ONE: PLANNING A CAMPAIGN
"If you don't exist in the media, for all practical purposes, you don't exist."
--Daniel Schorr, Commentator, National Public Radio
Americans receive most of their information through the photographs and writings of journalists. The title of this workbook Strategic Media. Designing Public Interest Campaign, is meant to convey the message that press relations should not be a one-time effort. Rather, working with media should be viewed as a campaign that needs to be planned, supported and executed as carefully as a campaign for political office, ballot issues or fundraising.
HOW IMPORTANT IS MEDIA COVERAGE?
This is the first question to ask on a scale from 1 to 10, where does good visibility and media coverage come in your organization's priorities? If media coverage is very important then time and resources must be spent planning and executing media strategies. Your organization will need to put in place some basic media systems. This workbook is about developing such systems and designing some practical no nonsense approaches to press relations tions.
Think about media coverage as a water faucet. When the systems are turned on, water pours through the faucet. When the systems are turned off or left dormant, the water stops. If the pipes are rusty or unkept, the water can turn brown Likewise, if an organization aggressively works at getting news coverage, if it routinely sends out press releases or media kits and establishes media contacts, then good press coverage will become routine. Waiting passively for the media to call you may mean that your group stays invisible to the outside world. If the leaders of your group decide that media coverage is a top priority, then they must be prepared to allocate resources accordingly.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
The top policy people of your organization must devote time and resources to developing and planning media strategies. The responsibilities for regular press coverage should not be delegated to a small public relations committee or a single staff member. The main spokesperson of your organization must make the time to develop media strategies. In addition, they must schedule appointments during the day to meet with reporters, appear on talk shows and conduct press interviews.
How much time a leader spends on media may become controversial within your organization. If your group's national leader comes to town, for example, local members ought be offended if they spend more time with the media than with the membership.
As with political campaigns, tensions inevitably develop over how the candidate, or leader in your case, should spend valuable time: with the media, advisors, potential supporters, or doing administrative tasks. If your group has an understanding of where media fits in your overall objectives and priorities, some of the problems can be eased from the start
ORGANIZING MAJOR EVENTS
Be clear about your media goals. Try to reach a consensus on the importance of media coverage in your first planning meeting. If you are organizing a national or state convention, program content and logistics might be done differently with a media plan than without one (for example, speakers, schedules, locations, workshops, the layout of the rooms, plenary sessions, registration procedures, and written materials). If you anticipate television cameras, platforms should be placed at least 50 feet in front of the podium. This often means the best seats are either eliminated or the view is blocked. Ask Who is the most important audience, the hundreds of people in the room or the potential hundreds of thousands of television viewers?
Remember, media planning should begin at the start of a project, not at the end. An hour before your conference begins is not the time to debate about the size of platforms or the placement of TV cameras because people in the audience are unable to see the stage.
MONEY IS YET ANOTHER CONSIDERATION
Press secretaries are not magicians. Some basic tools are needed to set up and run a press operation. Money is needed for designing letterhead and graphics, developing lists, printing kits, mailing releases, and producing radio and TV news feeds. The more money and resources devoted to press relations, the more media coverage your group will receive. However, if you have a limited budget, but the right commitment from your leadership, good media coverage can still be achieved. A creative, energetic staff (or volunteer committee) with the ability and commitment to "sell" the issues are as
important as a $100,000 or $1 million public relations budget.
Too often groups will eagerly jump to the decision that media is a top priority. This usually happens when a group is out of money, out of the media, or losing on an issue. During the first media strategy session, go around the table and ask people what their goals are, who they want to reach, and how important media is. If people agree media is important, but talk about developing a speakers bureau to go to local garden clubs, urge your group to rethink their goals. A person-to-person strategy for reaching people is very different from a mass media strategy. If media coverage is relatively important and is to be balanced with other internal concerns of your organization, then it is imperative that the public relations staff be included in organizational planning meetings. Events still need to be produced with media in mind and programs need to be coordinated with newsroom deadlines.
