Reporting on casualties is a grim part of covering any conflict, and it goes
without saying that journalists must balance the need for facts with sensitivity
to the families of service members. Here are some pointers.
Reporting a name: The Department of Defense is adamant that families learn of
the death of a soldier through the formal Casualty Assistance Calls process,
in which a senior military officer and chaplain inform relatives in a face-to-face
visit. Military officials do everything they can to prevent families from hearing
this news first from the media.
Rules covering those journalists “embedded” with troops state that
service members’ identities are protected from disclosure for 72 hours
or upon verification of next-of-kin, whichever is first. The rules also state
that public notice of a local soldier’s death is to come from his or her
immediate family, not from the media or the Pentagon.
The entire DOD document on notification can be read here.
Once you have a name: Here is a six-part strategy for balancing the need for
aggressive fact-finding with sensitivity for the grieving family members:
Call the senior military public affairs officer (PAO) from the home
base of the soldier’s unit and request help in getting the story. If the
unit is not specified, call the PAO from the major military bases closest to
your area. Tell him or her that you respect the privacy rights of the family
members but you have been assigned to write a factual, accurate account of what
has happened. Offer to bring the PAO up to speed on the incident if necessary.
The PAO will appreciate your effort to help him stay informed, particularly
if it is a fast-breaking story.
Before attempting to contact the family, ask the PAO outright if a casualty
assistance calls officer (CACO) has been assigned. If so, request that the PAO
or CACO serve as the intermediary for your organization. If an officer hasn’t
been assigned, ask the PAO to let you know when a CACO has been appointed from
his base – or another facility that might be handling the casualty. Make
the same pitch to the headquarters-level public affairs office in the Pentagon
for the military service involved.
Tell the PAO what your minimum needs are for a hard news story: victim’s
full name (verified), age, home of record, military rank, date of entry into
service, current military specialty and unit assignment, military rank, brief
explanation of unit function, primary relatives (spouse, children, parents,
grandparents – all with hometowns).
Reiterate your desire to be accurate and complete and ask the PAO/CACO
to pass along this message to the family:
"We realize that the death of your relative is a major shock and tragedy,
and we (the media outlet) have no wish to intrude at this time of sorrow. But
we seek your help in assembling a full and accurate account of the life and
death of your loved one. Essentially, we need to verify basic biographical data
about your relative. At the same time, we invite you to make any remarks about
his military service and life that you feel appropriate. We request that you
contact our reporter (name and telephone number). If you prefer, (the PAO Officer)
can serve as a go-between. We also would request a photograph of the deceased
to be used with a story. We request any information on funeral services, and
if you would accept coverage or prefer privacy.”
Only if all attempts to make contact with the family through the military PAO
or CACO process fail should you try to contact the family directly. The only
thing worse than going to press with an incomplete account is adding to the
stress and sorrow of a grief-stricken family.
Two more things to consider:
Think about forming a local pool of media outlets to deal with people killed
in action to minimize the burden on grieving families.
If you decide to follow up on the incident that claimed the person’s
life (e.g. by obtaining the military after-action report or other documents)
be sure to advise the family in advance of your story so that they aren't blindsided
by it.
Ed Offley, editor of DefenseWatch magazine, has covered the U.S. military since 1981. He is the author of "Pen & Sword: A Journalist's Guide to Covering the Military," published by Marion Street Press. Inc.
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