An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie 10 | BY CAPT LAURA KEANE, ASST PRESS OFFICER, PR BRANCH PhOtOS BY CPL PAUL MILLAR T he 4th Defence Forces Press and Informa- tion Officers (PIO) Course was conducted in the United Nations training School Ireland (UNtSI), DFtC from 22nd September to 1st October 2014. the purpose of the course was to provide Defence Force officers with foundation level train- ing in press, information and media management skills. these skills would facilitate the Officers acting as PIOs at home and overseas. The course was well subscribed with representatives drawn from each brigade and formation. The students had a broad range of skills and expertise, which contributed to the quality of media awareness. Defence Forces Public Relations Branch staff delivered lectures with topics ranging from media theory, writing for the media and social media, to mention just a few. All lectures focused on how the Defence Forces fits within the current media environment and why it is important to engage with the media in order to communicate the organisations key message to our target audiences. The course con- cluded with a three-day exercise, which tested the students in interview training, press release writing and media handling. The students were required to interact with invited trained journalists; who acted as role players for the duration of the exercise. Feedback during the course debrief confirmed that the layout and content of the course was ef- fective at achieving the course objectives. In addition to lectures, several well-known media professionals also addressed the students. RTE crime correspondent Paul Reynolds was invited to discuss his career to date with RTE and his recent involvement covering Defence issues. Other key speakers included Storyful News Editor Malachy Browne and the News Editor for TheJournal.ie, Sinead O'Carroll. Both gave very insightful briefs on the current online media environ- ment and how their organisations engage, verify and report on military stories. A very interesting Crisis Communications lecture was delivered from the Deputy Head of Com- munications of the Health Service Executive (HSE), Kirsten Connolly. Former member of the DF, Declan Power was also invited to address the course in his role as a Security and Defence Analyst. All gave excellent insight into the various roles of the media, either as a reporter, press officer or analyst. The public affairs landscape that the Defence Forces operate in has altered in recent years and it is crucial that PR Branch inform citizens of DF activities and the organisa- tions contribution to society at home and overseas. By training PIOs we now have a pool of media aware officers who will encourage a culture of content generation and act as points of contact for PR Branch throughout the country. Ultimately, the most effective form of Public Relations is and always has been, the men and women of the organisation who carry out their duties on behalf of the people of Ireland in the most professional manner possible. Our newly qualified PIOs will as- sist PR Branch to identify possible PR opportunities at Unit level, which highlights the relevance and effectiveness of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. suB/lt cIaran o'seaGhdha Why is the DF doing PR? "To get the fact that we are a relevant, modern organisation across to the public and create awareness about what it is we do. This course raises our awareness about the tools we have available in our arsenal and how we can get that message across." capt danIel ayIotIs What benefit have you got from the course? "This is a whole new area for me. The benefit for me is that it has given me, as a member of the DF an awareness of the media environment that we work in and I will get a chance to use the course in my future appointments." capt steven maceoIn What PR challenges are the DF facing? "One of our key challenges in PR is selling the message of relevance. One of the take-away points here is that we as leaders have to brief our troops so that they themselves go out as ambassadors in their own communities and explain why we are relevant. I think that's a key challenge." Vox Pops

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