Seneca

1
Seneca

• Feb 17

2
Today

• Review NR, FS
• Discuss off the record, sources, and other things
  about speaking to reporters
• This is media training
• This is what people pay for

3
Today

• First Chap 6,7
• Some of it dovetailed what weve already covered
• Some of it is new
• In the book, what did the author say about how
  The Board of Health (for which he worked) had
  approached media?
• How did that approach work for them?

4
Book review

• What did he catch a secretary doing with a media
  phone message?
• How did he rectify that?
• Why did the receptionists act this way?

5
Relationship building

• This all ties into relationship building
• Having a strong relationship with the media will
  help you in the long run
• We will review this today in greater detail
  more detail than the book..

6
Pet names for PR people

• Reporters commonly refer to PR professionals as
  Flacks/Flunkies/lackie
• Why?
• (hint.its how they feel about us)

7
Relationships

• Relationship between reporter/communicator
• Relationship strained
• Reporters dont understand what PR professionals
  do
• PR professionals dont understand reporters (why
  I want you to think like reporters)
• Both need each other
• Inherent distrust

8
Lets think how reporters think

• Scenario
• You work for police (any force, lets make up)
• Huge (massive) police investigation underway for
  missing child
• Police send out media releases every day
• Reporters are doing live hits
• Police are begging reporters to write the story/
  put picture of boy on TV etc.

9
how reporters think.

• Reporters write the story, get his name out,
  use the info from news releases
• Reporters begin to ask questions about
  investigation
• Have you looked in backyard, old fridges in
  basement etc/ for the most part police answer
  politely and then ask for more media/ dont
  question us were trained

10
Thinking like a reporter.

• Then, missing child is found in basement of house
  suffocated in old fridge
• Ok what do you think the reporters will then
  begin asking?
• What do you think will happen if police refuse to
  answer?
• Then, the following week, the police ask for
  medias help again on new graduates from police
  college what do you think will happen?

11
Relationships

• Bottom line generally, PR needs reporters more
  than they need you (especially if youre a small
  group WANTing media attention)
• Reporters know this and take advantage of it to a
  certain extent

12
Relationships.

• Very often, reporters view the PR professional as
  the person they have to get through or get by
  to get their story
• If you work for politician, you are definitely
  the person in the way of their story
• They want to get around you to do their stories
  and will do whatever they can for their stories.

13
Relationships

• They want to get around you because they want
  to be as close to the story as possible.
• If its a story about school spending instead
  of the PR person quoted in story, theyd rather
  have the Chair of the School Board or the trustee
• If its a police story, instead of the PR person,
  they want the officer
• Unfortunately, not always possible to make the
  person available / they have to take PR person
  instead

14
Relationships

• Reporters no shortage of people wanting to get
  into the news
• No shortage of PR professionals trying to spin
  them
• No shortage of news releases coming across their
  desk
• Reporters believe they are doing you a favor if
  they go with your story

15
Relationships

• PR people may believe that reporters are rude,
  call too much for one story, too persistent
• This is because reporters call PR people all day
  long no returned calls right away no respect
  for deadlines worry their requests will fall
  into a big black hole
• Surprised how often PR people dont call back to
  let reporter know they are looking into their
  request, dont respect deadline

16
Relationships.

• Issuing a news release with no contact
  information at bottom
• Issuing a news release and your contact name is
  there, but you are unavailable when they do call
  (voice mail etc..they hate tracking people down)
• Issuing a news release and too much follow up.
  Calling 2 to 3 times to ensure its been received
  or if they are doing story!!

17
Relationships

• Hurts PR people when issuing too many news
  releases (some issue 2 to 3 a week- this signals
  to reporter, the PR person doesnt know news )
• News release too long (several pages too long)
  no news in it 1 page or 1.5 pages MAX
• News release contains information that should
  instead be advertising
• News in the release isnt clear
• All of this hurts PR credibility why I want you
  to write your releases to get pick up.

18
Relationships

• Hurts PR people when issuing too many news
  releases (some issue 2 to 3 a week- this signals
  to reporter, the PR person doesnt know news )
• News release too long (several pages too long)
  no news in it 1 page or 1.5 pages MAX
• News release contains information that should
  instead be advertising
• News in the release isnt clear
• All of this hurts PR credibility why I want you
  to write your releases to get pick up.

