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Standards for Publication of Articles and Photographs on the Delaware National Guard Web Site: http://www.delawarenationalguard.com

I. Standards for publication can be summarized as follows:

    • Comply with DoD policy and review previous content.

--- All print materials must meet with the appropriate standards of SAPP (security, accuracy, propriety and policy) and the basic journalism criteria as outlined by DoD. Details on these standards will follow in Section II of this document.
    • Provide quality photographic support.

--- Quality, action photos increase the chances of publication for content. A picture is worth a thousand words; therefore, photos will increase the effectiveness of your articles. Photos should be dynamic, selective, high quality and should contain the appropriate caption information. For an explanation of these guidelines and for details on submitting digital images see section III.

    • Limit the amount of text you provide.
      •

--- Tightly written stories with a single good photo are preferred for publication on military web sites. Most features are only slightly longer than news stories, but the stories are distinguished by their unique subject matter and the quality of their photo support.

--- An average news item is 100 to 200 words, with photo support. Features contain 200 to 1,000 words and usually require several quality photos.

--- Photo features require multiple, high-quality images and minimal text (usually 200 to 500 words).

    • Release Authority
      •

The State Public Affairs Officer, or his representative, will review materials for the standards of SAPP and should authorize all releases. If there is another release authority in your chain of command, that person should be noted on all materials.

 

II. Writing news articles or feature articles

If you are not familiar with journalistic standards for writing, either review the DoD policy at DefenseLINK or obtain a copy of FM-46-1 and FM3-61-1 for military standards. See the section below on Writing News and Features.

Reading through the list of titles and subjects on the DNG web site, on The National Guard web site and on DefenseLINK will help you develop your print products. Ongoing review will also enable you to develop ideas for future stories. Reading previously published materials may help the you cover all pertinent information.

1 - WHAT IS NEWS?

News, by definition, is novel, different, unusual, bizarre, unexpected and timely (today), in contrast with the obvious, routine, usual, predictable and untimely (yesterday’s news or what might happen).


2 –Some guidelines for an effective writing style based on DoD policy.

Write concisely to deliver your point.

Be direct. Use the active voice.

Avoid excessive verbiage.

Avoid flowery prose, market-speak, and the "disease of familiarity."

Grammar Matters!

The DNG web site always uses the Associated Press Styleguide for proper use of abbreviations and acronyms such as military titles and units.

To brush up on your grammar, consider using Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.

Some typical grammatical errors:

Subject/verb agreement

Incorrect: The customer input their registration information.

Correct: The customer input his registration information.

Overuse of vague modifiers

Are the words "really," "very," or "actually" specific or meaningful?

Misuse of words

Check for the appropriate "its" or "it’s"
as well as "affect" or "effect," "insure" or "ensure" or "assure."


The Inverted Pyramid Model of Writing – Straight News

The inverted pyramid design is a classic journalistic convention. The lead is written first and supporting details are filled in below in descending order of importance. The conclusion is usually found after the bridge. The lead and the bridge contain the news elements of who, what, when, where, why and how. The lead contains most important news elements and the bridge fills in the remaining "who, what, when, where, why and how." From the bridge, the news story descends in order of details that support the lead and should not begin any new subjects.

Writing this way increases a reader’s ability to scan text. The first sentence of a paragraph is a cue either to continue reading or to skip to something else.

Feature writing
Feature writing for military publications or web sites is not radically different from the regular news article. The main difference is that a feature contains a conclusion at the end that should be second in importance to the lead. Also, in a feature article, the lead often does not begin with the primary news elements, but actually serves as a device to entice the reader. Feature leads can be descriptive or narrative; they can be in the form of questions, tiebacks, quotes or surprise. Writers should get to the point quickly, however, and avoid steering the reader too far from the subject matter content. Within 2-4 paragraphs, the writer should have spelled out the "who, what, when, where, why and how" for the reader. The least important information is usually contained in the middle of the article. All the material in a feature should clearly hang off the "peg" or the central news element(s), rather than presenting new or tangential information. If the story has a second element of interest that cannot be expressed neatly in one article, consider writing a straight news sidebar.

Write for the Audience.
Military web sites are designed to address a variety of audiences. Soldiers and airmen, along with their dependents and family members, are considered the core audience of materials published on the web site. However, the public at large is automatically a direct audience of any public web site.

