For the last several years my brother, a reporter, has pointed out to me that we in the military do not tell our story very effectively. While the public supports us, they often don’t understand what we’re doing or why we’re “over there.”
While I agreed with him, my leadership and our service culture taught me as a young officer that engagement with the media can only end badly. Getting your message out correctly goes unnoticed, but overstepping your bounds or speaking off-message can bring the wrath of your commander and the whole chain of command down on you.
That’s why I was so impressed that one of the first topics addressed in ILE was the media. We participated in the media panel, and we were required to develop a plan to practice crisis-management at a news conference. However, as good as that training was, I walked out of class thinking that while I could manage if pressed into the situation, I certainly wasn’t going to volunteer for it.
This week, Advanced Media Training turned my attitude around. My comfort level soared over the course of the three back-to-back interviews. I picked up valuable tips from each scenario and had the chance to apply them immediately. Starting with the one-on-one studio setup, we walked through how to conduct ourselves when talking to a reporter on camera, including common mistakes the professional instructors have seen and what types of things to say. Just as importantly, since we all misspeak, we practiced tips on recovering and returning to the critical points that we want the public to know.
Then we moved to the press conference, where the dazzling lights combined with rapid-fire questions tested our ability to control a crowd. Finally, we moved to the remote interview. There, you have to work through distractions happening off set, while simultaneously focusing on the camera and trying to read your interviewer’s voice to ensure you’re getting your points across. Not having a person to focus on proved more of a challenge than I expected, but watching my peers demonstrated the importance – shifty eyes switching to studio distractions looked uncomfortable or untruthful on TV.
Prior to completing AMT, fear of the unknown would have kept me from engaging with the media. But as a field-grade officer, I have to be able to tell our story. The public needs to hear our positive stories, but also to understand what happened when operations don’t go as planned. The course was a huge benefit for me, and I cannot recommend it to my peers enough. Every officer, from the professional who needs polishing to those, like me, with no media experience, will find the class to be time well-spent.
MAJ Dave Holm, USAF
ILE 12-02, Staff Group 2D
