Nichols Dezenhall

1
Nichols ? Dezenhall

• HEALTH ISSUES AND THE MEDIA
• March 8, 2002
• ? 2002 NICHOLS ? DEZENHALL COMMUNICATIONS
  MANAGEMENT GROUP

2
When a Reporter Calls...

• Find out what youre dealing with
• Deadline?
• Angle?
• Specific area of interest?
• Play?
• Others interviewed?
• Think first, talk later...

3
Media Positioning
Victim
Vindicator
Villain
4
Journalisms Old Rules

• If your mother says she loves you, check it
  out.
• Get it first, get it fast, get it right.

5
Todays Reporters

• Consumers and purveyors of packaged news
• Choose stories that
• Get them noticed
• Have audience appeal (generate ad revenues)
• Beat the competition
• Consistent with cultural narrative
• Want to appear objective

6
Todays Media Beliefs

• There are no Acts of God
• Being first beats being better
• Emotion trumps facts
• Grievance Expertise
• Great visuals Great TV story
• Allegation Truth

7
Sweeps Month Madness

• November, February, May, July
• Ratings Revenue
• The attack of the killer promo Tune in tonight
  or your baby could die!
• Never let the facts get in the way of a good
  story.

8
Working with Reporters

• Business relationship
• They want something from you (a story)
• You want something from them (your side)
• Little correlation between being nice and how
  they cover your issue
• Relationships are invaluable but not decisive

9
What Are Your Assets?

• Access
• Information
• Expertise
• The freedom to go to other reporters
• The potential to embarrass them
• New York Times v. Sullivan
• Other means to reach your audiences

10
Battle of the Agendas

• Reporters want
• Answers to their questions
• Villains to stay in character
• Avoid being embarrassed
• Strong language

• You want
• To deliver your messages
• Define your own character
• To be treated fairly
• To explain what really happened

11
Science and the Public

• In 1999 a National Science Foundation survey
  found
• 21 could explain what it means to study
  something scientifically
• 13 could define molecule
• 11 could define radiation
• 45 think humans developed from earlier species
  of animals.

12
TV or Not TV?

• NSF TV is the publics leading source of
  information about new developments in science and
  technology
• But TV is the medium least trusted by scientists
  to get it right
• 48 of scientists surveyed by the First Amendment
  Center in 1997 said they have hardly any
  confidence in TV reporting

13
Yes, we know youre a real doctor.

• Now, you have to learn to play one on TV.

14
The Viewing Audience

• One-to-one communication
• Not stupid, but not educated
• Distracted, so keep it simple
• Single-minded Why should I care?
• Deliver your message in 15 seconds
• If you wouldnt say it to a 12-year-old, dont
  say it on TV.

15
What TV Scientists Should Know

• Being human beats being perfect
• Use common words, not medical terms
• Dont translate
• Acknowledge concern
• Caring empathy trust credibility

16
How to Fail...

• Miss the deadline
• Use acronyms, jargon, meaningless statistics
• Cite irrelevant good news
• Be unprepared or inaccurate
• Pick fights you cant win

17
The QA

• Use ND formula
• Conclusion
• Brief explanation (if necessary)
• Bridge

18
Bridging

• The key issue is .
• Whats important for people to know is .
• All the research shows that .

19
Whats a Good Message?

• Factually defensible
• Personally relevant What does this have to do
  with me?
• Connects emotionally with core values
• Simple enough to make common sense
• Quotable

20
Aim for the Heart

• Find emotional hot-buttons that drive home your
  rational arguments
• images, symbols
• examples, anecdotes
• personal experiences
• You win if viewers like you better after the
  interview

21
What If Youre Guilty?

• Apologize
• Correct the problem
• Explain why it wont happen again

22
Before Talking to the Media

• Set ground rules
• Determine what you can say, not just what you
  cant
• Practice, practice, practice
• Write the facts, speak the message

23
Ground Rules

• Angle
• Briefing
• Debate
• Documents
• Duration
• Environment

24
Ground Rules

• Expertise
• Format
• Intermediary
• Props
• Record
• Status

25
During an Interview

• Never repeat/introduce a negative
• Dont be afraid to say I dont know
• Avoid combat
• Maintain eye contact
• Speak with conviction
• Record performance

26
During an Interview

• Dont buy into hyped language
• Repeat your message
• Dont use again, as I said
• Be sympathetic to any tragedy

27
After the Interview

• If you made a mistake, correct the record fast
• Provide documents that specifically
• Bolster your key points
• Refute misinformation revealed by reporters
  questions

28
Coping With Sticky Situations

• The interviewer expects you to comment on issues
  beyond your expertise

29
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Inform the interviewer that you are only prepared
  to answer questions related to your expertise as
  a spokesperson
• Transition into a key message point

30
Coping with Sticky Situations

• The interviewer is unprepared and asks irrelevant
  questions
• Seize the initiative
• Get into your key messages

31
Coping with Sticky Situations

• The interviewer/guest keep interrupting you in
  mid-sentence

32
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Be pleasant, but insist on your right to give
  complete responses
• I will be happy to respond to your comment, but
  first let me finish with mine.

33
Coping with Sticky Situations

• A reporter violates a ground rule

34
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Never agree to violate a previously negotiated
  ground rule
• Remind reporter of the ground rule OR allow your
  intermediary to resolve the dispute.

35
Coping with Sticky Situations

• A reporter puts down his microphone and says,
  Lets go off the record.

36
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Never go off the record with a reporter
• Assume that everything you say in the presence of
  a reporter will be quoted

37
Coping with Sticky Situations

• The interviewer wants you to respond to questions
  with Yes or No answers.

38
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Do not fall for this technique.
• If a one word answer will not do justice to your
  topic, bridge to your message.

39
Coping with Sticky Situations

• You are asked a question you dont know the
  answer to.

40
Coping with Sticky Situations

• Say I dont know.
• Offer to find the answer
• Bridge to a message, What I can tell you is

41
Coping with Trick Questions

• The interviewer starts questions with hostile or
  inaccurate comments (The Loaded Preface).

42
Coping with Trick Questions

• Dont allow the loaded preface to stand
  unchallenged.
• Quickly, politely dispute the interviewers
  comments.
• Dont repeat the negative.

43
Coping with Trick Questions

• Youve answered fully, but the interviewer stares
  at you as if you should say more (The Pregnant
  Pause).

44
Coping with Trick Questions

• Dont add to your answer.
• Keep your eye contact and ask the interviewer for
  another question.
• If the interviewer continues to use this
  technique, launch into a transition and deliver
  your key message points.