Everyone has biases. Some of us wear our bias on our chests, “US Army.” We all see the world through a lens which has been shaped by our knowledge and experience.
Because of these biases, we are susceptible to misinterpretation and misunderstanding.
You have to watch yourself and prevent your biases from causing you to make bad decisions.
Even the best journalists have biases. It’s why they work so hard to understand and gain several different perspectives on a story. The best PAOs help journalists understand things holistically, even the not-so-great parts.
The worst journalists regurgitate the PAOs talking points. The worst PAOs serve talking points which lack analytical rigor, are incomplete or false.
It’s not your job to fool journalists into only reporting the good news. Even if it was you’re unlikely to succeed, they’re savvy. It’s not your job to flagellate yourself or your organization either.
It is your job to help the journalist understand the entire situation and you, counselor, represent the Defense (Department of).
You are biased. So are they. You are truthful. So are they.
