Media

The United States military trains for and performs a variety of tasks in order to support and defend the country sworn to serve.   A portion of this training involves the media.   The media is an integral part of society that the military uses to communicate to the populace.   The US military has an obligation to communicate with the American public, and it is in the national interest to communicate with the international public. Through the responsive release of accurate information and imagery to domestic and international audiences, public affairs (PA) puts operational actions in context, facilitates the development of informed perceptions about military operations, helps undermine adversarial propaganda efforts, and contributes to the achievement of national, strategic, and operational objectives.   The U.S. military’s interaction with various media channels shapes opinions of audiences at home and abroad and must be taken into account by military leaders and planners at all levels.   It is essential to understand the media and the impact they have globally.   Field grade officers need to be trained on interacting with the media whether negative or positive in nature to match the expectations placed on them.  
Public Affairs Planning
Public affairs is a command responsibility.   Public affairs fulfills the Army’s obligation to keep the American people and the Army informed and helps to establish the conditions that lead to confidence in America’s Army and its readiness to conduct full-spectrum operations. Every member of the Army contributes to effective PA. Soldiers are the most credible and influential spokespersons that the Army has.   “The military has an overriding self-interest in getting its over-whelmingly positive story out. To do so, it must communicate the leadership’s views from the top down, and improve public affairs education at all levels.”   Leaders always focus on mission accomplishment but regardless of the mission it will be subject to media...