Effective Techniques for Working with the Media

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Effective Techniques forWorking with the Media

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Who am I?

• David Foley
• Former Journalist with the BBC and ABC TV
• Public Diplomacy Officer in the US Foreign
  Service
• Deputy Press Attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow

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Communications Strategy

• What Do They Want?
• What Do We Want?

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What the Media Wants

• Information Overload
• Press Releases, Announcements, Speeches
• Companies, Government, Institutes, News Agencies,
  PR Firms, Specialized Publications
• Time and Space Limited
• Editors Journalists are the Gatekeepers

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What the Media Wants

• News is New - What Sells?
• Human Interest
• Impact
• Unexpected
• Novelty
• Entertainment Value
• Exclusives
• Follow-the-Herd

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What We Want

• We want to speak to the medias audience
• We want to
• Explain
• Convince
• Generate Support
• Generate Action
• 1. A Media Campaign
• 2. Crisis Communications

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Working with the Media is a Contact Sport - Are
You Ready?

• 5 Ps Principle - Prior Planning Prevents Poor
  Performance
• KISS Principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid
• Would you rather win or lose?
• Remember, interviews are fun!

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What is a Media Campaign?

• Choose the Target Audience
• Define the Message
• Choose the Media
• Events? Alternate Media? Partners?

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Choose Your Target Audience

• Students
• Parents
• Educators
• Government
• Elites
• Mass Audience
• Others

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Define the Message

• What result do we want?
• What do we want our target audience to
  understand/learn/remember?
• What action do we want our target audience to
  take?
• What message makes it happen?
• Consumer-test the message

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Choose the Media

• Newspapers
• Television
• Radio
• Specialty Publications

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Events? Alternate Media? Partners?

• Design interesting events
• Is there another communications route that is
  easier to access?
• Dont become too focused
• Strength in numbers, who else can we bring to the
  party?

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Media Inventory

• Develop a media resource inventory newspapers,
  radio stations, TV channels, community contact
  persons
• Dont miss channels of communication
• How? Ask if one exists already or build it (get
  on the phone)
• Create a "profile sheet" for each media source to
  record addresses, phone and fax numbers, names of
  important contacts, deadlines, opportunities,
  etc.

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Designing a Media Campaign

• Design an overall media plan
• Outline how your organization can benefit the
  media resource and vice versa
• Decide what types of coverage you will be
  interested in (e.g. talk shows or features
  stories on a news program)

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What Types of Coverage?

• TV Radio Opportunities
• News Public Affairs Opportunities
• Daily News Programs - broad exposure
• Weekly Public Affairs Interview Programs - focus
  on one issue, small audience.
• Discussion/Talk/Entertainment Programs
• Call-In Shows - excellent exposure, your people
  interviewed
• Disc Jockey Shows
• Public Service Announcements
• Editorials

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What Types of Coverage?

• Newspaper Opportunities
• News and News Features
• News Stories Names of Editors and Journalists?
• Feature Stories In-depth stories
• Special Series Multi-part reports heavily
  promoted
• Specialized Sections Annual specialized
  sections?

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What Types of Coverage?

• Newspaper Opportunities
• Editorial Coverage
• Newspaper Editorial
• Guest Opinion
• Columns
• Letters to the Editor - careful and restrained
• Community Calendars upcoming events
• Community News - meetings, appointments, past
  events, future plans

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Who is in Charge?

• One person is the media specialist
• You are now officially designated as the media
  specialist

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Who Should You Know?

• Television and Radio
• News Director/Assignment Editor
• Specialist Journalist
• Program Director(s)
• Newspaper
• Assignment Editor
• Features Editor
• Specialist Journalist
• Editorial Director
• Appropriate Columnists

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Working with the Media

• Be aware of lead times for stories
• Don't call an editor or reporter when they are on
  a deadline
• Ask if they have time to talk
• Be available when a reporter calls
• Respond to reporters deadlines
• Send information in advance of an interview

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Media Campaign Timeline

• More than 1 month before
• Organize media lists
• Develop media campaign strategies message,
  target audience, media
• 4 - 8 weeks prior to campaign
• Call media to update contact list and alert them
  about upcoming campaign
• Write press releases, media advisory, other
  materials

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Media Campaign Timeline

• 2-6 weeks prior
• Send press releases and public service
  announcements to media
• 1-4 weeks prior
• Send media advisory to request coverage for
  specific events
• Flyers, posters, and other alternative media
  distributed.
• 1 week prior
• Follow-up phone calls to media about press
  releases and media advisories

