US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books

Lesson 1, Learning Event 4Unit newspapers strive to enhance morale by recognizing individualand unit accomplishments. They may also be used as teaching toolsusing standing columns in each issue to describe friendly andthreat vehicles and aircraft. Some community news will be covered,but unit news will occupy greater amounts of space and the moreprominent sections of the newspaper.Community newspapers are generally found at posts that areprimarily headquarters or administrative in nature. A majorobjective of community newspapers is to develop a sense ofcommunity and provide families with information concerning theirsocial and entertainment needs, and the community support andservice activities.No Army newspaper should be wholly unit- or community- oriented.While the primary internal audience includes soldiers andDepartment of the Army civilians, the total audience also includesfamily members, retirees, West Point and ROTC cadets, and others.Newspaper coverage should be balanced, covering the needs of itstotal audience as determined by newspaper readership surveys andfocus group interviews.GOVERNING REQUIREMENTSSECURITY - Operational security, the safety and security ofthe United States, its citizens and soldiers, and its propertymust be the first concern of all soldiers, including Armyjournalists. Don't use material, artwork, or photographswhich could damage that security. Report security problemsimmediately.ACCURACY - Accuracy gives the journalist and his newspapercredibility, the only commodity they have to other the public.Always be right. Never misspell a name. Always be tactuallycorrect.PROPRIETY - Avoid gory, gruesome, and grotesque writing. Usegood taste and be sensitive to your readership. Tell thestory straight and avoid distasteful adjectives and adverbs.POLICY - Know the Army public affairs policy various subjectssuch as accident reporting, nuclear and chemical accidents,and counterterrorism. Don't violate established command orarmy-wide policy.8