Getting ready to cover a war

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Media organizations that prepare for the worst will always be the most successful covering a war. Sure, you’ll be using wire reports, but the best newspapers will develop the domestic side of the story, too. For companies doing both, the winners will be the readers.

“Beyond the Battle” will include extensive advice on developing local stories related to war and peace, as well as domestic terrorism. The checklist below – 10 steps you can take right now to be ready – is intended to help you cover the action of a war that isn’t in your back yard.

1. Establish a war room/cubicle/closet.
Set aside an area where a designated staff can work without being influenced by the daily demands of other news. Get the computers, telephones, and Internet connection up and running. Test everything to be sure that it works.

2. Designate staff.
Smaller media companies will have smaller staffs—but even a staff of one whose sole job is covering the war on the home front is better than leaving it to the newsroom in general.
If possible, the staff should consist of:

• A senior editor/project coordinator. This is the lightning rod position. In conjunction with the managing editor and editor, this is the person who negotiates news hole, has priority for newsroom assets, decides on the coverage direction, and makes final decisions on what information is presented for publication.
  
• A researcher/information gatherer. This individual sifts through the raw data and makes the initial selections. He or she should have a strong working knowledge of the Internet and know how to find sources of credible information quickly.
  
• A designer. This person will work with the rest of the team, and liaison with the copy desk or design department for creating the coverage packages each day.
  
• A copy editor. This is a dedicated position to copy-edit selected information that passed on by the researcher. This editor will work with the overall copy desk, the senior editor and other departments as necessary.
  
• A photo editor, if possible. The photo editor for the team has the responsibility for selecting and editing images related to the war. He or she will work with the designer to ensure that the selected images are used to maximize effectiveness.

3. Create a “worst case” staffing schedule.
In a full-scale war, plan on being open for business round the clock for the first week – this will be the most hectic and confusing time. In general, until the military settles into an order of battle, there will be a great number of unknowns that make reporting more difficult.

4. Identify potential sources of specific information.
There are thousands of potential sources for various war-related information, especially on the Internet. You need to identify and bookmark the sources that will provide types of information that you will need to help explain or understand the events as they unfold (see the article “Beyond the Battle URLs”).

5. Stockpile visuals.
In the early days of war, there generally are not lots of images coming from the war zone. The wire services will provide maps, but expect them to be up to 60 hours out of date by the time you publish. You need to go to some of your bookmarked Web sites and download images and graphics that show the various aircraft, tanks, ships, equipment, unit insignia, and command and control structures (among others), and have these pre-positioned and ready. Still, save all wire maps of the regions. These can be modified and re-used. If you can, sign up with one of the many companies that offer up-to-the-minute map services. These are expensive, but accurate and very high quality.

6. Line up local experts.
Find local residents who are experts on the military and weapons, including nuclear, biological and chemical. Check with city, county and state officials to locate fire and rescue staff with specialized training in terror attacks and decontamination.

7. Create a news hole plan.
Create a plan for the use of the news hole for at least three weeks, with a sharp increase for either your Saturday or Sunday editions. Err on the optimistic side and plan for as much as you can get. Don’t forget that you should be running daily updates, advance stories, explainers, all with lots of visuals. On the weekends you should be running “The week in review” as well as “Where-do-we-go-from-here?” stories.

8. Identify military service members in your area.
Begin identifying military personnel in your circulation area who are directly or indirectly involved in the conflict. Get their e-mail addresses and have the families send them yours so that you can have a channel of communication with the individual service member. (See also: Linking your community to the world).

9. Work with the marketing and circulation departments.
Because you’ll be producing material that will have an increased demand, set up a regular meeting schedule with the marketing and circulation departments. Let them know your coverage direction – and any special coverage you plan – and get them involved in helping to identify service members in your area.

10. Set up a polling and feedback mechanism.
Just the thought of war polarizes many people. Create a plan to allow feedback from the community.. Set up a phone bank, a special e-mail address, in-paper mail-ins. Make the war coverage as inclusive as you possibly can. Be an accurate reflection of your community. (see which anti-war websites?)

If you take these steps, you will be ready when the war begins. Some of these things you will be able to accomplish, others you may not. However, the more steps you can take, the more you will be able to offer your readers.

pnesbitt@verizon.net