SETTING PRIORITIES
Your first step will be to determine where media coverage fits into the overall organizational priorities. Secondly, your spokespeople need to have a basic understanding of how issues move through the media and how news organizations function day-to-day. The next and most challenging steps will be to answer these questions: What do you want the headlines to say? Who are you trying to reach and with what messages? Once you have answered these questions, you will be ready to proceed with more detailed planning.
TWO: MOVING ISSUES IN THE MEDIA
"Remember, when you go into a press situation, it's a natural adversarial relationship. The reporter is a professional. Don't get into the ring if you're a rank amateur."
--Roger Ailes, from "You are the Message."
Issues evolve and move through the media in a regular pattern although there may be wide variations in the amount of time the process takes. New ideas, discoveries, or small events which can start in a one-on-one conversation can move through the media and eventually to network news and entertainment program, reaching hundreds of millions of people. This process may take several months or several years
Issues such as long term care, family and medical leave, energy efficiency, global warming, new forms of birth control family planning advances, and family preservation can all be placed on the following media trends graph.
I. New ideas and policies are often reported first in small in-house publications, or they can be presented in speeches and academic papers delivered to limited audiences.
II. Professional journals, limited circulation books, newsletters, magazines, and articles can also be launching pads for new developments or ideas.
III. Beat reporters, particularly business writers, often subscribe to and monitor journals and other publications outlined above. Health reporters read the New England Journal of Medicine or Science magazine, and business reporters read the Kiplinger Washington Letter for newsstands trends and story ideas
IV. As an issue is covered by beat reporters, if there is some new development in the policy area, columnists, editorial writers and op-ed's start to appear on the editorial pages. These are usually "think" pieces. The struggle to end apartheid in South Africa appeared in hundreds of editorial columns and Sunday "Week In Review" sections before hitting page one during the Mandela visit to the United States, for example.
V. Page One news generally hits because of a major news event, a Supreme Court decision; an election; a natural disaster, or an announcement by the President, a governor, or a head of state. More and more, however, newspapers are "softening," their page one stories to include features that several years ago would only be found in one of the back sections of the paper. Newspaper editorial staffs usually meet each morning to discuss what will appear on Page One, and then the section editors, including Metro, Sports, Business, Style and international all compete for the coveted space on the first page of the newspaper, above the fold.
VI. Television news generally follows Page One, unless it is a breaking news story. Often what appears on Page One of the morning paper is combined with the events of the day to form the television nightly news. At this point, the story has reached hundreds of thousands to millions of Americans.
V. Social issues are being featured more and more as the story lines of entertainment television and feature films. During the past decade, "mega events" such as the "Day After" nuclear war, Earth Day primetime specials or HBO's Comic Relief to support programs for the home. These, are financial successes as well as educational vehicles on important issues. Recent made-for-TV movies on date rape, family violence, abortion featuring the story of Roe v. Wade, and others have had audiences in the hundreds of millions. A program reaching "only" twenty million is considered a failure in the world of network entertainment programming.
The chart outlined above is based on the tracking of several hundred issues through the media. It is a pattern that does not fit all situations. The National Resources Defense Council's release of a report on Alar with Meryl Streep is an example of how an issue moved along this chart on reverse order, jumping from step one to step seven in one week and then hitting the media in descending order.
It is important to understand the course of development of public opinion on this curve as wen. For example, a majority of the public may respond "don't know" to their opinion on RU486 (the New French Pill) during phases 1-3 of the trends chart Depending upon press coverage and positioning, these "undecideds" may be critical during a campaign in opposition or support of -- the drug.
Keep in mind that the above chart is only one analysis of media trends Regularly step back after each stage of your campaign to analyze and evaluate the progress.
THREE: BUILDING PRESS STRATEGIES
"Do something -- anything -- rather than sending a question through cycles and cycles of analysis and committee reports." --from "In Search of Excellence."
Press strategies are developed through careful research, planning and action. Several elements are needed, including:
Involvement By Your Top Decision Makers;
A Sense of Public Opinion;
A Review of Part Media Coverage; and
Creative Ideas from the Best and the Brightest.
