INTRO TO MEDIA RELATIONS

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UNDERSTANDING THE NEWS MEDIA

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Understanding the News MediaMedia relations –• Refers to a relationship that an individual or organization

develops with journalists• Informing the public of an organization’s mission, policies and

practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner• Broadly divided into proactive and reactive activities

Public relations – • Extends that relationship beyond the media to the general public • Gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences

using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment

• It also offers third-party legitimacy that advertising does not have

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Understanding the News MediaPurpose of media relations: • To build awareness through third-party sources• To create understanding of an issue or position• To develop public image; foster goodwill toward the organization• To publicize a new product or service

The role of media:• To tell THE story, not to tell YOUR story

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Proactive Media Relations: Stories initiated by the company and/or the agency• News releases• Bylined articles• Case studies• Expert source pitches• Human interest stories• Social Media• Editorial calendar opportunities Crisis Media Relations: Stories initiated by the reporter that may not be favorable toward the company or that result from conditions beyond the company’s control

Understanding the News Media

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What is news?• Is it new• Is it unique• Is it the first• Is it timely• Is it the only• Is it local

Understanding the News Media

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Understanding Media Lead Times• Daily newspapers (4 p.m. night before)• Weekly newspapers (2 days to a week before)• Television (same day to two weeks)• Radio (same day to two weeks)• Online (immediate)

Understanding the News Media

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As a spokesperson, you have the right to:• Not be tricked • Be treated fairly• Be quoted accurately• To say “I don’t know”• Know the topic of the interview beforehand• Know who you’ll be talking with and if they’ve written

about the company

As a spokesperson, you are obligated to:• Be honest and be ethical• Be professional• Be prepared

Understanding the News Media

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As a spokesperson, you DO NOT have the right to:• Say things “off the record” • Review an article before it goes to print/airs• Speak about topics or issues you are not educated on• Disclose private information about the company, its

employees, its agents, its customers or its vendors unless approved in advance

Understanding the News Media

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Understanding the News Media

Do’s and Don’ts of Media Relations

Do: • Treat this as a business relationship• Rehearse• Remember to use key messages• Speak in sound-bites• Be memorable• Know the media will talk to your competitors• Respect deadlines• Provide detail

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Understanding the News Media

Don’t:• Keep talking to fill silence• Speculate• Talk too fast• Forget: Everything you say can and will be used in print • Bad mouth anyone

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The 4-Step Interview Process

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• Screening

• Preparation

• Interview

• Follow Up

The 4-Step Interview Process

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessScreening• Ask questions about the interview

• Topic • Deadline• Contact information• Publication

• Stall, if necessary• This isn’t a good time. Can I call you back this afternoon or tomorrow?

• Do NOT get pushed into an instant interview• Determine if you want to do the interview in-person or over the phone• Contact your agency to make them aware of the opportunity. In most cases,

media should be referred to your communications leader.

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Screening• Research the reporter

• Do they usually cover this topic or beat• Have they covered organization before• Was it a positive story or experience• What is their background

• Research the publication• Is this a tier one, tier two or tier three media outlet• What is the audience (agents, customers, employees)

• Determine the appropriate spokesperson• Are you the expert• Is there someone else that is more appropriate for the topic or audience of the publication

The 4-Step Interview Process

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessPreparation• Analyze the reporter’s request to further your own communications

objectives by writing down:• 2 – 3 key messages you want to convey• 2 – 3 difficult questions you’re likely to face and how you would

answer them• Get your surroundings ready

• Reserve a space for the interview where you won’t be interrupted• Gather any supporting materials or relevant press information

• Get yourself ready• Rehearse key messages, particularly if this is for a broadcast

interview• Review statistics, dates or other information you want to convey• Take a deep breath

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The InterviewAvoid: • Hallway interviews• Lunch interviews• Interview during happy hour or over cocktails• Interviews during private events

Do: • Set ground rules up front• Outline any topics that are off-limits• Communicate any time constraints up front

The 4-Step Interview Process

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessA good answer:• States or restates the question• Gets right to the point• Is conversational and sincere• Uses relevant facts, figures and names• Doesn’t use industry jargon• Is informational, not promotional• Uses visuals to clarify a point, as available• Is truthful

• If you don’t know, say so.• If you make a mistake, correct it.• Never speculate.• Don’t lie.

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The 4-Step Interview Process

Positive Vs. Negative Language

• Word choice during an interview can be critical in helping to ensure your words don’t get misquoted or your thoughts misrepresented.

• Avoid negatives, absolutes and statements that place blame

• Choose positive, more flexible words and statements

• Use power words that describe action or invoke emotion/feeling

Avoid… Instead use…

Problems Situation

Always Often

Never Seldom

Should have Could have

Bad Unwise

Faults Differences

Mistakes Valuable Lessons

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessControlling the Interview• Bridge from a question or topic to the answer/message you want to

give• From my perspective … • Let’s talk about something I am even more familiar with …

• Briefly answer the question, but quickly move to a message you’d like to give

• Yes, but …• Pose a new question and answer it yourself

• The real question here is “what are we doing about the problem.”

• The heart of the matter really is “what we are doing about the problem”

• Stop talking • Reporters often leave uncomfortable gaps of silence to get

you to fill the space

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessResponding to difficult or inappropriate questions• Stay calm• Don’t show panic – by laughing, avoiding eye contact or body

language• Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts• Don’t be defensive• Use pre-determined lines to buy you some time or to address

the nature of the question• I wasn’t prepared to talk about that today. • I can send you some additional information on this topic. • I’m not sure how this question is relevant to the topic at

hand. • Can you elaborate on the question? • I’m not familiar with the issue/situation and am not

equipped to discuss this.

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The 4-Step Interview ProcessFollow upDiscuss how the interview went with a member of

communications or the agency• Were you able to include key messages• Were there any errors in the information provided• What was the tone of interview• What questions were asked• Is follow up needed• Do you know when the piece is expected to run

Make any corrections or clarifications immediately following the interview

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The 4-Step Interview Process

Follow upWhat if there is an error or mistake?• It is appropriate to promptly address a factual error or mistake• Be aware that print retractions and corrections are usually tiny

and are not immediate• Online edits can usually be made in real-time

What if the article is negative?• Be cautious• Assess how much damage is really done• Address an issue first with the reporter you spoke with• Don’t risk ruining a good relationship• Use your communications leader to handle this matter

QUESTIONS?Mike HoganMedia Relations SpecialistPhone: 614/383-1617Email: mike.hogan@fahlgren.com