Media Management: working Media Management: working with the media to your with the media to your

advantageadvantage

Skills Building WorkshopSkills Building Workshop4 August 20084 August 2008

Media Management: working Media Management: working with the media to your with the media to your

advantageadvantage

Skills Building WorkshopSkills Building Workshop4 August 20084 August 2008

Co-facilitators:

Ms Fredah Taimbari, PNG National AIDS Council Secretariat

Ms Nidia Raya Martinez, Australian Agency for International Development

IntroductionsIntroductions

• About us

• Get to know your neighbours

– About you

– Your expectations

About UsPapua New Guinea

The Land of the Unexpected

GeographyGeography

• PNG lies south of the equator and is the biggest island nation in the South Pacific Region.

• It shares common borders with Indonesia, Australia, and the Solomon Islands.

• PNG is made up of 19 Provinces and a National Capital District, where the capital Port Moresby is situated. 

People, Culture and LanguagePeople, Culture and Language

• Papua New Guineans are Melanesians. Current population estimated over 5 million. More than1/3 reside in villages.

• PNG has diverse culture and traditions-more than 200 identified. Culture and tradition vary from province to province.

• More than 800 spoken languages.

Tokpisin is commonly spoken in PNG.

Get to know the people Get to know the people on your tableon your table

• Where are you from?

• What area of HIV do you work in?

• Why did you choose this Skills Building Workshop?

OutlineOutlineTime Topic Who

2.30pm - 2.50pm House rules, objectives and outcomes to the workshop

Fredah Taimbari

2.50pm - 3.05pm Let’s get startedScope of the WorkshopDefining “the media” Who are the mediaMedia as a partner in the responseA word of caution: the world is a small place

Nidia Raya Martinez

3.05pm - 3.50pm Your media hookNewsworthinessMedia Action Plans

Fredah Taimbari

3.50pm - 4.00pm And then…. the phone(s) ring(s) Nidia Raya Martinez

4.00pm - 4.30pm COFFEE BREAK

OutlineOutline

Day Topic Who

4.30pm - 5.15pm Writing a media release:FormattingContent Distribution

Nidia Raya Martinez

5.15pm - 5.55pm 1,2,3 Your On: Doing an interviewAsk the journalistAsk yourselfPreparingNeeds of different mediumDuring the interviewSticky and more sticky moments

Fredah Taimbari

5.55pm - 6.00pm Wrapping up Nidia Raya Martinez

House rulesHouse rules

• Respect, openness and trust

• Confidentiality is paramount

• Time is of the essence

• KISS – Keep it Short and Simple

ObjectivesObjectives

Outcomes Outcomes • By the end of the Media Communications Skills

Workshop you will: – Have a suite of information and basic techniques on how to

deal with the media

– Know how to communicate effectively with the media

– Know how to organize and disseminate information about HIV and AIDS

– Know what information to release and what not to release

– Know how to organize media coverage in your local, provincial or national area

LET’S GET STARTEDLET’S GET STARTEDLET’S GET STARTEDLET’S GET STARTED

Scope of this Workshop Scope of this Workshop

What we will cover

• Mass media, or “the media”

What we won’t cover

• New media

• Other communication tools to get your message out and across to people

Defining “the media” Defining “the media”

Media

1. a pl. of MEDIUM. - an intervening agency, means, or instrument.

2. the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely.

3. pertaining to or concerned with such means: a job in media research. Source: Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

To name a few….To name a few….

Who are media outlets in your country?

Media as a partner in the response Media as a partner in the response

• Channel of public health information and messages

AND….• Stimulate and lead open and frank discussion of

HIV and AIDS• Provide a platform for those most affected by the

epidemic to air their concerns and views

• Challenge stigma and discrimination by providing accurate information

• Encourage leaders to take action, and keep policy-makers and service providers on their toes

• Take steps to give the epidemic the attention it deserves on the news agenda, and to prevent “AIDS fatigue” or complacency from allowing this attention to slip

Source: Getting the message across: the mass media and the response to AIDS, UNAIDS

A word of caution: A word of caution: the world is a small placethe world is a small place

“ I saw three people with my own eyes. When they got very sick and people could not look after them, they buried them”

