Getting the Word Out: Media Relations

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Getting the Word OutMedia Relations

• Loreeta Canton
• Public Information Officer
• North Dakota Department of Health

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Overview

• Telling your story through the media
• What the media wants
• Working with the media
• Writing a news release
• Surviving the media interview

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Telling Your Story Through the Media

• What story?
• Special events
• Important messages
• Awards

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A Two-Way Street

• We need them to get our story to their broad
  audience
• They need us!

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Just What Does the Media Want?

• If it bleeds, it leads.
• Man bites dog.
• Timely
• Of interest
• Local angle
• Human interest
• Piggybacking on national news or trends

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Inside the Reporters Mind

• How does this story affect people?
• Who is affected?
• Is there an interesting element, insight, person
  or fact that people dont really know?
• Is the story unique?

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Different Media, Different Needs

• Newspapers
• Radio
• Television

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Working With the Media

• Scheduling
• Deadlines
• Presenting information clearly and concisely
• News conferences
• Nothing is off the record

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Working With the Media, cont.

• Personalize the story
• Accurate facts!
• Written materials
• Setting

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Writing a News Release

• In general
• Put your good stuff first.
• List more than one contact number.
• Spell names correctly.
• Explain clearly!

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News Release Format

• On letterhead, with your logo
• For immediate release
• Contact person name, title, phone number
• Headline
• One or more verbs
• Communicates newsworthiness
• Simple and to the point

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Format, cont.

• Best is one page in length
• If two pages
• Page 1 has all the key facts
• Page 1 ends with more
• Focuses on one subject
• Lede answers who, what, when, where
• Follow-up paragraphs answer how and why

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Format, cont.

• Outline
• Lede
• Informational paragraph
• Quotation
• More information
• Conclusion
• Ends with or 30 or END
• Proofread by someone else!

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News Release Distribution

• Send releases out AT THE TIME you want
  information used.
• For immediate release as soon as possible.
• You can request a specific date, but media makes
  that decision.
• Embargoed?

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Surviving the Media Interview

• Conduct the interview on your own terms.
• When the reporter calls, ask
• What is the story about?
• What background information do you have?
• What is the interview format?
• Are you interviewing anyone else?
• When will the story run, and what is your
  deadline?
• Agree on a time, and then hang up the phone.

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Develop Your Message

• What is the most important thing you want the
  public to know?
• What questions will the reporter ask? Come up
  with answers.
• When you feel ready, call the reporter back.

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SOCO!

• Single overriding communication objective
• Simple and brief
• Try to restate your SOCO in every answer

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General Interview Guidelines

• Make a list of possible questions.
• Develop SOCOs.
• Know your subject matter.
• Use short, simple, specific statements.
• Stay on the topic.

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Pitfalls To Avoid

• Expect anything you say to appear in the story.
• Never say no comment.
• Never say something is off the record.
• Dont speculate, conjecture or guess.
• Just the facts!

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Pitfalls, cont.

• Treat each answer like your only sound bite.
• Be positive.
• Stop talking when youve answered a question.
• Be honest!!

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Dos

• DO Think before you speak
• DO Pause after a complete statement
• DO DO Be aware of your body language
• DO Keep answers short and simple

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and Donts

• DONT Use jargon, acronyms or technical terms
• DONt Become angry or provoked
• DONt Speculate or guess
• DONt Speak for someone else
• DONt Ever, ever lie

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Lights! Camera! Action!

• How you dress counts.
• Conversational tone.
• Slow down!
• Look at the reporter.
• Anything you say
• Most important facts first.
• Think sound bites.
• Start over if necessary.
• Smile! Be confident, be comfortable, and be
  yourself!

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In The Medias Own Words

• The best stories have real people in them.
• Pictures make good stories.
• Return phone calls or acknowledge e-mails
  promptly.
• Give the info to everyone at the same time.
• Make sure the contact person is available to
  take media calls.
• The media are your customers. Treat them as
  such.

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And, Finally

• Dont complain if the media doesnt use all your
  information. If todays media reported on Moses
  and the 10 Commandments, the story would read
  like this
• Today, Moses came down from the mountain with
  the 10 Commandments, the three most important of
  which are

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Questions?