HOW TO DEAL WITH MEDIA

If approached by media and asked about the exercise...

Never say “NO COMMENT”

Refer them to the Public Affairs Office.

All media should have a Public Affairs Escort at all times.

Always report media presence through your Chain of Command.

Usually, media engagements will have been arranged through the PAO (Public Affairs Office). Public Affairs (PA) staff will clear and prepare you for formal interviews. Do not schedule any media engagement without prior approval and coordination with the PAO.

If you are scheduled for an interview with media, consider the following:

DO's

Find out what questions or topics prior to the interview.

Be honest – if necessary say “I don’t know” or “I can’t discuss that”.

Deal only in facts – correct any inaccuracies.

Have a master message and stay with “Key Messages” !

Be yourself – tell your story.

Be professional, polite and positive.

Check your appearance (hair, face, uniform)

DONT's

Discuss classified information.

Speculate or discuss politics.

Be pressured into saying something you don’t want to.

Lie or speculate to a journalist.

Comment out of your area of expertise.

Discuss “what if” questions.

Mislead or take sides.

Use military jargon, acronyms or abbreviations.

NEVER BE FLIPPANT or ignore the media.

Stay in your lane. As a Subject Matter Expert, you can talk about your specific skills/ structures below, not above.

Remain calm. Calm always wins the day. Defensive and angry responses are signs of a weak position. Take a breath and pause before speaking.

Know your facts. Support the Noble Jump 2023 Key Messages with anecdotes, statistics and sound bites.

Stay on message. Use ‘off message’ questions to bridge back to the Noble Jump 2023 Key Messages. Use phrases such as “That is a good question, before I address it I would like to go back to my earlier point”.

Keep to the point. Be concise; keep answers to 10 – 20 second sound bites.

Refer media to Public Affairs - If a question cannot be answered by the lines listed in this Pocket Card and/or exceeds your level of responsibility ask the journalist to contact the JFC Naples Public Affairs Office.