kathryn grim fermilab office of communication july 28, 2009
TRANSCRIPT
Media TrainingKathryn Grim
Fermilab Office of CommunicationJuly 28, 2009
To increase your understanding of how to effectively communicate through the media
By the end of the session, you will: Have a general overview of how media works Understand the importance of preparing for
media interactions Be able to define key messages, analogies
and sound bites Know what to do before, during and after an
interview
Training Objectives
How the media works
Media want To sell papers/magazines To attract listeners/viewersSo stories must Appeal to their readers/viewers/listeners Be entertaining, interesting, newsworthy
What the media want
What’s newsworthy?
From remote observatories on the Tibetan plateau to a cave in a Shanghai suburb, Chinese researchers are poised to conduct an audacious once-in-a-century experiment. The plan is to test a controversial theory: the possibility that gravity drops slightly during a total eclipse.
What makes this story newsworthy?
A team of Yale University researchers has discovered a "repulsive" light force that can be used to control components on silicon microchips, meaning future nanodevices could be controlled by light rather than electricity.
What makes this story newsworthy?
IMPACT IMMEDIACY PROXIMITY PROMINENCE NOVELTY CONFLICT EMOTIONS
What makes a story interesting to readers?
Publication process◦ Journalist writes article◦ Editors edit◦ Headline added◦ More editing to fit space◦ Final product is published (or not!)
You will rarely get to see the product before publication
Headlines
Need to target story appropriately◦ General-interest newspaper, national TV◦ Local newspaper, radio, TV◦ Documentary◦ Specialized publications
Appeal to their audience
To be accurate and fair To know why your work matters Animated, enthusiastic interviewees Clear, concise answers No jargon Analogies, anecdotes Sound bites/quotes
What journalists want
“[The Standard Model] foresaw four long-range force particles—referred to as gauge bosons—whereas nature has but one: the photon. The other three have a short range, less than about 10–17 meters, less than 1 percent of the proton’s radius. According to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, this limited range implies that the force particles must have a mass approaching 100 billion electron volts (GeV).”
“The second shortcoming is that the family symmetry does not permit masses for the quarks and leptons, yet these particles do have mass.”
What is jargon?
“[The Standard Model] foresaw four long-range force particles—referred to as gauge bosons—whereas nature has but one: the photon. The other three have a short range, less than about 10–17 meters, less than 1 percent of the proton’s radius. According to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, this limited range implies that the force particles must have a mass approaching 100 billion electron volts (GeV).”
“The second shortcoming is that the family symmetry does not permit masses for the quarks and leptons, yet these particles do have mass.”
What is jargon?
Antimatter is made up of particles with equal but opposite characteristics of everyday particles of matter.
Consider this analogy: dig a hole, and make a hill with the earth you've excavated. Hole and hill have equal but opposite characteristics— the volume of the earth in the hill, and that of the hole where the earth was removed. For particles, properties like electrical charge are opposite to their antiparticles—one positive, one negative.
Also, antimatter will annihilate its matter counterpart in a burst of energy, just like the hill will fill the hole, leaving neither.
Explain it
“The diameter of an atom ranges from about 0.1 to 0.5 nanometers.”
Atoms are so small 20,000,000 just span a pinhead.
An atom is a million times smaller than the thickest human hair.
Avoid it
◦ Develop key messages◦ Anticipate questions, especially
the hard ones◦ Gather statistics, facts◦ If possible, provide reporter with
written summary of information◦ Research journalist and outlet◦ Ask questions
How to prepare
When developing your key message, consider:
What’s the one idea you want to convey? How do you want to portray yourself, your
experiment or your institute? If the message were repeated, what would
you want to hear? Could anyone interpret this negatively? Think of the big picture. Why is this
important?
Key messages
Reporters use direct quotations only when they are specific, vivid, descriptive or a way to show personality
1-2 (short) sentences Easily remembered 10 seconds to say
Sound bites
“We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.” – Richard Feynman
“The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
Sound bites
Critical for particle physics Think them through!
Analogies
For example, imagine having four phone numbers, including one for a friend, but not knowing which number belonged to that friend. You would typically have to try two to three numbers before you dialed the right one. A quantum processor, on the other hand, can find the right number in only one try.
“Instead of having to place a phone call to one number, then another number, you use quantum mechanics to speed up the process,” Schoelkopf said. “It’s like being able to place one phone call that simultaneously tests all four numbers, but only goes through to the right one.”
Analogy
What ground are we covering? What kind of clip/message are they looking
for? How will it be used? With what other
material? Will you interview others? Who? Live or pre-recorded? How long? Where and how will it take place?
Questions to ask
Most important information first, background second Keep responses brief but long enough to help
reporter find quotes Stick to your key messages, repeat points if
necessary Mention your subject by name several times during
interview Don’t overestimate a reporter’s knowledge of your
subject – if reporter bases questions on incorrect information, set the record straight; offer background
Identify facts vs. opinions
During the interview
If you do not understand a question, ask for clarification
If you don’t know the answer, say you’ll get back to the reporter with the answer; don’t invent
Don’t argue Let them interrupt It’s their job to fill the space, not yours Make your final point clear and concise; if you
feel you failed to get the message out, state it at the end
Be enthusiastic!
During the interview
Don’t get hooked by negative language Always answer in the positive Never repeat a negative, even to deny it
Negative language
POMPANO BEACH, Fla.– In response to rumors circulating the internet on sites such as FoxNews.com, FastCompany.com and CNET News about a “flesh eating” robot project, Cyclone Power Technologies Inc. (Pink Sheets:CYPW) and Robotic Technology Inc. (RTI) would like to set the record straight: This robot is strictly vegetarian.
Recent example
Company denies its robots feed on the dead
Think of them in advance and prepare Always come back with a positive message Answer the question you want to answer
Tough questions
Arrive early Think of it as a social chat Keep it short Pause between sentences, speak slowly No signposting (first, second, third) or “as I
said before” Feel free to ask to try again (pre-recorded) On radio, talk with your hands
TV and radio tips
Check your appearance. Dress quietly. No bold patterns, dangly
earrings Wear summer-weight clothing (lights are hot) Avoid tinted lenses If someone offers to change your clothes or
makeup, trust them. Sit forward, never lean back. Don’t cross or splay legs Look at interviewer, not the camera, and use
normal body language If you’re not sure where to look, ask
TV tips
If you’re cold-called◦ Say you’re busy and need to call back◦ Determine their subject, deadline◦ Do as much research as you can
During interview, imagine your supervisor standing behind you
Phone interview tips
What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Why should we care? What are you looking for? What if you don't find it? How dangerous is this? When will you get results? What will be the spin-offs from this? Couldn't the money be better spent on
a cure for cancer?
Questions to prepare for
Reporters are human tape recorders Never say anything you don’t want to see
on air or in print Expect editing
Remember
Make sure they know your title/position, how to spell your name
Ask for a copy of the final product Ask for feedback Thanks!
After the interview
Interviewing is a skill like any other Work on your key messages; try them out
on non-physicists Note good analogies, sound bites Listen/read about things you don’t know
anything about. What interests you? What do you remember?
Ask your non-physicist friends/family to interview you
Practice
