Let the fun begin! 

This week started off fast with a WKDT tour and orientation of the services that they offer the corp.  These cadets, under the leadership of Mr. Joe Cyr, are the background workers of all cadet functions.  They provide music, sound systems, and all other audio needs to functions like company or regiment barbeques and cadet activities.  Joe Cyr also in trained to deal with crisis media; he is the one who will deal with media in the case of an emergency here at West Point.   We watched a video of General McCaffrey discussing the importance of Public Affairs, and he had seven main points: 

1.  Media can’t be effective without help.  Just as you make sure that your soldiers needs are met, make sure they have food, transportation, safety, communication.

2.  Senior Officers tend to hide info, so be honest and have a discipline of media relations.  Let outside media know information.  If you don’t tell them, someone else will.

3.  Media personnel need NEWS!  New and interesting information with sound bites, photos, etc.

4.  Deadlines.  All reporters have them.  They will keep their word.  Reporters will produce the story with or without your help, so you minas well work with them so they are producing a story out of fact.

5.  Form long-term relationships with senior media agents.  If you are not the PAO, keep your PAO informed so that they can explain the situation to others.  Its their job. 

6.  When there is a problem, get in front of the TV cameras.  It is better to admit that there is a problem than to hide from the media and let the issue escalate.  Explain the situation, explain that it is being dealt with, and walk away.  They now have enough information to keep the freight train from running wild.

7.  Never say, “no comment.”  They will still do the story.  Simply tell them that you do not have a comment at this time, give them a time that you will check in with them again and get some info to tell them.  It is better to give them facts to work with, even if it takes a bit longer to get them.  But remember #4.

Monday afternoon, I did a Michie Stadium Walk-thru with the White house Advance Team, which includes media supervisors, secret service, and other civilian contractors…  The only way that I can describe the spectacle was chaos.  Everything that USMA had planned, from the placement of the media platform to bicycle racks was scrutinized by everyone (and changed!).  The biggest deal on the Media Relations side was the placement of all the platforms that reporters stand on while they are on the field.  Wither the platforms were too low, too high, too close, or too far away.  I don’t think that anything we did could have made them happy.  Also, the placement of the print reporters was a headache.  The Advance Team wanted them on the field, but that would entail putting tables and chairs on the field (right where the children have to run during the hat toss), whereas we would rather have them in a state-of-the-art air-conditioned press-box.  Oh, the travesty!