Developing a media strategy is not unlike developing other action plans. Imagine that your organization decides to pursue a litigation strategy. Chances are your group would never take on a case without consulting with or retaining an attorney. Nor would you file a legal brief without following the rules of the court and standard procedures. Your attorney would never attempt to write the brief without first doing research on previous cases and past court decisions. The final position your group takes would be decided by the leadership. Finally, you would never even begin writing the brief unless you had enough money to print final copies for distribution to the court. Just as lawsuits should not be taken to court without adequate preparation, neither should your issues be taken to the media without advance planning.
First, Involve Top Leaders
Enough cannot be said about the participation of your organization's top people when developing media strategies. Your ranking officials should take responsibility for planning media coverage. They should read newspapers; and watch evening news programs as often as possible. When designing actions for your organization media should not be an afterthought, but an integrated part of planning. Similarly, when media strategy sessions are planned, your top spokespeople are the most important participants.
Second, Track Public Opinion
Polling data can be an enormous help when developing media strategies. On certain issues, determine if you are trying to change public opinion or trying to mobilize the majority of people who already support your issue. Numerous polling sources are now available to the public for little or no money. Several new books have been published by leading posters including Louis Harris and Daniel Yankelovich.
Third, Chart Past Press Coverage
Another important step will be to review past media coverage of the issues you target. Spend time in the public library or the reference room of your local newspaper. Review how the national media covers the issue. Find out if the local media have done similar stories. If they have, track by-lines and start a notebook of the coverage. If they have not, suggest stones when you approach reporters and editors with ideas.
Before setting up a meeting with your organization's leaders to develop your plan, write a report reviewing previous coverage on the issues. Analyze the following:
· Headlines: What do they say? How could the copy be improved?
· How the Issue is Described: What definitions are used in the body of the article? Does the article accurately reflect the issue?
· Quotes from Supporters: Who is being quoted? Do the comments put forward our strongest arguments?
· Quotes from the Opposition Who is quoted? What are the key arguments?
From such an analysis, a picture should emerge of how the media is currently positioning the issue and how much coverage the issue is receiving. Use it as the starting point for a media strategy session with the leaders of your organization. The headlines, quotes, and definitions will help you to develop, as they are called in the trade, "press lines."
Fourth, Involve Your "Ideas" People
Most importantly, involve the creative people in your organization who have good and thoughtful ideas, whether volunteers or paid staff. You will be asking people to brainstorm about the best possible press coverage, then to think creatively about how your issues can be presented to reporters. Some of the best ideas will come from watching and reading the media. Take story lines from other issues, and apply the principles of these other stories to your issues.
Plan an initial strategy meeting in a place that is away from telephones and with enough space to make people feel comfortable. Allow enough time, at least several hours, for planning media strategies. Keep the meeting informal and flexible with a maximum of six to ten participants. The following points should be included as agenda items at your meeting:
-Develop Press Lines
Ask: What do you want the headlines to say? Who are you trying to reach? With what message? Can the message be said in 10, 30 and 60 seconds? Or during a 15 minute, half-hour or one-hour format.?
-Plot a Calendar or Press Events
What is already planned? To what can you react? What other press events
are scheduled? If none, keep brainstorming until you develop some.
-Idenify Media Options
What should the group consider a successful media effort? Where do you want to be in one week, one month, and one year?
-Review, Revise, Repeat
These and other points will be outlined in greater detail throughjout the following pages.
FOUR: FRAMING THE DEBATE
Popular buzz words in the circles of public relations and political consultants these days are "framing the debate." In a world of 30-second sound bites, those who frame the debate often win. Top media strategists know this lesson only too well.
Several examples demonstrate the importance of language and symbols in framing a public education strategy:
· The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMIA) coalition found that it became important to describe the FMLA as a "minimum labor standard," which would be added onto other well}known and widely supported standards like the child labor laws, minimum wage, and safety standards. The business community which opposed the bill, on the other hand, referred to the legislation as a "mandated benefit" with government dictating to companies how to run their business The two arguments obviously had a different impact on various members of Congress or state legislators voting on the legislation.
· The environmental community, after extensive market research, determined that the phrase "global warming" is a much more troubling description of the problem than the "greenhouse effect" The average American is motivated more by helping to stop global warming than by the uncertain greenhouse effect.
