This came up on a Google Image search for “Forever Lines” not sure why
Command messages … eh. OK. We all learn that in DINFOS, right?
Let’s step it up a notch; enter the concept of Forever Lines.
You’ll remember that one of your main jobs as a public affairs professional is to convey enough context and background for your audience to understand what you are spewing. One way to do that is through forever lines.
Before every campaign or operation we take a few steps to build forever lines:
- Deep media pull – find out what the public is already reading, hearing and watching about the subject. Yes, you can do this on any topic … local or international.
- Whiteboard session – we bring together a subject matter expert (often an intel guy), our team and a few wise guys (to shake things up). We get smart on whatever topic we are about to communicate.
- Headline Production Party (HPP) – Part of the development of your forever lines is to envision what headlines you intend to result from this action, campaign or operation. Start with the end in mind and consider what the media will write.
These three steps should help you develop 3 or 4 Forever Lines. Lines that you connect to every single thing you say. Lines that build context into the action. Lines that tell your audience what they need to know ahead of the information you are going to give them.
These lines shant be used only in responding to media queries or in news releases. I personally use them in every conference call I have with higher and adjacent PA folks. I use them when I brief the boss. I use Forever Lines when I’m updating the J3 and prepping the IO. The point here is, if you use Forever Lines so will everyone else.