DoD Policy

At a minimum materials published should always adhere to DoD Public Affairs standards which include SAPP (security, accuracy, propriety and policy). All products should be free from violations of operational security as defined by the S-3 or operations section. An example of a security violation would be publishing of any information deemed classified or photos of a classified area. In terms of accuracy, writers are required to ensure that all interviews and quotes can be verified by documentation and writers should exercise due diligence in obtaining the facts on their subject. Propriety refers to conformity to conventional rules of behavior and conduct; thus, a writer or photographer should not portray a soldier or an airman in an unbecoming way. Examples include a photo of someone using an indecent gesture or an article with a quote that is deemed discriminatory or prejudiced. Policy violations would include a soldier or airman working without the proper safety protection or who is not following the prescribed procedures for the situation. Finally, the issue of privacy, which is not a part of SAPP, is also a concern for public information. Here is a basic guideline for privacy:

May be released

May not be released

  • Age (Date of Birth)

  • Home of Record

  • Marital Status

  • Awards/Decorations

  • Education/Schooling

Photographs (Unless They Are Considered an Invasion of Anyone’s Privacy)

  • Social Security Number

  • Street Address

  • Race

  • Results of Administrative Discharge

Boards and Aviator Flight Boards

  • Casualty Information (Unless Next

of Kin Have Been Notified

 

Writing news articles or feature articles for specific content sections can give you additional outlets for your content:

Benefits Direct benefits that are important to the whole Delaware Army and Air National Guard. Send us a good photo and a short story or specific information on any programs that apply. (Text should be 100 to 300 words)

Family Support Contains news and information for soldiers and airmen that is of interest to their families and dependents. (Text should be 100 to 200 words.)

Employer Support Stories about individuals and their employers as they would inspire or be of interest to the broad Army and Air Guard audience. (100 to 200 words)

Retired Members Stories and photos about and for Retired soldiers and Airmen. (100 to 300 words)

History
Features Delaware National Guard units and their relevant support of previous missions and operations.

Index/Main Page
The index is the current DNG News for the month, which is updated daily. See sections on what is news and why focus on news.

Since your audience will include the public at large, incorporate materials that the community, media and family members will find beneficial. Strike the right tone, which builds credibility and engages the reader. Writing should neither be condescending nor presumptuous. Avoid both excessive formality and excessive familiarity. Jargon- filled language and pages with complex, formal sentences are difficult to read or scan for both military personnel and the public. Write using standard, direct English.

Use DoD PAM and branch regulations for other questions. Visit DefenseLink for more information on web site content or download AR360-1, FM3-61.1 or FM46-1 for more information on Public Affairs programs. For details on the joint service Basic Journalism Course visit http://www.dinfos.osd.mil/.

 
III. Film and Digital Images:

Documents containing low quality digital images will not be published on DoD websites. Only send high quality images that meet the standards of SAPP (see section II for details).

In addition, only photos that are approved for publication should be distributed via the web site. (See Release Authority for more information).

Do not dump the contents of your camera on a CDR and send it in for submission. Do not send an entire set of prints in for submission. Only a few can be published and clearly not every photo taken will meet with the appropriate standards of SAPP (section II).

All submitted photos, whether film or digital, must be accompanied by full caption information and identification to published. By DoD standards, caption information includes: the photographer’s name and unit, the photo subject(s) name(s) and unit(s) with a description of what they are doing or what is happening in the photo, unless current operational security prohibits. Location, date and description of any associated exercises are optional and depend on current operational security directives.

Dynamic photography can help upgrade a routine story into prominent feature. "Grip and Grin" photos or the typical mug shot may be submitted for awards or promotions, but a more effective use of photography will enhance a news or feature story. By depicting important action in which the article itself cannot not fully portray, a routine story can engage its reader on a higher level. An example of this is the aircraft pilot who won a flight contest. Instead of simply showing him or her standing next to a trophy, a better photo would portray the individual with his or her aircraft, performing pre-checks on the propellers or in the cockpit.

 

Procedures for Sending Digital Images:

--- Digital images should be sized at a minimum of 500 pixels wide at 72 dpi. TIFF or JPEG formats are preferred.

---There's no hard and fast rule to image size, but generally the bigger the better. For example, an 8MB file can be resized to produce a much better photo than a 20KB file.

--- It is recommended that soldiers and airmen submitting digital images use a military webmail account, such as: AKO WebMail or OWA on the DNG Web Site.

For more information, contact MAJ Len Gratteri - mailto:len.gratteri@de.ngb.army.mil