· The terms "energy efficiency" and "energy conservation" have two entirely different meanings to the public when discussing solutions to our energy problems. Conservation is associated, in the minds of many Americans, with the failed energy policies of President Carter and memories of reduced lifestyles, including freezing in the dark. Energy efficiency, on the other hand, means using American technology to design a better world and elicits positive feelings that the global warming crisis can be solved.
Examples of "framing the debate" are all too numerous in our everyday activities. The definition and interpretation of the symbols of your campaign will be critical. Families, free speech, preserving individual rights, freedom, peace, a clean and safe environment are all considered positive symbols and values. Flag burning, government intrusion, corporate pollution, pornography, killing unborn babies and special interests all are considered "negatives." It will be important for you to stand back look at the greater goal, and develop language which is best for winning on your issue.
Media Coverage Through Storytelling
When USA Today hit the newspaper stands a decade ago, its critics said that the crisp "storytelling" format it employed was too imitative of the electronic media and would not work as an alternative to "serious" daily newspapers. Wrong!
Today, an article in almost any daily newspaper describes a national or local problem in human terms. Lead paragraphs often include stories about a "victim" or "beneficiary" in order to illustrate the abstracts of the policy under discussion.
Personal stories are essential elements in television and radio news stories. Any approach to the electronic media which does not have a "good story to tell" is not likely to be of much interest to reporters. More and more, reporters and broadcast producers are saying, "tell me a story so that I can produce a spot."
Public Opinion
"Polls help us determine everything, from which dog food people buy to which political candidate they vote for." -- Celinda Lake, Pat Callbeck Harper from "Public Opinion Polling".
Typically, public interest activists have neither the time nor the resources to adequately measure public opinion on their policies, other than by whatever anecdotal information they gather. However, the New Right and corporate America use public opinion data in a systematic way to launch, position, and test their public policy initiatives. Public interest advocates should at least be aware of the value of public opinion data and its uses. As the above case study for the environmental community demonstrates, new survey research on global warming and its solutions gave the environmentalists a fresh perspective on how the public viewed the problem.
There are less expensive ways of gauging public opinion on particular issues other than by commissioning a professional research pool Newspapers, TV stations, and regional media organizations all engage in public policy polling on the major issues of the day. A number of organizations, like the Roper Center, have an extensive bank of polling data on issues with national, regional, and state-based results. Public interest advocates now have substantial resources to "look before you leap" into a media campaign.
If your local paper or television station conducts polls, call the editor or the person supervising the polling analysis. They can usually provide background reports on the questions by demographic breakouts. These individuals can be an invaluable resource as you use public opinion as a part of your media strategy.
FIVE: DEVELOPING PRESS LINES
"New words and phrases are one organic measure of change. they capture transformations of perception, and sometimes of reality itself." -- Gloria Steinem.
Begin by asking your group to imagine for a moment that they are in a
position to write an article or produce a television newscast on your
issues. What would the article include? How would the news story be
scripted? Ask What do you want the headlines to say? What are the best
possible stories, quotes or news items on your issue. Imagine the best
then go for it.
Do this exercise in reverse. Ask yourself what the worst possible headlines could be? If your bill were to be defeated or a law suit lost, what are the worst outcomes? Then, work to avoid them. In the world of public relations, this is known as "damage control".
The most important result of any media strategy session will be to develop press lines in simple and clear messages. You will need to articulate responses in 10, 30 and 60 second answers for television and radio interviews. Then develop longer, more substantive analyses for background briefings with reporters.
The Bottom Line
The most successful press coverage usually does not just happen. Know what you want the coverage to be, and work with reporters so that they understand your position. In the end, the article or newscast will be the responsibility of the reporter. Unless you are a journalist, you will not be able to actually write the article, headline or news show. But, the more you know about what you want, the better your chances are of achieving it.
Words, Phrases, And Themes
The words, phrases, and themes that your group uses to describe your issues are extremely important. Advertisers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars developing messages they want to send to consumers Similarly, White House advisors consciously choose the words which best describe the President's position. The terms "kinder, gentler America," "peacekeeping missiles," and "safety net" are examples of controversial positions made neutral or softer by specific terms.
