If you read enough of MaxDis, you know I put a lot of responsibility on public affairs. You know I’m our champion and critic. I do this at the risk of losing our audience (you). Take this in stride and consider what we can do better in the future.
Last week, on a trip, Secretary of Defense Esper said, “I read articles in the media all the time that are false and — or inaccurate or overstated.” Here is the context.
It seems the Secretary did not intend any ill will toward the media. Some in the media took offense. Take a look at the comments here too.
It’s too bad he said this. The comment doesn’t lend to a good relationship with the media and I can’t see what he was trying to achieve by the statement. It doesn’t matter.
The fact is, he’s probably right. He reads things in the media that are false inaccurate or overstated.
Fact: Journalists work very hard to get information correct and stated in context. We work with pros, right?
From personal experience, every member of the Pentagon Press Corps [from credible news agencies] is dedicated to writing facts, the truth.
Sometimes they get things wrong. Sometimes they don’t get the right context. Sometimes editors have a different take.
Guess what? It is our job, as public affairs officers, to help them get the story right, or at least not wrong.
Personally, if a journalist writes something “false and — or inaccurate or overstated” or damaging to security I consider it my fault. What could I have done better?
In all my years, I remember one time, maybe two where I told a journalist what they were going to write was inaccurate and they published anyway.
We talk about it often. If you want to be an effective PAO, you have to have a relationship with the journalists who cover your organization. You need to know them as journalists AND as people, and they need to know you too. If you do this, you’ll have less inaccurate stories and more fair takes.
What the Secretary said was right. Is he media bashing? I don’t know. To me, he’s PAO bashing.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandy Nicole Mejia