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Provide Information

• One package
• General news stories on your issue
• Position papers collected from supportive
  organizations
• Fact sheets compiled from your data research
• Goals and Principles of your organization
• Miscellaneous useful information

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How to Write a Press Release

• NEWS RELEASE clearly at the top
• Date of issue - "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"
• Use a snappy headline
• Summary WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN, by WHOM
• Short, factual and well-written
• Short paragraphs - simple sentences

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How to Write a Press Release

• One Page! (Two at Most)
• Use a Quote from a Real Person
• If Event Directions? Map?
• Write ENDS at the end
• Include your contact details
• Call to make sure they got it

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Crisis Communications

• Scandal and controversy sells
• Dont hide or cover-up, return calls
• Good pre-existing relationships help
• Be helpful and straightforward
• On-the-record only

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Talking to the Media

• Media Rules
• Ground Rules
• Tips for Handling Interviews
• Speaking So People Listen

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The Media Rules

• 1. You aren't in control. Send it and its gone
• 2. You need to explain, explain and explain some
  more
• 3. This isn't the movies. There are no previews
• 4. More isn't better pick your target
• 5. There's always another source usually worse
• 6. Off-the-record? Don't go there
• 7. Truth or consequences Dont Lie
• 8. "They really screwed it up! I should sue them
  or getting a correction

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Interview Ground Rules

• Must be agreed at the beginning of a conversation
• On-the-Record Direct quotes by name and title OK
  
• On Background Quotes directly or paraphrased
  attributed to a State Department official or as
  authorized
• On Deep Background Source cannot be quoted or
  identified, not even as an unnamed source. The
  information is usually couched in such phrases as
  it is understood that or it has been learned.
  The information may be used to help present the
  story or to gain a better understanding of the
  subject, but the knowledge is that of the
  reporter, not the source
• Off-the-Record No information provided may be
  used in the story. The information is only for
  the reporter's background knowledge

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Tips for Handling Interviews

• Be Prepared...
• Have a one sentence message to communicate no
  matter what is asked
• Make your point in 20 seconds or less
• Practice your soundbites
• Role-play / Murder-board
• Write the headline before the interview

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Tips for Handling Interviews

• In the Interview...
• Be alert and positive!
• Stay on message
• Keep Calm. Look and sound calm and controlled
• Sit or stand still dont twist
• Look the interviewer in the eye, dont look at
  the ground, sky or the camera
• Talk in complete sentences

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Tips for Handling Interviews

• Be pro-active
• Offer positive information (even if not asked)
• Look at the question as a jumping-off point
• Be relentlessly and aggressively positive about
  your position - dont apologize!
• Tell anecdotes
• Use humor only if you have it!
• Dress your best, look professional

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Tips for Handling Interviews

• Be cooperative, but know what you should and
  shouldn't say
• Be careful how you use numbers
• Use testimonials of others
• Show concern if theres a real problem
• Dont use jargon
• Dont say no comment
• You can say I Dont Know
• Stop and Think

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Tips for Handling Interviews

• Don't let a reporter put words in your mouth
  correct misstatements, then answer
• If the story is negative, don't give unnecessary
  information that may be detrimental
• Avoid answering "what if" questions
• Don't fill in silent pauses. Say what you have to
  say, and stop!
• Don't keep talking as you're walking away. Stop
  talking before you walk.

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Press Conferences/Public Speaking

• 5 Ps
• KISS
• Practice Makes Perfect
• No Detail Too Small
• Anything Stuck in My Teeth?

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Speak So People Listen

• Be prepared...
• Know your audience well
• What do they want to know from you?
• Clarify your goals
• Research well

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Speak So People Listen

• Designing the slides
• Present only the key points
• Use short sentences
• Only 3 to 5 points per slide
• Add charts graphics if useful
• Minimize distractions/animations

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Speak So People Listen

• Add Spice to your Presentation
• Talk with anecdotes and examples
• Make references to real situations and people
• Use statistics to gain attention
• Use visual aids where necessary

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Tell Us What You Did

• Report via the Listserve
• What media or event, when, where, how long,
  format (1-on-1, discussion, etc.), what audience?
• What were the results?
• Share so others can benefit

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• Communications Strategy
• What The Media Wants
• What We Want
• Media Campaigns Audience, Message, Media
• Working with the Media
• Press Releases
• Interview Tips
• Press Conferences Public Speaking

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Thank You!Effective Techniques forWorking with
the MediaDavid Foley