“This document is so Public Affairsy! … No, no, I don’t mean any offense. It just doesn’t help me!”
– A respected colleague’s exclamation, in the JOC, while researching information they need to protect America.
Friends, our career field is associated with unhelpful information.
Professionals assume Public Affairs outlets will not provide helpful information.
Professionals assume unhelpful information came from Public Affairs outlets.
This is not where we want to be! More importantly, this is not where our nation needs us to be.
If we’re communicating on behalf of our military and nation, we’d better be doing so to spark tangible action, or at least understanding.
When you communicate, completely know the action or understanding you’re driving.
We write often about starting with “Why?” While the ultimate “why?” involves our actions to defend America, there are other things to consider.
- Why did our audience members put themselves in a position to receive this information?
- What’s our audience’s agenda, and can we support it?
- How is each word going to enable action, or understanding?
- Where is the information that is tangible, unique and valuable?
- How did we make it easy to find and digest?
Answer these questions to share useful information, and maybe we can rewrite the definition of “Public Affairsy.”
(Photo by Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen, DVIDS)
