Writing CutlinesACCURACY – BREVITY – CLARITY

Cutlines/Captions Information that accompanies visual information products to help meet communication objectives

◦ Explains the content of the image or video◦ Answers who, what, when, where, why ◦ Summarize◦ Be Accurate

◦ Names, ranks, equipment, locations, units◦ Check spelling, grammar and style

◦ Be Brief◦ Only write what is necessary to tell the story of the image◦ You can convey a great deal of information in only a few sentences – don’t

use 15 words where five will do◦ Be Clear

◦ Consider your audience – Construct captions that can be understood by a nonmilitary reader

CUTLINES ARE REQUIRED

Cutlines – Information to Get

Who is in the photo? Who is the subject of the photo?◦ Ranks, unit names, service

What is in the photo? What is the action taking place?◦ Use active voice. The subject IS doing something. ◦ Be simple when describing the action

When is the action taking place? ◦ Date, training event

Where is the action taking place?◦ Geographic location – name of base – facility

Why is the action taking place? Why does it matter?◦ What is the purpose of the event, exercise or operation depicted?

Cutline Structure Sentence one

◦ Who, what, where and when in the active voice◦ Sgt. 1st Class David Earle, an Officer Candidate School Instructor

with the1-169th Regiment (Regional Training Institute), Connecticut Army National Guard, participates in the stress shoot portion of the 2016 State Best Warrior Competition at East Haven Rifle Range, East Haven, Conn., April 1, 2016.

Following Sentences◦ Why in the past tense

◦ Any other additional information◦ “The stress shoot pushes Soldiers to zero and qualify with their

assigned weapon while placed under physical and mental stress.”◦ ”More than 30 Soldiers of the Connecticut Army National Guard participated in the

2016 Best Warrior Competition March 31-April 3, 2016.”

Attribution◦ Who took the photo◦ (Photo by Maj. Joseph Brooks, 130th Public Affairs Detachment,

Connecticut Army National Guard

Cutline Rules Associated Press style rules apply

Service Member Affiliation◦ Use “of, assigned to, attached to, or with…” NOT From

No shorthand for units◦ Alpha Company, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment, Connecticut Army National Guard◦ First Company, Governor’s Horse Guard

List units smallest to largest

Do not put kids (under 18) names in captions

Three or less people – full ID for all

Four or more – generalize “Members of…”◦ Except in the case of a high ranking official or a VIP

Indicate position by using commas following left to right

Cutline Rules Dates

◦ Month Day, Year◦ March through July – Spell out◦ Aug. through Feb. – abbreviate

DON’Ts◦ Use day of the week◦ Say it happened “on” the date

Locations◦ Spell out states!

Spc. Janira Tadeo, Sgt. 1st Class Leslie Platt and Sgt. Joe Rourke, of the 143rd Military Police Company, Connecticut Army National Guard, complete their crew serve weapon qualification with the M240B machine gun at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, June 1, 2016. The 143rd also conducted a combat support field training exercise while on their two week annual training at Ft. Dix. (Photo by Sgt. Joshua Quint, 143rd Military Police Company, Connecticut Army National Guard)

Brig. Gen. Fran Evon (left), Assistant Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard, and Maj. Alan Gilman (right), Commander of the 6th Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Connecticut Army National Guard, help the staff cut the ribbon to officially open the new downtown Recruiting Center in Hartford, Connecticut, Nov. 9, 2016. Photo by Ms. Allison Joanis, State Public Affairs Office)

Spc. Hank Scorpio (left), assigned to Delta Company 1-102nd Infantry Regiment and Pvt. Frank Grimes, assigned to the 1048th Transportation Company fight to cross the finish line during the Army Physical Fitness Test event of the 2016 State Best Warrior Competition at Camp Niantic, Connecticut, April 1, 2016. More than 30 members of the Connecticut Army National Guard competed in the four-day event for the titles of 2016 Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Simon, Joint Force Headquarters, Public Affairs)

Col. Frank Detorie (left), Commander of the 103rd Air Wing, Connecticut Air National Guard, provides Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice (right), Director of the Army National Guard, with a tour of the newly-renovated hangar at Bradley National Guard Base, East Granby, Connecticut, Oct. 16, 2016. Since converting to a C-130H mission, the Connecticut Air National Guard has seen many changes to its facilities in order to support the tactical airlift platform. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bowcock, 103rd Air Wing Public Affairs)