Speechwriting, Presentations, and Media Interviews

1
Speechwriting, Presentations, and Media
Interviews

• Chapter 16

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PR Interpersonal Communications

• At some point a PR person is likely going to be
  asked to do all of the following
• Speechwriting for a top executive/official
• Give speeches and presentations
• Conduct one-on-one media interviews
• Organize news conferences
• Host journalists on press tours

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Media Interviews

• Interviews are widely used ways to publicize an
  individual or a cause
• In setting up an interview, the PR person should
  obtain from the interviewer an understanding as
  to its purpose
• There may be instances when an interview request
  should be turned down such as when a company is
  close to making a big change that its employees
  or stockholders may not yet have been told about
  a reporter may be on to the news
• Avoiding trouble is a hidden but vital part of a
  public relations advisers role. OK to decline
  interview requests or delay until a later date
  do so as politely as possible
• When scheduling TV or radio interviews, consider
  the personality of the person you want to be
  interviewed will he or she come across as
  confident, knowledgeable, authoritative,
  charismatic? If not, you may want to give this
  media opportunity more thought.

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Planning and Conducting News Conferences

• The key word here is news. There must be a
  strong news element, otherwise why hold a news
  conference?
• Reporters and camera crews will go away disgusted
  if you waste their time with announcements of
  only minor news value
• Maybe its better to release the information by
  news release or media kit
• Invite all media to the news conference, can risk
  making an enemy by ignoring some media

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News Conference Considerations

• Give thought to the time it will be held, based
  on media deadlines 1030/11 a.m. always good,
  early afternoon too
• Select a location that is easily accessible
• Think about how the setting will look in photos
  and on TV
• Make sure microphones and lights are working
• Have an area designated for TV cameras and
  tripods
• PR pros can help prep speakers with likely
  questions
• Caution speakers to avoid off-the-record or
  off-the-cuff remarks. Stay on point.
• The speaker should never lie. A no comment
  type response is better.
• If appropriate, issue your own news release
  shortly after the news conference, or have one
  ready to distribute when media arrive

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Press Parties and Media Tours

• The press party setting may be a luncheon,
  dinner or reception. It is a softening-up
  process, and both sides know it.
• Its an informal way for the host/hosts to meet
  the media and vice versa. But theres no
  guarantee of positive coverage in return.
• Press parties help open the channels of
  communications between, say, company executives
  and the reporters/editors who cover them

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Three types of media tours

• Junketseditors and reporters are flown in by a
  company, wined and dined with the host usually
  picking up the tab for transporting, feeding and
  housing the media representatives
• Fam trips or familiarization trips are offered
  to travel writers and editors by the tourism
  industry. Travel articles in magazines and
  newspapers often result from a reporters (all
  expenses paid) fam trip
• Executive visits widely used in high-tech
  industries, these involve top executives
  traveling to key cities to talk with selected
  editors. Depending on an editors preferences,
  the execs may visit a publication and give a
  background briefing to key editors, or a hotel
  conference room may be set up so that the
  traveling executives may talk with editors from
  several publications at the same time

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Press Tours/Junkets Ethical or Not?

• Many news organizations forbid employees from
  accepting any gifts, housing, or
  transportationinstead the news organization pays
  all the costs
• But some smaller news organizations may allow
  their reporters to accept expenses-paid trips on
  the grounds they could not afford such trips any
  other way, and the news values are legitimate
• The PRSA Code forbids lavish gifts and free trips
  that have nothing to do with covering a
  legitimate news event
• PR pros should also be sensitive to the policies
  of news outlets and should design events to stay
  within them. A wise alternative may be to offer
  a reporter the option of reimbursing the company
  for travel and hotel expenses associated with a
  press tour
• In terms of gift-giving, the sensible approach is
  a token of remembrance such as a pen, note pad,
  or a company paperweight. But many news
  organizations will not permit even these token
  gifts.

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Disney Press Party Criticized

• Review On the job ethics sidebar on page 427
  about Disney World bringing 10,000 journalists to
  Florida to cover Disneys 15th anniversary (this
  is the homework for next class)
• Disney paid or partially compensated all press
  travel, lodging, and food expenses
• Critics castigated Disney for trying to buy the
  press and journalists for being on the take
• Disney reaped coverage that greatly exceeded in
  value (advertising equivalency) than what it paid
  to bring in all of the journalists

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Steps in preparing a speech

• Research the intended audience of the speech
• Know everything about the executive who is going
  to give the speech
• Have a lengthy talk with the speaker before
  writing a rough draft of the talk
• Determine what the speech is supposed to
  accomplish--what information and opinions should
  the audience have when the speech is finished?

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Organizing the speech 8 partsA speech is built
in blocks that are joined by transitions

• Beginning
• Introduction (establish contact with the
  audience)
• Statement of the main purpose of the speech
• Middle
• Development of the theme with examples, facts,
  and anecdotes
• Statement of secondary theme, if any

• 5. Enunciation of the main point that the speaker
  has been building up to. This main point is the
  heart of the speech
• 6. A pause at this plateau, with an anecdote or
  two that helps the audience absorb the point just
  made
• End
• Restatement of the theme in summary form
• A brief, brisk conclusion

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Keeping the audience in mind tipsAudiences
usually remember only a small part of what they
hear. The speaker therefore must make sure they
hear things that stick in their minds

• Know your listeners-- age, income, gender,
  occupation, education
• Use their language use terms/expressions
  familiar to audience
• Use visuals charts/slides/other visual forms
  help audience remember
• Use humor carefully avoid jokes and comments
  that may offend the safest humor is a story the
  speaker tells about himself/herself
• Watch your facts be certain the information is
  accurate
• Focus on the benefit any speech must tell
  listeners what they will gain from the ideas
  presented

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Speech Publicity OpportunitiesPublicity can
greatly increase the number of people a speech or
presentation reaches

• Before the speech Whenever anyone from your
  organization speaks in public, the PR staff
  should make sure the appropriate media are
  notified in advance. Send a news release or
  media advisory.
• After the event After a major speech has been
  given, the PR people can prepare audio, video,
  and print news releases about the speech for
  distribution to appropriate media. The speech
  can also be converted into an op-ed article/piece
  for newspapers and magazines. Or it can be
  reprinted or put into a brochure and sent to key
  publics.