What is the first step in gathering information for a public affairs or visual information product?

Identifying your audience is the foundational step in gathering information for a public affairs or visual information product because understanding who the audience is will shape how you approach the entire communication process. By knowing who you are communicating with—whether it’s the general public, military personnel, or a specific community—you can tailor your message, tone, style, and content to meet their needs and interests. This step ensures that the information you gather and present is relevant and engaging to that particular audience, increasing the likelihood of achieving your communication goals.

Once the audience is identified, other steps, like conducting interviews, researching current events, and gathering visual materials, can be effectively executed with that audience in mind. Each of those subsequent actions will be informed by the audience’s characteristics, preferences, and contexts, ultimately leading to more effective communication.