September 2007

Foreword by the Chairman of NATO's Military Committee PDF NATO Military policy on public affairs EN (PDF/344Kb) FR (PDF/164Kb) I am very pleased to be ableto provide a few words of introduction to this Internet version of the "new and improved" Military Committee policy on NATO military Public Affairs. Achieving policy consensus in a large international organisation, when all nations have an equal voice and national practises can differ, is a strong statement of intent and desire on the part of all 26 NATO Chiefs of Defence. NATO's operations and missions have grown more complex, more numerous, and often more dangerous, and are conducted further than ever from the traditional "North Atlantic" orbit. This policy is evidence that national military authorities understand that the political, operational, and media environments that inform our work have also been transformed. It is also recognized that doing better at explaining the organisation's raison d'être to our many and varied audiences requires an investment of people and money at national and NATO levels, in order to build capability in the public affairs function. This Military Committee policy articulates NATO public affairs principles, establishes the critical importance of internal information to our work, provides guidance on engaging the citizen-journalist and responding to demands of new media, and focuses Public Affairs effort on support to commanders. It is a significant policy enhancement and I am proud to continue to publicly promote its aims and objectives.     Introduction by the Public Affairs Advisor to the Military Committee This booklet available in this section on the NATO website reproduces Military Committee policy document 0457/1 NATO Military Public Affairs, with effect from September 2007. At its root, NATO military Public Affairs offices support commanders by explaining our organisational narrative to international, national, regional or local audiences.  This document was written with a view to providing context and perspective to the direction, thereby helping public affairs practitioners, commanders and operators alike organize public affairs activities in an arena where the wicked real world of "grey" often does not neatly fit "black-and-white" policy prescriptions. The means of communicating messages and influencing perceptions and behaviours are increasingly in the hands of virtually anyone with access to a computer. This on its own does not portend the death of traditional media, who remain, and will remain for the foreseeble future, influential observers and critics of our work. However, this paradigm shift should inform us that a fundamental re-examination is in order of the manner and means by which we reach out and engage audiences to inform them about military aspects of the Alliance. Practitioners need strategic sense, operational aptitude and tactical as well as technical skill to be effective advisors and communicators. These abilities are gained through training, education and experience, ideally at successive ranks within a Public Affairs career field. This policy is the product of, and a small tribute to, the work, lessons and experiences of all those who have served the Public Affairs function at standing and field NATO HQs.