On Thursday 17th December, following the greeting from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the situation and prospects of relations between the Armed Force and the media were discussed. The event was organised by the General Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force with the aim of exchanging information and ideas on current issues and the prospects for relations between the Armed Force and the media. Approximately 80 press officers from as many Air Force organisations spread across the national territory took part.
Following the welcome by the Head of the SMA Public Information Office, Colonel Amedeo Magnani, who also spoke about the most recent PI activities, the proceedings opened with a greeting from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.,
Air Force General Daniele Tei, accompanied by the Head of the General Office, Air Brigadier General Franco Marsiglia.
“In today’s society, which is characterised by a high degree of complexity, media relations activities are of immense importance for the Air Force, as for any other organisation,” said General Tei. “Thanks to their knowledge of both the aeronautical and media spheres, press officers represent a valuable consultant for any Commander as they enable effective communication with various external stakeholders, foremost among them the citizens.”
The workshop featured various presentations by journalists from national media outlets and military authorities. Journalists Marisa Ingrosso, Editor of the Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, and Gianluca Di Feo, Editor-in-Chief of L'Espresso, addressed the topic of the relationship between military press officers and media representatives, providing a valuable “external” perspective on the current state of institutional communication within the Italian Armed Forces.
Among the military speakers, the Head of the 5th Department “General Affairs” of the Air Force Staff, Air Brigadier General Salvatore Gagliano, highlighted innovations and prospects in the areas of external and internal communication for the Armed Force. On the occasion, the new Air Force website was also presented to the press attachés. The previous themes took on even greater relevance in the context of the situation and prospects of the Defence budget outlined by Air Brigadier General Luca Goretti, Deputy Head of the General Office for Planning, Programming and Budget of the Defence Staff.
The work concluded with the presentation of the “Communicator of the Year 2009” award, which was given to Lieutenant Giorgio Bartolozzi, press officer for the Air Squad Command in Rome, and Captain Alessandra Bandiera, press officer for the “1st Division – Flight Experimental Centre” of the Logistic Command, based in Pratica di Mare (Rome).