19
Relationships

• Deadline driven business
• Reporters will often say my deadline is at 3pm
  when its really at 5 they do this b/c many PR
  people will try to stretch the deadline or not
  respect it.
• Always a good idea call reporter back got
  your request, working on getting an interview for
  you will definitely call you back before your
  deadline

20
Relationshiops

• Many reporters feel as though PR person is trying
  to control them or control the story
• Do not try to prevent them from getting their
  story work with them as much as possible
• EX they are doing feature piece on your
  President/ politician they want to interview
  someone you know will not say something good. Do
  NOT try to tell them not to interview that
  person. You can say I have someone else you may
  want to speak to if youre interested.

21
Do not.

• Never go over their head to try to speak to
  editor about why reporter should not do a story
• That will signal to editor reporter that the
  story is DEFINITELY worth pursuing. Will make
  them think they are onto something (GIVE EX. Mc)
• If you dont like where they are going with a
  story never call their editor/boss to complain
  Only call once story published and if its
  inaccurate. (respectful)
• Work with the reporter not against.

22
PR peoples point of view

• View reporters as not knowing enough about
  issue/subject
• Reporters seen to report half-truths
• Reporters take angle that is not accurate
• Reporters seen to be too cynical, rude, pushy and
  yet not informed
• Reporters take other side of the story when
  there is no real other side

23
PR point of view

• Bend over backwards for reporter still not
  grateful/thankful/respectful
• Treated with disrespect by reporter
• Inaccuracy/out of context
• Reporters dont call PR department call others
  in company on their own PR questions this
  (remember getting close to story)

24
Do not.

• Never tell reporter you will respect their
  deadline if you cant If you cant make sure
  its a good reason (this HAS to be a good reason)
• Joke around about issue - always be aware that
  whatever you say could be quoted
  (election/sliced meat)
• Litmus test -if this were in a paper with quotes
  around it how would that appear?

25
On / Off the record

• You are always on the record
• When a reporter wants you to go off the record,
  it can be dangerous
• When you bump into a reporter when youre off the
  job at a supermarket, youre on the record.
• Off the record if you tell them something they
  think is interesting, they will do everything in
  their power to get it on the record ( go to
  someone else etc.)

26
Off the record

• Litmus test if you are comfortable with the
  information being given ending up in the paper
  with quotes around it, then by all means go off
  the record
• Many PR people do go off the record/ very common
  in political circles but still dangerous
• Im leery of this
• If you do go off the record, be wary of
  objectives, stakeholders, support, etc (also is
  your boss aware?????)

27
Off the record

• Off the record
• can have different meanings to different people.
  Be sure everyone is operating under the same
  meanings.
• This is why if you are going off the record, you
  need to be aware that
• 1 reporter can quote your department
• 2. reporter can identify your gender
• 3. reporter can indicate whether you have a
  senior/junior position

28
Off the record

• Very often if you are off the record and you end
  up being quoted, you will be called a source
• Some reporters will ask if you can be identified
  as a source others wont
• Litmus test from CP what public good will the
  story serve? What are the legal risks? What
  ethical considerations are involved?
• Also CP says use specifics that give readers
  reason to believe the source. Ex an industry
  source close to negotiations, Finance Department
  official who worked on the draft

29
Off the record

• When you consider your gender, department and
  ranking can be identified in the article, would
  you still be willing to go off the record?
• Consider
• How it looks
• Will it affect my job?
• Will it affect my organization/company/ boss
  (politician) in a positive or negative way?
• Will it affect our reputation?
• Will it affect stakeholders or a project they are
  working on?

30
Off the record

• Another pitfall going off the record and then
  trying to backtrack
• Some reporters will comply others wont
• Hurts credibility
• FYI read sources in CP stylebook under CP
  policies to help clarify the off record/sources
  issue

31
Off the record

• Reporters will very often ask for background
  information
• They then sometimes say, not for quoting
• This is different than off the record
• This is to merely bring reporter up to speed on
  the current issue/ How we got to this state in
  negotiations etc
• Still on the record, it fills in information
• Sometimes best to say are you looking for
  background information or a quote