Tari, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea

The national press starts reporting

Tari goes internationalTari goes international• BBC, United Kingdom• Daily Times, Pakistan• Al Jazeera TV, Qatar• The Age, Australia• Independent, UK• Radio Australia, Australia• Bloomberg, USA• Radio New Zealand International, NZ• ABC Online, Australia

International Response

• International Press statements

• Briefings by local stakeholders to funding bodies

• Briefings by donors to international governments

YOUR MEDIA HOOKYOUR MEDIA HOOKYOUR MEDIA HOOKYOUR MEDIA HOOK

Catching the right fishCatching the right fish• Develop a media contact list• Media mapping helps to identify the media that will

deliver information on your initiative– People: individual journalists, news editors, news producers,

chief of staff

– Groups: examples Commonwealth Journalists Association, Media Council of Papua New Guinea

– Institutions: individual media outlets

• Useful sources of contacts are the media themselves, media surveys, academic institutions, or associations

What the media is looking for? What the media is looking for? Newsworthiness!Newsworthiness!

• “If it bleeds it leads”• Controversy/conflict• Something new• “Who cares”• Human interest• Local, national or international interest

How did that make the news? How did that make the news?

• What made the front page of the newspaper?

• Why?

• How does the front page differ to the stories on page 10?

What about HIV examples?What about HIV examples?

• Opening of a new VCT centre• New facts and figures on HIV prevalence• Visits by VIPs [Very Important People]• New partners conducting activities• World AIDS Day and other events• New funding• Stories on people living with HIV

Exercise: Exercise: Media Action PlanMedia Action Plan

• Identify a “good news story” that you have planned in 2008

• When will this happen? • Who is your target audience?

• What is the most appropriate media– Television, radio, newspapers, magazines

– Local, national or international

• Who could be a spokesperson?

15 mins for group work – 4 groups to report back

Your role with the mediaYour role with the media

Everyone’s responsibility to:

• recognise stories

• utilise the most appropriate media

• find a hook

AND THEN….AND THEN….THE PHONE(S) RING(S)THE PHONE(S) RING(S)AND THEN….AND THEN….THE PHONE(S) RING(S)THE PHONE(S) RING(S)

What to do when the media calls?What to do when the media calls?

• Stop and think rather than give an

immediate response – Are you the right person to be giving the comment?

– If not, who is?

– Is this contentious? Could it go national or international?

– When does the journalist need the information?

Appreciating media deadlinesAppreciating media deadlines

• Varies from country to country

• Important to establish relationship with media organisations and understand their deadlines

PNG DeadlinesPNG Deadlines

Be informedBe informed

• Do your research – If the media query does relate to your organisation then

do your research

– Go back to files, or seek out relevant experts that can provide current, reliable and accurate information

– Develop some key messages that you want to get across to the media

Key messages

• Short statements on an issue

• Address the who, what, where, when, why, how

• Can be used in media statements, interviews, or media conferences

When developing When developing key messages considerkey messages consider

• What are they• Who do you want to talk to• Is it just media• What about other stakeholders• Different messages for different audiences

Key message on Key message on AIDS 2008 themeAIDS 2008 theme

The AIDS 2008 theme, Universal Action Now, emphasizes the need for continued urgency in the worldwide response to HIV/AIDS, and for action

on the part of all stakeholders.

Options for respondingOptions for responding

COFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAK

WRITING A MEDIA RELEASEWRITING A MEDIA RELEASEWRITING A MEDIA RELEASEWRITING A MEDIA RELEASE

Media releasesMedia releases

• Most common way to get a story to the media

• Effective way of alerting the media of a story, raising enough interest for them to find out more

• Opportunity to tell the who, what, where, when, why and how of an issue

Successful ingredientsSuccessful ingredients

• Formatting your media release

• Content

• Distribution

Formatting your media releaseFormatting your media release

• Use an A4 size paper, letterhead if available• Use normal white paper, lower case, double

spacing and ample margins• Put media release at top of page in bold• Put your logo and contact details for more info• Keep the release short – one page max

ContentContent• Have a catchy heading –the media will use this

directly if it is good enough• Put the most important points at the start• Paragraphs should be only 1 – 2 sentences• Keep it clear and concise• Have someone interesting quoted• Think about language in your release• Make sure the info is accurate and proof read

DistributionDistribution

• Get it out – no use it sitting on your desk!

