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Fairchild says goodbye to Connection, hello to Web-based e-Connection

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristian Carter
  • 92nd ARW Public Affairs Office
As many Air Force services and functions move to the Web, so will the news delivery method used by wing leadership and Public Affairs.

The 92nd Air Refueling Wing is one of several Air Force units leading the movement from a paper-based news and information distribution method to posting news on the Web.

"Fairchild is ahead of the pack in embracing the new era of Web-based news delivery in Air Mobility Command and the Air Force," said 2nd Lt. Tristan Hinderliter, 92nd ARW deputy Public Affairs officer.

The Fairchild Connection will hit the streets for the last time March 30.

Starting March 31, the primary source of news for Team Fairchild will be the public Web site located at http://public.fairchild.amc.af.mil/.

"The Public Affairs office has been posting news, features and other content to the base's public Web site for nearly two years," said Col. Scott Hanson, 92nd ARW commander. "Since January of this year, the Web page, the e-Connection, has been evolving and growing into today's primary means for news and information delivery to the Fairchild audience."

That audience includes military, civilian, contractors and family members.

In January, the Public Affairs office entered phase I of the transition from a printed newspaper to a Web-based product. The Web page was updated with some news and content that was exclusive to the Web. This move was designed to draw more attention to the Web site.

In phase II, which started in mid-February and ends March 30, the Public Affairs office moved additional content from the newspaper to the Web. The Web was being updated with nearly all of the remaining content that appeared in the newspaper. The Web still had exclusive content that was not included in the newspaper.

Starting March 31, a new era begins as the Fairchild Connection is put to rest and the Fairchild public Web site fully assumes its position as the news and information source for Fairchild.

The e-Connection will provide timely news articles, photos, links and information about events that affect the Fairchild community.

One of the biggest reasons to move to a Web-based product is the timeliness of information on the Web compared to the paper.

"If an event happens, an article and photos can be posted on the Web within hours," said Lieutenant Hinderliter. "With a traditional weekly newspaper, the delay between the event and the coverage could be as long as nine days. By then, it's old news."

Another advantage to the Web is the ability to reach a larger audience. With the printed newspaper, the weekly distribution capacity was limited to 5,000 copies. With the Web there is no restriction to the size of the audience. This helps the base tell the Air Force story not only to its own people, but also to the world.

By no longer having to transport a physical product, the information can be shared with anyone who has Internet access, including family of people stationed at Fairchild, retirees in the surrounding area and deployed Airmen who want to know what's happening back home.

Another significant advantage to the Web is unlimited space available for information. Stories can be more in-depth and have more supporting photos and graphics.

"This will enable our writers to focus on the quality of their stories and not have to tailor stories to space constraints of the newspaper," said Lieutenant Hinderliter.