When determining how to position your issues in the media, a major decision will be: are you for it or against it? Examples: are you for clean air or against pollution? Are you for burning the flag or protecting the Bill of Rights? Polling data can help you decide how to best frame an issue in the media.
Once you have brainstormed the best possible coverage and have developed a set of press lines, draft an op-ed piece for your local media in which your words are not edited or taken out of context. By putting the words, phrases and themes to paper, you can usually improve the quality of the product tremendously. Test out the Lines" on some friends or in a small group of impartial participants. Advertisers pay up to $10,000 each for "focus groups." Informally, conduct your own focus groups with neighbors, college students, or community activists.
When you are comfortable with the lines, share them with other organizations who are working on the same issues. The tack will be to get as many people as possible to agree on similar press lines which can then be repeated over and over. Remember, if you are doing an interview with media that will be edited to a few quotes, repeat the main theme or press line throughout the interview as often as possible. Make the main point you are trying to get across to the reporter from the beginning, and then return to that point again and again.
Target Your Audiences
Before you begin scheduling press interviews at random, identify whom you are trying to reach. Keep in mind that the mass market is specialized into segmented markets. Magazines, for example, are no longer just Life or Look -the two dominant forces 25 years ago. The average newsstand in America has hundreds of magazines written for and targeted to specific readers. Newspaper sections are much the same. Television and cable audiences, although still considered "mass media," are more serialized than ever. (See Ten: Targeting Your Message To The Right Audience for more details.)
The Oprah Winfrey Show has a very different set of viewers from This Week With David Brinkley. Public television audiences, although smaller in numbers, are more likely to be policy-makers and trend setters. If you are trying to reach legislators, who often do not have time to watch much television, a newspaper editorial may work best. New parents, homemakers, students, and unemployed workers are the primary daytime viewers.
Target The Media As Well
Most issues have a variety of "angles" or ways to sell the story. For example, energy efficiency could be covered by business reporters, the lifestyle section consumer columnists, legal writers, editorial boards, the city desk or national reports, depending on how it is framed. You may want to "shop around" for the reporter who has a good understanding of the issue. In the end, an editor or news director will make the final decision on who covers the issue for the media outlet. However, if you are promoting a story as opposed to just reacting to a reporter's call, you are in a better position to approach a specific reporter with your story idea.
Remember
Keep the message simple. Target your audiences and reporters. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.
SIX: UNDERSTANDING MEDIA
Americans have traditionally relied on their morning newspaper for information on their community and local events But one of the most dramatic shifts during the past decade is the public's increasing reliance on the electronic media as their primary news source. Approximately two thirds of all Americans rely on television or radio for their local news, while the balance go to their local newspapers for information.
Another striking development is the increasing decentralization of news outlets. As more and more news sources are available to most Americans, the ability to "target" audiences has greatly diversified the media For example, cable television has cut into the market share of network television substantially over the past decade. There has been an expansion of FM radio stations, and weekly and community-based newspapers have begun to challenge the large, metropolitan, daily newspapers.
Even within the three, standard categories of "the media," press strategies must take into account the diverse ways in which different media organizations formulate news stories. Be prepared to capitalize on the opportunities offered by these differences. For example:
· Television stations have local news programs, editorial opinions and "talk back" opportunities, public affairs programs, one-on-one interview shows and public affairs "specials";
· Community cable stations can offer local news programming, community access channels, and public affairs programming;
· Public television stations provide local news programming as well as a diverse mix of locally produced public affairs programming;
· Radio formats include all news stations, radio talk shows, public affairs programming, and editorial comment; and,
· Newspapers have numerous "beat" reporters covering specialized issues for the main news section, editorial page editors, op-ed opinion pieces, letters to the editor, the business section, consumer reporters, and "style" sections offering soft news.
A Few Fast Tips
Some of the best ideas for press coverage come by watching, listening and reading media and then applying the principles of other stories to your issues.
Subscribe to TV Guide. It is the best and least expensive way to follow the world of television. Entertainment Tonight is another good source of information about television. Read your local newspapers and at least one national newspaper each day. These include USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and the major east and west coast papers, i.e. the New York Times or Los Angeles Times.