• Follow up with a call to offer further information or a spokesperson for an interview

Now it is your turn… Now it is your turn…

1. Using your “good news story”, write down 3 paragraphs on the story (these would be your key messages).

2. Helpful hints: – In the 1st paragraph answer the who, when, where and

what

– In the 2nd paragraph answer the why and how

– In the 3rd paragraph include a quote

– Include a catchy title and your contact details

30 mins for group work - 2 groups to report back

1,2, 3 YOUR ON:1,2, 3 YOUR ON:DOING AN INTERVIEWDOING AN INTERVIEW1,2, 3 YOUR ON:1,2, 3 YOUR ON:DOING AN INTERVIEWDOING AN INTERVIEW

Deciding whether to participateDeciding whether to participate

Golden Rule:

Never agree to participate without first consulting your managers or immediate boss

or your media unit

Ask the journalistAsk the journalist

• Who are they?• Why the interview?• Who, and who else?• What information?• Where and when?

It’s YOUR choice

Ask yourselfAsk yourself

• Can you give the information the journalist needs?

• What are the benefits and disadvantages of doing the interview?

• If you are not the right person who can you refer them to?

This helps to understand…This helps to understand…

• Their agenda

• Push your agenda

• Prepare

• Tell a story

PreparingPreparing• What do I want to say? Oral, visual or auditory

• Three points

• Facts & figures

• Anecdote

• Practice, practice, and practice

Television needs

• Good pictures

• Simple concepts• Colour• Movement

Print options

• News• Topical• Op eds• Colour pieces

Radio prefers

• Lively topics• Issues/themes• Topical/current• Immediacy• Word pictures

During the interviewDuring the interview

• Be honest

• Three key points

• Pace yourself

• Don’t keep talking

Sticky and more sticky momentsSticky and more sticky moments• If going off track, bring it back:

“Look, the real issue here is…”

• Turn negative comments around:

“Well, the truth is…”

• Deflect challenging claims:

“I’m not aware of your survey/that line of thought, our people here think/our research shows…”

If you are really stuckIf you are really stuck

• Give yourself time to think:

“Sorry, I didn’t follow that…can you say that again please?”

• Give a holding answer:

“We’re aware of those reports, but it’s just too early to say. We’re in touch with our people on the ground and we’ll let you know…”

Putting it into practicePutting it into practice

1. You have just been contacted by a journalist from a media organization who wants to do a story on:Group 1 Preparation for World AIDS Day

Group 2 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico

Group 3 Awareness Campaign on Stigma & Discrimination

Group 4 A new positive group established

Group 5 Opening of a VCT Centre

Group 6 Launch of 10 year National HIV Strategic Plan

Group 7 Media Management Workshop on HIV & AIDS

Group 8 New Monitoring & Evaluation Data Centre

Group 9 Launch of a National Gender Policy

2. Split your group in two:– Journalists prepare 3 questions, including a sticky question

– Spokespeople try to anticipate the questions that will be asked. Prepare yourself with the aim to highlight your key messages, and respond to sticky questions.

3. Pick one journalist and one spokesperson per table and it’s time to do a mock interview. – Journalist should ask your questions, and spokesperson

remember to “Keep it Short and Simple (K.I.S.S)”.

15 mins for group work – 3 group interviews

Wrapping up Wrapping up

• The media is not your enemy• Be accessible• Prepare • Look for stories

Please fill in the evaluation form!

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Ms Fredah Taimbari

Information Officer, PNG National AIDS Council Secretariat

ftaimbari@nacs.org.pg

Ms Nidia Raya Martinez

Senior Knowledge Management and Communications Advisor

Sanap Wantaim, AusAID

Nidia.raya-martinez@sanapwantaim.org.pg

Tenk yu tru

Tenk yu tru

Tenk yu tru

Tenk yu tru

Muchas gracias

Muchas gracias

Muchas gracias

Muchas gracias