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