Watch the local and national evening news. Listen to National Public Radio's Morning Edition and AU Things Considered each day. A television and radio with good reception are vital for your office (install an antenna, if needed). If your city is wired for cable television, subscribe. Also recommended is a video cassette recorder. Each show is different. Tape a week's worth of programs and watch them back-to-back to develop a solid understanding of media styles and topics.
Outlined in Chapter Three are the items needed to monitor media effectively. This list of equipment and subscriptions may sound exorbitant, but the items are essential. A video cassette player, for example, can be a lifesaver because you will never be able to watch or listen to all the media described. If news programs and local talk shows are regularly taped, however, you can go back and watch for ideas. Always tape programs on which your organization appears. Sample tapes are invaluable to show at board meetings, fundraising events, or to critique for your next appearance.
Be Creative
If your issue is in the national news, think about its local impact. Local media are always looking for sidebars to national stories In addition to hard news, you can capitalize on entertainment shows that include your themes.
· A Sunday night movie on family violence such as The Charlotte Fedders Story is likely to be followed by a local news spot at 11.00 p.m. on services for battered women.
· The Earth Day prime time network specials were followed by local stories on the environment.
· A Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights will be followed on how the decision affects your state.
The list goes on and on. The trick is to stay ahead of your local station on story idea TV Guide, USA Today, Entertainment Tonight, and People magazine are all good sources for advance information on entertainment programming. Radio is one of the best sources for breaking news.
Don't forget Pop Culture. Movies, music, books and magazines are other ways to keep in touch with new trends. A part of what you are doing is molding public opinion. Therefore, try to position yourself to ride the popular waves. Stay in touch with local media and call regularly with ideas on national issues with a local angle. Most importantly, watch, listen and read.
About Press Clips
Most states and large cities have professional clipping services Costs are usually based on a monthly reading fee and a charge per clip. Reading fees can be $50 to $100 per month, with a charge of $.25 to $.75 per clip. In addition, you can regularly clip articles from newspapers and magazines.
The best way to see and store press clips is in two-inch notebooks, by subject and date. Do not file original clips. Always paste up clips on 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheets (type the date, source and page number at the top) and make copies. Original clips last only about six months before turning yellow and ragged. Whatever system of press clips storage you develop, keep it simple. Unless clips are under control, they can multiply to unmanageable levels. Be sure to obtain copyright permission from the publisher if you make copies of an article to send to the media or for fundraising.
Media Centers
Just as Washington, D.C. has become the media capital of the United States with more than 5,000 reporters based in the city, state capitals are the media centers for the states. Most statehouses have fully operating press galley during the legislative sessions.
The Washington press corps follows politics, while media in other cities follow the industries based in their regions. New York media are primarily the network decision makers, magazine publishers, and business reports. Los Angeles has a higher proportion of entertainment media. While Detroit has the automotive press. In Iowa and the midwest, major dailies follow agriculture trends, and Texas and Colorado reporters focus heavily on the oil industry-to name a few. A state's geographic and natural resources can also affect coverage. For example, reporters in cities located on the oceans, Great Lakes, or Gulf of Mexico cover water-related industries and environmental concerns more regularly.
National bureaus for major media can be found in cities around the country, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Washington. Reporters in these bureaus travel throughout the region and can be a good source of stories for your issue.
Don't forget that the AP, UPI, Reuters, and Gannett/USA Today wire services are also important instruments for moving your story beyond city and state lines. In small towns, if your local papers are subscribers to the wire services, they can also be tapped as sources for stories. Local reporters may be "stringers" for larger media or "freelancers" for major media. For example, one enterprising freelance reporter from the Baltimore Sun went to Paris to write about the new French pill, RU 486. Her stories (in a slightly edited version) appeared in more than two dozen papers around the country.
Just remember, the world of mass media is constantly changing, expanding, contracting, and evolving as new technologies are discovered. Your challenge will be to take full advantage of these new tools to advance your issues.
SEVEN: PICKING SPOKESPEOPLE
The single most important decision your group will make is picking your spokesperson. If you do not, the media will. Start by making sure that your spokesperson is comfortable doing press interviews, is willing to take the time out of a busy schedule, and makes a good presentation on television, radio, and in print.
