Effective Communication and Media Relations

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Effective Communication and Media Relations

• MCCE
• September 2007

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• Drawing on my fine command
• of language, I said nothing.
• --- Robert Benchley

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Before we start

• Communication is 2-way street
• Your comments welcome anytime
• My Background Small markets, weekly newspapers,
  business member, Chamber executive

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Premise

• Chambers/Media have much in common
• Depend on business community for survival
• Watchdogs of government
• Effective communication with members/subscribers
  critical to success
• Community orientated

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Our Agenda

• Media Relations
• Understanding their business
• Their Principles and Code of Ethics
• What they want from you
• Communicating Your Story
• First the Idea. Then the Words.
• News writing basics
• Take-Aways, Comments, Best Practices

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Media The Business

• Largely For Profit
• Public focused, mass appeal
• Readers/Viewers/Listeners Audience
• Large Audience Advertising Sales
• Advertising Sales Profits
• Our kind of people

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Media Business Structure

• General Manager/Publisher
• News/Managing Editor
• Circulation/Production
• Reporters/Newscasters
• Sales/Marketing

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Who do we need to know?

• Publisher/General Manager
• Sets policy, oversees all business operations.
• News/Managing Editor
• Assigns/edits stories, controls content/opinion
• Reporters/Newscasters
• Gather, write, report news.

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The Media Today

• Competition Everywhere
• Print declining circulation
• Broadcast fragmented choices
• Internet myriad of options media sites
• Who is dominant in your locale?
• What is your target audience?

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Media Today Still Vital?

• Newspapers still reach 50 of American households
• TV News most believable, especially local
• Radio offers instant, flexible messaging
• Internet offers world of opportunities for all
• All options need to be in Chamber media toolbox.

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Media Principles and Ethics

• Core Principles of Journalism
• Pursue the truth
• Watchdogs of the people
• Accurate, Balanced, Verifiable
• Independent and objective
• Well-informed public leads to better society

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Why a Journalist?

• Poll 2/3 say profession offers opportunity to
  contribute/impact society
• Inform the public
• Government watchdog
• Record history
• Make a difference in peoples lives
• Influence public opinion
• Support/improve community

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Media The Real World

• Theory/Principles often give way to pressures of
• business and deadlines
• Highly competitive industry
• Difficult to balance principles with business
  goals
• Time management critical constant deadlines
• Objectivity subject to judgment and personal bias
• Skill levels/ commitment to excellence vary

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Media What they want

• The media wants more information not less. Were
  in the information business! Tell us why your
  story is important. Put yourselves in our shoes.
  Why is this story important to our readers and
  our community? Then, be sure to add the details
  that sell the why and the how.
• Jerry Boland, Special Projects,
• Post-Bulletin Company

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Media What they want

• As PR professionals, we need to be aware that
• News is competitive most important is on Page 1
• More people affected, the bigger the story
• Information needs to be complete, factual
• Opinion needs to be supported by fact

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Media What they want

• They want news. Give it to them.
• Be a newsmaker
• Be accessible, quotable
• Supply factual, complete information
• Offer insight and direction for story leads (when
  appropriate)

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Communicating Your Story

• Reporting 101 First the Idea. Then the words.
• Planning precedes writing.
• Define your purpose what do I want to say?
• Identify your sources
• Gather your facts
• Know your audience
• Target your market Delivery options/methods

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Communicating Your Story

• News story structure Know it. Say it.
• The lead
• Material that explains/amplifies the lead
• Necessary background, supporting information
• Secondary material/information

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Communicating Your Story

• The Lead First things First
• Identify the essential elements of the story
• Use Subject, Verb, Object construction
• Use concrete nouns, colorful active verbs
• Keep the lead short under 35 words

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Communicating Your Story

• Lead Basics 5 Ws and How
• What happened?
• Where did it happen?
• When did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• Who was involved?
• How did it occur and how does it affect the
  reader?

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Communicating Your Story

• Direct Lead
• A record crowd of over 1100 people (who) crammed
  the Plager Building on the Mower County
  Fairgrounds (where) for the Chambers 21st annual
  Ag. Appreciation Summer Cookout (what), Tuesday,
  July 19 (when).

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Communicating Your Story

• Supporting the Lead story content
• How and Why explained
• Lead amplified, expanded
• Main points supported
• Quotes help bridge, add color, clarity

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Communicating Your Story

• Supporting the Lead how and why
• The event, featuring a Hormel Windsor chop
  dinner (how), is designed to recognize the
  contributions of agriculture to our community and
  show appreciation to valued customers from all
  walks of life (why).

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Communicating Your Story

• Supporting the Lead story development
• Use quotes to verify content
• Attribute and recognize participation
• Bridge paragraphs
• Provide expert opinion

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Communicating Your Story

• Quotes up high
• This event just keeps growing and growing,
  noted a tired, but delighted committee chair,
  Rich Fischer of the C.O. Brown Agency. When I
  first got involved we served 250 people. Last
  year, we served 900. Its just great to see, and
  we owe it all to our sponsors. Theyre the key.

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Communicating Your Story

• 10 Rules for Writing News
• Dont write until you know and understand
• Know what you want to say, and say it
• First things first
• Put good quotes high in the story
• Use short sentences, paragraphs

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Communicating Your Story

• 10 Rules for Writing News
• 6. Use concrete nouns, colorful action verbs
• 7. Support lead with factual information
• 8. Dont raise questions you cannot answer
• 9. Use quotes to attribute opinion
• 10. Write simply avoid confusing words, phrases

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Take Aways

• Remember 5 Ws and How
• theyll help you ask the right questions and
  present information in the correct order
• Youre not a Reporter!
• -- Youre a public relations person. Communicate
  information that is beneficial to your
  organization and your members.

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Take Aways

• Help the Media get it right.
• -- Reporters are often young, inexperienced and
  new to the community. Help them understand your
  Chamber and its mission.
• Chambers need publicity.
• -- Dont worry too much about bad press. Worry
  about no press!

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Take Aways

• Remember the Three-Bs
• -- Be informed. Be informative. Be accessible.
• Power and influence is gained
• when knowledge is shared.

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• Questions, Comments
• Best Practices
• from your experience