Establishing a Media Relations Strategy

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Establishing a MediaRelationsStrategy

• How to deal with the press
• Radio, TV, and Newspapers

By William B. Brunk, 33, SGIG in North Carolina
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The REAL Secret

• Establish relationships!!!
• Introduce yourself
• Know the people you want to reach
• Set up meetings with
• Editors
• Reporters
• Producers
• News directors

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Press Kit Mailing

• General information
• Story ideas
• Cover letter
• Small trinkets (medallion, calendar)

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Monthly Tip Sheet

• Provide news about the organization
• Events
• Members

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Be Prepared for Interviews

• Keep a list of good people
• Valley leaders
• Members with on-camera experience
• Radio or TV personalities
• Government leaders
• Knowledgeable members

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What Do Reporters Want?

• Ask, ask, ask
• How are features handled?
• When why do stories get to the top?
• Stories or story ideas?

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What Do Reporters Want?

• When, where, and how should stories be submitted?
• How should information be sent? (email, hard
  copy, phone, etc)
• How can you tie your story to a current hot topic?

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What Do Reporters Want?

• Does this reporter know what a wonderful source
  you are?
• Do they know what a great interview you or
  someone in the organization can give?

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Dos and Donts

• When do you call?
• Know the reporters beat
• What do they cover?
• What are the deadlines?

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Dos and Donts

• Once you have a relationship, use itask for
  advice
• Check your sources and their reliability
• Dont forget local columnistsfamiliarize
  yourself with their columns

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Dos and Donts

• Dont pitch the same story to two different
  assignment desks or to competing papers
• Offer visuals
• Stock photos
• Videos
• Extra footage

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Dos and Donts

• Write like a journalist
• Attention-grabbing headlines
• News first
• Use quotes
• Localize as much as possible
• Recent facts first background later

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Two Important Assets

• A good sense of humor
• A thick skin

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Two Media Tips

• 1. Have up-to-date information about the
  organization near your phone
• Hang your General Facts over your telephone

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Two Media Tips

• 2. If you are misquoted
• If substantial, call the editor or bureau chief
  and ask for a correction or retraction
• If minor, you may decide to do nothing
• Remember have a thick skin

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When A Reporter Calls

• Ask what they want
• Try to be helpful
• Try to provide what theyrelooking for

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When A Reporter Calls

• Two basic rules
• Always return phone calls promptly
• They work on short deadlines
• Always tell the truth
• They are like elephants they never forget those
  that lie to them, dont return phone calls, or
  give them wrong information

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Media Interviews

• What if a reporter wants an interview?
• Find out the subject and scope
• Who else has been interviewed
• Will it be taped or live?

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Media Interviews

• You control the parameters
• Time, place, and length
• Keep time short
• Focus on your issues
• If you allow too much time, you might say things
  you didnt mean to say

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Media Interviews

• How do I get ready for an interview?
• Do your homework
• Decide what you want to talk about
• Refine your three positive talking points
• View the interview as anopportunity

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Media Interviews

• How do I get ready for an interview?
• Anticipate questions
• Use your three points as the foundation for all
  the questions you will be answering and guide the
  interview accordingly

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Media Interviews

• Using plain language
• Practice 20-second sound bites
• Make your points clearly and briefly
• No doublespeak, government-speak, or jargon
• Speak in the active not passive voice

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Media Interviews

• Use appropriate, simple, everyday words
• Take advantage of a popular expression to
  illustrate a point
• Dont use technical words or terms
• Dont make verbs into nouns
• Be very careful about using acronyms

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Media Interviews

• Practice in front of a video camera
• Hire a media consultant to help
• Smile and act like youre enjoying yourself
• Tell a positive story

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Media Interviews

• If you dont know an answer, say, I dont
  know.
• Be willing to get the answer or refer the
  reporter to someone who does know it
• Dress conservatively and simply
• Ignore this rule if yourea rock star

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Media Interviews

• If makeup is offered, take it
• Remember, all TV pros wear makeup
• Stop when youve made your point
• Dont ramble
• Dont speculatestick to your point

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Media Interviews

• Have show and tell material
• When the reporter asks if theres anything else
  youd like to add, repeat your three talking
  points and summarize

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Media InterviewsNever

• Say, No comment.
• No comment means guilty
• Say anything off the record
• Say anything to a reporter you dont want to see
  on TV or read on the front page of a newspaper

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Media InterviewsNever

• Lie to a reporter
• Use profanity or slang
• Tell jokes only if they are self-deprecating
• Say, Uh

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Media InterviewsNever

• Wave your hands
• Sit still
• Answer hypothetical questions
• Stick to what you know
• Comment on what others have said

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Media InterviewsNever

• Never talk to a reporter without doing your
  homework
• Prepare
• Turn the interview into a sales call
• Never stop talking after answering a yes or
  no question
• Offer further, brief editorialcomment

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Smile and relax
• Enjoy yourself
• Diffuse a hostile situation by being warm and
  accommodating
• Remember that you are the expert
• Dont smile and nod your head as a question is
  askedjust look interested

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Body languagemake sure it and your speech
  patterns back up your sincerity
• Sit on the forward portion of the seat cushion
  and keep your back as straight as possible

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Use your words, not the reporters
• Dont worry if there is silenceit isnt your job
  to fill it up
• If the reporter uses inaccurate facts, correct
  the error
• Instead of saying, No comment, say, Thats not
  the critical issue,this is.

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Remember that TV is not always fair
• Visual impact makes stories more emotional than
  any other media
• Let the reporter know your are keeping track of
  the interview
• Ask if you can tape the interview and have a tape
  recorder ready

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Keep your temper
• Remember the interview isnt over until the
  reporter leaves
• B-roll footage
• If asked again how you feel about an issue,
  repeat only what was said earlier
• Assume telephone interviews are being taped

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Media InterviewsAlways

• Remember
• The microphone is always on!

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Establishing a MediaRelationsStrategy

• How to deal with the press
• Radio, TV, and Newspapers

By William B. Brunk, 33, SGIG in North Carolina