Jason Fudge

Editors Note: Fred Lash sent us this info, some members may find interesting.

By Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 – The Defense Department is facing a once-in-a-generation change, and its public affairs practitioners around the world need to communicate that change clearly, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said today.

George Little, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, spoke to commissioned, enlisted, civilian and contract employee defense public affairs professionals gathered at the Defense Media Activity’s headquarters on Fort Meade in Maryland. Little’s remarks also were webcast.

“Public affairs is an absolutely critical component of our military and our department,” he said. “We operate in a world so tightly connected that every world event, big or small, can be felt in real time.”

Little noted that thanks to the Internet, social media and smartphones, the walls between citizens, journalists and the military have never been thinner. He challenged his audience to consider three factors that argue for a new approach to public affairs:

— Changes brought about by war and the media’s evolution;

— An expanding toolbar of essential skills for public affairs professionals; and

— Military and civilian defense leaders’ responsibility for effective communication. (more…)