. Its advantages are immediacy, variety,
mobility and aural appeal. Because of the recent
resurrection of the AM news/talk format, the radio
listening audience may include nearly every individual
in the country.
Radio is conversational, informal, intimate and
timely. It has an almost instantaneous reaction time to
fast-breaking news but is limited to headlines and high
points.
TELEVISION
Television is the newest and most potent of mass
communications media. It combines the impact of sight
and sound with the immediacy of radio. Communication
satellites and roving news teams can relay live telecasts
from almost anywhere in the world or even outer space.
Television has extended the eyes and ears of Americans
to the point where they are participants in the “global
village.”
Television news programs are network (60 Minutes,
20/20, etc.) or local in origin. Most local stations do live
coverage and welcome the opportunity to consider
videotapes of significant military news or feature
events, including sports.
In many areas, television stations are owned by or
closely allied with newspapers. Most use both The
Associated Press and United Press International wire
services.
Your office may be called upon by radio and
television broadcasters to help produce news programs
about military topics. When requests come from local
television or radio stations, you should provide help as
long as you do not violate the basic considerations of
security, accuracy, propriety and policy or interfere with
the military mission. Providing technical help to
broadcasters is routine at military bases.
There is no common standard for preparing news
feature material used by all broadcasting stations. You
should determine each station’s requirements for format
and length of news items and features, size of still news
photos and preferences for slides, photos or videotape
footage.
NEWS SERVICES
News services, often called wire services, exist to
provide the mass media with coverage they cannot
afford to get by any other means. Mark Twain once said,
“There are only two forces that carry light to all concerns
of the globe, the sun in the heavens and The Associated
Press down here.”
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