Working with the media must be a team effort. Your spokespeople are not being interviewed because the press thinks they have something to say as individuals. They are interviewed as representatives of your organization and as the voice for activists in your community.
First, Determine Who Talks To Press
If possible, pick only one person as the official spokesperson, such as the president or executive director of your organization. Your group may want to establish a policy that press staff or volunteers talk to reporters on background. If this is the case, you should indicate to the media that quotes are available from your official spokesperson, with staff providing background. It is usually best to limit the number of people who initiate or return press calls. Make sure all parties know what has previously been said to reporters on the issue at hand. Reporters hate to be bounced around, never knowing if the person they are talking to has any authority to speak for your organization. Even worse, they don't like having to repeat their requests to a half dozen people.
On And Off The Record
There are at least three ways of dealing with reporters:
· On-the-Record Interviews should only be conducted by official spokespersons. Reporters will assume that everything said to them is on the record and for quotation, unless otherwise stated at the start of an interview.
· Background Interviews are just that, discussions with reporters with a prior understanding that the information can be freely used in a story, but only on background, without a direct quote. Press staff should open any discussions with reporters by saying, "I would like to talk to you as background only. Most of what I will be saying will be exactly what our President says, but to save time, I can give you the background for publication but not for attribution. You can get quotes from her." You must establish this understanding before the interview begins, not after.
· Off-the-Record Discussions are not for quotes, not for attribution and usually not for use in an article. Such a discussion may be useful in situations where you need to share information with a reporter, but you do not want your organization quoted or identified as a source. If the information is to be used by reporters, their editors may require two or three sources to confirm the story, particularly if the information is sensitive. Again, establish the rules for the interview at the start, not the end of an interview, or you could find your organization in a bind and unable to "undo" a negative or inappropriate quote.
Some leaders who are regular news sources have a policy that all discussions with the press are on-the-record. Clearly, this is the best policy for reporters but not always for organizations, for obvious reasons.
Adding Some Polish
Sensitive leaders and substantive policy analysts often reject or feel awkward attending media training sessions. Actors including Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, regularly solicit professional advice on improving their image and delivery. Professional media advisers can be invaluable members of your strategic team. But understand that most good media coaches are highly paid and very busy. Professional fees may run from $300 to $500 an hour with a half or full day minimum. There are several low cost options for high return services
· Pool costs with other non-profit organizations in your town. Most good media trainers are willing to do small sessions with 25 participants.
· Approach the theatre or communications departments of a local college or university. One-day sessions with professional academics, as compared with political/corporate professionals may be a less costly option.
· If your issue resonates with highly paid professionals, you might be able to persuade them to volunteer their services "for the cause."
· Rent or purchase a video cassette player and set-up a "moot" press interview/conference for your spokesperson. Playback the tape for an immediate "feedback" session.
· Several very useful books have been written by some top professionals including Dorothy Sarnoff and Roger Ailes. As press secretary, you might want to read these books thoroughly and copy or highlight the important sections for your boss.
· One of the best techniques for improving television performances is a simple one. Regularly video/audio tape the media appearances of your spokesperson and organize a serious feedback session within a day or two. Several trusted advisors should be in the room to give "feedback" which includes strong positive compliments and gentle, but firm, criticism.
No matter how often your spokespeople are interviewed by the media, there is always room for improvement Presidents, governors, chief executive officers and television anchors all regularly improve their on-camera images. Like it or not too often the media is the message and if your messengers are going to be taken seriously by the public and policy makers, they need to constantly scrutinize their performance to make sure the message is presented as clearly and effectively as possible.
EIGHT: MAINTAINING GOOD PRESS CONTACTS
"Who you know can sometimes be as important as how much you know." -- Judy Woodruff, MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour.
The success of your media strategy will largely depend on contacts with reporters, assignment desk editors, and other media representatives. Never underestimate the importance of maintaining good media contacts.
Personal Contacts Are Best
There is no substitute for picking up the phone, getting through immediately to a reporter you already know and "selling" a story idea to them. Building rapport with journalists usually does not happen overnight. A steady and reliable relationship can only be developed through regular meetings and phone conversations. Often this process takes months, even years to evolve.
