For a military or law enforcement agency, a public affairs officer manages public and media relations. Interacting with the public, the media, and other agencies may be part of this position’s responsibilities. Unlike most civilian public affairs staff, military or police public information officers must follow established protocols when deciding whether or not to release information to the public.
A public affairs officer’s responsibilities may include overseeing public affairs activities, cultivating relationships with the media, and disseminating information about military or law enforcement personnel to the general public. Other common responsibilities include fostering positive relationships between military or law enforcement personnel and civilians. Another common duty is informing the public about military operations that may have an impact on civilians. These officers may be the face of a military base or operation to the general public. They may also be in charge of the production of newspapers and magazines for military and civilian personnel.
Not everyone who works under the supervision of public affairs officers is a member of the military or a police officer. Some are civilians, and the Department of Defense (DOD) has accepted civilians for public affairs training within a civil service position. These workers may gather and write news reports, or they may give public speeches to community groups. Public affairs professionals may work for military or quasi-military organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Public affairs professionals with media relations experience may work for embassies or represent a country within the United Nations (UN).
A public affairs officer may handle media requests and participate in activities that increase the public’s understanding of government or enforcement agencies on a local or regional level. A public information officer for the United States Forestry Service is an example. He or she may go to schools to promote forest fire prevention or hold a press conference in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Composing status reports on missing military personnel or releasing data on upcoming military deployments are some of the responsibilities of a public affairs officer working for a military organization. He or she may also notify the media of deaths, injuries, or reports of those who have gone missing in action. In this regard, a state police officer’s responsibilities may be similar to those of his or her military counterpart.
Although many of the daily tasks performed by a public affairs officer are similar to those performed by a civilian, there are significant differences. The format of news released to the public by the military or police must adhere to an agency’s protocol. Furthermore, breaking news is typically considered a top priority in the civilian realm of media publishing. Despite public pressure to release information in the aftermath of a major military or law enforcement operation, the officer will be expected to defer to the chain of command. It is usually considered a serious breach of protocol to release military information without authorization.