US Army Journalist - Course - Survival Books

Lesson 3, Learning Event 2Telephones also provide access to the Army's Public Affairs "USANetwork" through which the Army News Service (ARNEWS) may beobtained. USA Network is a computer information service offeredthrough International Telephone and Telegraph Dialcom, Inc.Computers and telephones also offer other information servicesthrough which one can access news services, libraries andencyclopedias.The Armed Forces Information Service (AFIS) provides camera-readycopy and artwork for military papers. AFIS clipsheets and ARNEWSare important sources of information about Department of Defenseand Department of the Army news.Local news is often provided in news release form by local militaryunits and private organizations in the military community. Thesereleases may be short announcements about meetings or activities,or they may be articles. For instance, the local preventivemedicine office may prepare an article on mosquito infestations toalert residents to precautions they should take. Or, the localofficers' wives club may want to publicize its annual collegescholarship application deadline.Army newspapers should establish a policy that all announcements besubmitted in written or typewritten form. This ensures that nomisunderstandings occur over the phone, and it provides a backupfor the editor when private organizations mistakenly provide thewrong date, etc. Additionally, if announcements and releases mustinclude points of contact and phone numbers for the editor, he hasthe option of assigning a reporter to cover the event or he canobtain other essential information.Story ideas can also come from the office future file. The futurefile is a suspense file of sorts. The newspaper staff placesannouncements of upcoming events in the future file under the dateof the event. Reviewing and updating this file daily can help thereporter and editor in finding or assigning story ideas.The future file is sometimes a collection of file folders, eachcontaining advance information that comes into the office about aparticular event. The future file can be as simple as a calendarpad with enough space in its blocks to write reminders to theeditor. It can be a large wall calendar under glass or acetatewith information written in with grease pencil for a month inadvance or more.26