D AM S Public Affairs

1 DEPAOTMENTFTHEARMY EUNITEDSTATSOAFAMERICRTHISWE'LLDEFENDJ oint Publication 3-61 Public Affairs17 November 2015 Incorporating Change 119 August 2016 i PREFACE 1. ScopeThis publication provides doctrine to plan, execute, and assess Public Affairs activities in joint operations to include fundamentals, roles, responsibilities, and relationships to joint functions and capabilities. 2. PurposeThis publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations, and it provides considerations for military interaction with governmental and nongovernmental agencies, multinational forces, and other interorganizational partners.

2 It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs), and prescribes joint doctrine for operations and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing and executing their plans and orders. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of objectives.

3 3. doctrine established in this publication applies to the joint staff, commanders ofcombatant commands, subunified commands, joint task forces, subordinate components of these commands, the Services, and combat support agencies. b. The guidance in this publication is authoritative; as such, this doctrine will befollowed except when, in the judgment of the commander, exceptional circumstances dictate otherwise. If conflicts arise between the contents of this publication and the contents of Service publications, this publication will take precedence unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, normally in coordination with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has provided more current and specific guidance.

4 Commanders of forces operating as part of a multinational (alliance or coalition) military command should follow multinational doctrine and procedures ratified by the United States. For doctrine and procedures not ratified by the US, commanders should evaluate and follow the multinational command s doctrine and procedures, where applicable and consistent with US law, regulations, and doctrine. For the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: WILLIAM C. MAYVILLE, JR. LTG, USA Director, Joint Staff Preface ii JP 3-61 Intentionally Blank (CH 1) iii SUMMARY OF CHANGES CHANGE 1 TO JOINT PUBLICATION 3-61 DATED 17 NOVEMBER 2015 Aligns Director, Defense Media Activity responsibilities with Department Of Defense Policy.

5 Incorporates guidelines and distribution of imagery and operations security throughout the publication. Rewrites chapter 1, Overview, and chapter 3, Public Affairs in Joint Operations. Adds new role as primary coordinator for communication integration and alignment to chapter 1, Overview. Defines Public Affairs (PA) functions in joint operations in chapter 3, Public Affairs in Joint Operations. Defines audiences, stakeholders, and publics (incorporated from Joint Doctrine Note 2-13). Adds new definition for commander s communication synchronization and deletes outdated terminology.

6 Defines on-the-record, background, deep background, and off-the-record interviews. Removes emphasis from how to organize and refocused on what the PA team is required to deliver. Adds new appendices on social media and sources for joint PA training. Updates appendices on guidelines for release of information, defense media activity, and Joint Public Affairs Support Element (including move to United States Transportation Command). Summary of Changes iv JP 3-61 (CH 1) Intentionally Blank v TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

7 Vii CHAPTER I OVERVIEW Introduction .. I-1 Public Affairs and the Operational I-2 Public Affairs Roles .. I-4 Public Affairs I-7 Public Affairs and Commander s Communication I-14 CHAPTER II RESPONSIBILITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS Overview ..II-1 Responsibilities ..II-2 Line of Effort CHAPTER III Public Affairs IN JOINT OPERATIONS Overview .. III-1 Requirements .. III-4 Planning .. III-6 Execution .. III-23 Assessment .. III-24 CHAPTER IV JOINT Public Affairs DURING OPERATIONS IN THE HOMELAND Overview.

8 IV-1 Requirements .. IV-2 Planning .. IV-2 Execution .. IV-3 Assessment .. IV-7 CHAPTER V VISUAL INFORMATION Overview .. V-1 Sources .. V-2 Planning .. V-5 Assessment .. V-12 Defense Support of Civil Authorities Considerations .. V-12 Acquisition, Declassification/Sanitization, and Transferring Derivative Imagery .. V-13 Table of Contents vi JP 3-61 APPENDIX A Public Affairs Role in the Commander s Communication Synchronization .. A-1 B Annex F Development ..B-1 C Guidelines for Release of Information.

9 C-1 D Defense Media Activity .. D-1 E Joint Public Affairs Support Element .. E-1 F Social Media .. F-1 G Joint Public Affairs Training .. G-1 H References .. H-1 J Administrative Instructions .. J-1 GLOSSARY Part I Abbreviations and Acronyms .. GL-1 Part II Terms and Definitions .. GL-5 FIGURE I-1 Public Affairs Across the Range of Military Operations .. I-5 I-2 Notional Diagram of Audiences (Internal and External), Publics, and Stakeholders .. I-10 I-3 Example of Strategic Narrative Linkage to Campaign Plan Enduring Themes.

10 I-13 III-1 Notional Public Affairs Communications Requirements .. III-6 III-2 Joint Operation Planning Process and Public Affairs Actions .. III-7 III-3 Public Affairs Planning Considerations .. III-9 III-4 Department of Defense National Media Pool Support .. III-19 IV-1 Notional Joint Information Center Organizational Chart .. IV-5 V-1 Public Affairs Produced Visual Information .. V-3 V-2 Intelligence Imagery to Visual Information .. V-4 V-3 Department of Defense Visual Information Enterprise Architecture .. V-9 V-4 Visual Information Planning Template Example.