Media Spokesperson Training

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Media Spokesperson Training

• Dave Fitzgibbon
• Kelly Bartling
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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What is media training?

• Its in the best interest of the city?

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Goals

• To understand how best to answer media questions
• To understand how to keep the upper hand in an
  interview
• PRACTICE
• Think about ways to use the media to your
  advantage while still conducting good public
  relations

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Introduce yourselves with media stories

• A. Good experience
• B. Bad experience

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Media relations 101
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Communication serves everyones needs

• Role as facilitator communicating between
  council/administration to public
• Information-provider (proactive)
• Question-answerer (reactive)
• Problem-solver (-thwarter)
• Problem-anticipater?
• Media seeks to inform public
• They need you. You need them

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Communicating well

• Identify a spokesperson
• Is it department head? PIO? Mayor? City
  administrator?
• Assign a spokesperson and arm that person with
  knowledge/information/skills
• Follow through
• Make sure reporter gets information needed
• Make sure your designee accomplishes goal

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Know your media

• Establish relationships with all local media
  dont wait until a crisis or when you need
  something
• Know how each media works, its deadlines,
  limitations AND how/where it excels
• Be accessible 24/7

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Understanding print media

• Newspapers are permanent and tangible
• Stories tend to be long, fact- and detail-filled
• Photos help tell the story
• The local daily is your vital link to community
  (taxpayers/voters/business leaders)

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Newspapers cont.

• Publishers - editor - reporter - copy editor
• Grand Island Independent setup?
• Editor, city desk editor, cops/fire, city
  council, health?
• Also Lincoln Journal Star, Omaha World-Herald
• Associated Press

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Television media

• News director - assignment editor - reporter -
  photographer - anchor
• Putting stories together mainly in afternoon
• May have 4 or 5 newscast deadlines
• Reporters most often are generalists
• Stories are usually 115 to 145 minutes

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Radio media

• News director/ reporter
• Have deadlines throughout the day
• Trend is to consolidation and less local news
• Stories are usually less than 45
• Make your soundbite count

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Planning an interview
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What should I know?

• Dont do the interview on-the-spot
• Chain of command/report?
• Understand your medium
• Will it be taped or live?
• How long will the interview be?
• When is the reporters deadline?
• What is this story about (angle)?

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Plan your interview

• Key messages
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.

• Supporting facts and anecdotes
• A.
• B.
• C.

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More interview planning

• Key Messages
• 1. Health of our citizens is 1 priority of city.
• 2. We do everything possible to provide safe
  drinking water.

• Supporting facts and anecdotes
• A. have top health dept.
• B. well trained workers
• C. proactive planning
• A. strict building codes
• B. test water weekly
• C. chlorination
• D. ozone

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Anticipate Questions

• Tailor key messages

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The interview

• Formulate key messages write them down
• PRACTICE
• Prepare background, gather educational materials

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The interview

• Be concise
• Soundbites average 7 seconds

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The interview

• Soundbites average 7 seconds

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The interview

• How should I look?
• Check the mirror
• Dress professionally and comfortably
• Maintain eye contact
• Dont rock, roll or swivel

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The interview

• How should I look? Avoid herringbone.

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The interview

• How should I answer?
• Think before you speak
• Speak slowly but naturally
• Avoid jargon
• Avoid speaking parenthetically, double-negatives
• Always tell the truth
• then stop talking

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Question-answering techniques

• Q Did you use public funds to buy pizza for your
  staff?
• A I bought pizza with city funds but it was to
  reward the staff for hundreds of hours of extra
  work they did without pay.

• Bridge to positive key messages

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Question-answering techniques

• The best answer to an A or B question is
  often C

• Q Is that stealing money or just exploiting a
  loophole in the law?
• A I was pleased to be able to recognize
  employees for volunteering to help get the job
  done.

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Question-answering techniques

• Dont repeat back an offensive statement or
  unfair language

• Q So, youre a dirty rotten thief?
• A No.
• (Not, I am not a thief.)

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Question-answering techniques

• Bad question turn the tables.

• Q Did you misuse taxpayer dollars?
• A The real question is do city employees
  deserve to be recognized for a job well done? I
  think this is one way we can keep our best
  employees from leaving for higher paying jobs.

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Other things to remember

• Nothing is off the record.
• When you finish answering, stop talking
• Never say No comment.
• Instead, explain why you cant answer the
  question.
• Q Will the parks manager be fired for stealing
  the tractor?
• A While we cant talk about specific personnel
  issues, our policy is to review each case after
  it is handled by the judicial system.

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Opportunities

• How making friends with, and serving the media is
  in
• your best interest

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Ideas to serve print media

• Have weekly briefings with reporters
• News releases Who, what, when, where
• Serve on editorial board make friends with
  publisher, editor too.
• Write op-eds and letters-to-editor
• Offer to have you or department heads write a
  column
• News conferences Only when necessary go casual
  first if possible
• Be generous with story ideas be proactive. Call
  with ideas.

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Ideas to serve broadcast media

• Talk shows Go live
• Long form interviews, radio/TV if possible
• Help get something visual or audio for their
  stories

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More ideas on good public relations media

• Advertise!
• Plan events that will draw public AND media
• Be accessible
• Partner with media on public projects

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Practice
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Story scenario 1

• Beloved 78-year-old resident Gertrude Smith
  passed away last week from complications of West
  Nile Virus (confirmed by her son, a local
  physician). Reporters discover that Gertrude had
  two weeks earlier complained to the city about
  the standing water near her home, which was
  runoff from a construction site. Neighbors and
  community health officials are asking for cleanup
  of the runoff, and a comprehensive mosquito
  control program.
• A reporter calls to get the citys reaction.

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Story scenario 2

• The library

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Story scenario 3
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Plan your interview

• Key messages
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.

• Supporting facts and anecdotes
• A.
• B.
• C.

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