Photo By Lance Cpl. Joseph DeMarcus | NBC News Meteorologist Maria LaRosa, left, speaks with commanders from across the...... read more read more
Subscribe
Commanders and senior enlisted leaders from across the Marine Corps met with leaders in media, sports, entertainment and financial services at Communication Directorate’s Commanders’ Media Training Symposium in New York, NY, 23 to 25 October, 2023.
Attendees participated in conversations with the Director of Communication for Headquarters Marine Corps, SES April Langwell, who provided an overview of the Marine Corps’ service-level communication strategy, and underscored how communication efforts help drive the success of the organization as a whole, during all phases of warfare. The head of Communication Directorate’s New York office, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hilton, helped explain how commanders at the tactical level play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the Marine Corps’ communication strategy through the integration of Communication Strategy and Operations assets into their units’ training and operations.
“It’s important to know who the audience is and then know how to speak to them,” said Hilton. “This symposium gives commanders an opportunity to hear from recognizable professionals and see behind the curtain at the studios.”
Symposium attendees also had the opportunity to tour national headquarters for several nationally-leading media organizations, including FOX, NBC, Bloomberg and Comcast. Attendees received informational presentations on the operations of media organizations, the integration of artificial intelligence into media and keys to successful media engagements. Through these interactions, commanders gain a deeper understanding of the media environment, and are better equipped to integrate external media engagements into training and real-world operations.
“The three-day Commanders’ Media Training Symposium in NYC was a phenomenal event that I would highly recommend to commanders,” said Lieutenant Colonel Russell Fluker, the commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines. “I better understand the strategic messaging from Headquarters Marine Corps and benefited hearing from media practitioners and academics across NYC - including NYPD, Bloomberg, major news outlets, and the NFL. Overall, the symposium helped to better equip me and my fellow attendees to operate in the information domain and was time well-spent.”
Finally, commanders applied the skills and knowledge they acquired over the course of the week in a series of simulated interviews covering common crisis communication topics ranging from aviation mishaps to humanitarian disaster relief efforts. Training participants received guidance and preparation from an assigned Communication Strategy and Operations officer to identify key themes and messages, and ensuring responses were concise, truthful and strategically aligned. Through recorded interviews, commanders received feedback on their interview skills and gained insight into how to provide concise, factual, effective answers to media.
“I found the training vital as a commander that routinely engages with media and the public,” said Colonel Robb Sucher, the commanding officer of Marine Barracks Washington in Washington, D.C. “The three days greatly helped me to better understand the media landscape and what makes news.”
Marines interested in attending future Commanders’ Media Training symposiums can contact LtCol Matthew Hilton at matthew.h.hilton@usmc.mil or (212) 371-2937 to learn more about dates, itineraries and travel arrangements. This information is also released via MARADMIN
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.02.2023 09:33 |
| Story ID: | 457017 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Commanders Hone Media Skills During New York City Training Symposium, by MAJ Thomas Kleiber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
