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US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books

US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books

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Lesson 1, Learning Event 22. PROXIMITY -- News events may occur close to readers in both thephysical and psychological sense. The most important person in theworld is the individual reader. Write about what he thinks ordoes, and his attention is guaranteed. Write about his family,friends, church, club, hobbies, career or city and his attentionwill be captured in varying degrees. The automobile accident infront of his home is more important than one across town. Theaccident, in another state, which involves his family is moreimportant than the one in front of his home.If a servicewide event taxes place, you must localize it --tell howit affects the folks at your post. If the defense appropriationsbill is approved in Washington, D.C., how will it affect the budgetof your post? Localize. Don't just take "canned" material fromDepartment of Defense or Department of the <strong>Army</strong> news services.All too often a story is taken directly from the news services andused without being localized. Doing this cheats the reader. Ifthe story has an <strong>Army</strong>-wide interest it should also have a localangle as well. Find it. Write about it. Tie it in with the newsservice story and publish it.3. CONSEQUENCE -- The more people affected by a news event thegreater consequence it has for the readership. The journalist'sjob is to discover and report how readers will be affected, and nowlong they will be affected.If the water main to one street of houses bursts, the consequenceis great for those living on the street, but negligible for therest of your readers. Such a story might be reported on the insidepages with a few short paragraphs.Let the post's central water main burst and its consequence willthrow the story to page one.4. PROMINENCE -- When PFC Cruit has a gall stone attack, it haslittle news value. Let the same thing happen to a footballquarterback the night before he's to start in the Super bowl, andit's newsworthy. If PFC Cruit says cigarettes should not be soldin commissaries, no one listens. Let the commander of the TroopSupport Agency (which controls commissaries) even hint that he isconsidering such a ban and people want to know what he said and whyhe said it.4

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