Don't just wait for reporters to call you, because it rarely happens. A big part of your media strategy includes placing stories, initiating press coverage, and getting your organizational and spokesperson on the reporter's rolodex . The press can be contacted in several ways: on the phone, in face-to-face sessions including press briefings and news conferences, through the mail, and by other media stories.
Over-the-phone interviews and contacts are usually brief and to the point. Usually the reporter is on deadline and is only interested in a quick quote. If you are calling them, start by asking if they are on deadline and if this is a good time to talk If not, find out when they can best be reached. If reporters are calling you, make sure the call is screened in advance. Have the person answering the phone (or press staff) find out if the reporter is on deadline and the issue they want to discuss. Your spokesperson should never get on the phone with a reporter without knowing what they want and the tone of the questions. The press staff should get as much information as possible about the interview. Review press lines with your spokesperson. Have a clear idea of how the story should look before doing a press interview over the phone.
Face-to-face meetings can be the most successful format for good press coverage. The smaller the meeting, the better. As often as possible, organize one-on-one lunches or breakfasts for your spokesperson and reporters If a story does not accurately reflect your organization's perspective, call the reporter directly, using the story as an opportunity to set up a meeting. If your organization is called over the phone to respond to a recent event or announcement, end the conversation by saying, "Maybe we should get together to discuss in greater detail when there is more time. How about lunch?"
Press briefing sessions are another useful technique for contacting reporters You are in control of the invitation list and the agenda Reporters can usually get a good story because they have longer and better access to your spokesperson. Start by picking a topic. Call reporters and explain that since the issue is in the news (i.e. Earth Day), your group is organizing a "background briefing session" for a more in-depth analysis of the issue. Invite two or three experts who can review the subject. Invite 44 reporters and ask for a yes or no, over the phone. Limit your session to no more than one hour. If a reporter says, "I'd love to attend, but I have something else that day," find out when they can come and schedule another session. Try to schedule competing media such as UPI and AP, for two different sessions. Plan at least one session a month. See Chapter Three for a check list on press briefings.
Press conferences should be called only when you have breaking news. Too often groups think press conferences are the only way to reach reporters, which is no longer true. Groups can spend a week planning a press conference, arranging for speakers, paying for a room, mailing releases, and so on -and then no reporters show up. All your efforts are wasted, and even worse, the experience can make your leaders and activists feel defeated. The same amount of time, money, and energy could have been spent arranging one-on-one interviews or press briefings with better and more lasting results. Think of ways to develop media coverage over time by placing a story in one media the first week and another the second. Start a media "roll" so that one story leads to another. Press conferences tend to be one time events that produce only one day in the media
Editorial board meetings are regularly organized by editors and editorial writers with local newsmakers Call a friendly reporter and find out the best way to set up an editorial board meeting. Chapter Two includes detailed information about editorial board meetings.
Paper the press by regularly faxing and sending out press releases, press statements, kits, fact sheets' speeches, meeting notices, and other useful materials. Reaching the media in the 1990's requires personal contacts and a direct mail approach as well. If each mailing produces a 10% response rate from media that is 10% more stories than before. If possible, plan a weekly mailing to the media.
Remember, you can also reach media through other media. Reporters regularly get story ideas from the media they read and watch. You may want to give a story idea to one reporter and repackage some of the same themes to another. Often TV stations look to the daily newspapers for story ideas and vice versa.
Press lists are vital. Update your press lists on a monthly basis. Start by purchasing any and all local media directories. Watch credits at the end of news shows and call each station for contact names. Review newspaper bylines and magazine mastheads. Your spokesperson should keep a journal of all press interviews and keep the reporter's name, phone number, business card, and reaction to the interview. Then, keep updating lists with new names and beats. Record all incoming press calls and add the names to your lists.
Quarterly, call all local media and double-check if the reporters are still at the outlet. If they have left and have a track record of covering your organization's issue, find out where they went. If the reporter has moved to another city, contact your organization in that area and pass their name along.
[END OF WORKBOOK EXCERPT.]
