session 191 working with the news media session 19 slide deck slide 19-

Session 19 1

Working with the News Media

Session 19 Slide Deck

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Session 19 2

Session Objectives19.1 Discuss the importance of working with

traditional and new media

19.2 Examine how news operations work

19.3 Identify who’s who in a TV newsroom

19.4 Discuss how to build relationships with news reporters

19.5 Discuss the keys to successful media outreach

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Working with the Media

• Core to effective crisis communications

• 24/7 news gathering and dissemination

• Broadly accessible and not controlled by the government agency

• New media technologies and citizen journalists

• Three parties

Session 19 3Slide 19-

Communications Lessons Learned from Katrina

• Novel channels and networks for information flow

• Top-down paradigm replaced by a more dynamic flow of information

• New cadre of “first informers”

• Greater access to operational leaders and experts and more transparency by government


Traditional Media Approach to New Media

• “If you can’t beat them, join them”

• Forming partnerships

• Augment, enrich, deepen, and even replace their own coverage

• The audience is an active participant

• Publish, then filter


Government Reaction to New Media

• Slow to recognize or embrace the role of new media

• Trouble with mainstream media filter


Slidell Hurricane Damage Blog

• Posted the blog from Dallas

• Aggregating information from other sources

• Friends and neighbors became contributors

• Local sheriff ‘s office

• 80,000 unique visitors in the first week


The Never-Ending News Cycle

• Was generally 8 to 24 hours

• Is never over – It’s never too late

• Blog at home in the evenings, on weekends

• News cycle instantaneous and the newsroom a 24/7 operation

• Multi-purpose their news gathering efforts

• “Report now - retract later”


Reporters and Social Media

Reporters now write their story, do a web version, blog and post audio and video

•Ceaseless demand

•File a web story as well as a regular story

•Blog everyday

•Audio recorder and video camera


Citizen ReportingRespect what’s being generated online by the public: the media does

•Viewer and reader submissions

•Feature requests and portals for citizen information and images

•Television– CNN’s iReport

– “Assignment Desk”

– Tutorials on storytelling

– CNN spawned a variety of similar initiatives


Radio

• The Conversation

• Online meeting place

• Forums on news topics

• Social network attempts to meet two needs– Communicate directly– Helps reporters and producers build networks

of sources and ideas


Story Mining

Reporters mine online content for story ideas and sources

•Pay attention to the web

•Quality and credibility

•Recognize the contribution– “We can’t be everywhere at once.”– Story ideas

•Pitch and promote your stories Session 19 12Slide 19-

Gatekeeping

Newsrooms decide what’s news several times a day

•Story or editorial meetings– Local morning meeting – Local afternoon meetings– Network news

•Timely pitch for coverage


Who’s who: Station Manager

• Large stations:– Administration and financial management

• Small stations: – Sets policy on news coverage– Supervises overall operation– Generally does not influence daily content


Who’s who: Program Manager

• Large stations:– Manages programming mix

• All stations: – Unlikely to be involved in daily news decisions


Who’s who: News Director

• All stations:– Administrative manager– Daily assignment director, or – On-air broadcaster

• Small stations: – More influence


Who’s who: Assignment Editor

• Large stations:– Makes day-to-day decisions on:

• What breaking news to cover

• Who will report on it

• Small stations: – News director is the assignment editor


Who’s who: Executive Producer

• Lead person

• On-air host


Who’s who: Producer

• Overall tone and content

• Book guests

• Assign news crews


Who’s who: Public Affairs Director

• Public service announcements

• Community outreach

• Special programming


Who’s who: Reporters• Covers stories

• Small stations:– News staff of TV stations are usually smaller than

daily newspapers – Beats are often less defined

• Large stations:– Reporters will have traditional beats like;

• Politics

• Arts

• Education

– Breaking newsSession 19 21Slide 19-

The Scoop on TV News Operations: Local Stations

• Downsizing

• Over-taxed and under-capitalized

• Under-staffed, under-funded, and have very high turnover rate

• Reporters learning on the job

• Reporters doing their own camera work


The Scoop on TV News Operations: Local Stations

• Contribute to multiple broadcasts

• Provide background to the reporter

• Reporter may not even go to the event being covered


The Scoop on TV News Operations: Large Markets

• More resources

• Experienced reporters


The Scoop on TV News Operations: The Networks

• More people & equipment than any local station

• Ability to plan ahead

• Interviewee has extra time to prepare and practice

• Less likely to encounter a network


Develop professional relationships with local reporters• Create a comprehensive media list

– Identify reporter’s name– Send that reporter an email– Follow up with an intro call– Do not have to make a cold call


Develop professional relationships with local reporters

• Pitching a story idea to a newspaper– Be friendly and inquisitive– Ask for the assignment editor– Grow your list



• Take reporter to lunch or coffee. – More time to connect and provide in-depth information

– Focus on the issue

– Different compelling story pitches, from different angles

– Assemble materials in a folder that the reporter can keep• Fact sheets

• Reports

• Human interest bios of your staff or volunteers

• Past press clips on the issue at hand

• List of upcoming campaign events



• Identify individual at local radio stations responsible for Public Service Announcements (PSAs)– Free air time– Station’s announcer may read it– Create buzz and visibility


Media Outreach

• Keys to successful media outreach

• Match your story to the media outlet

• Media outreach checklist

• How to get media coverage

• What does TV want

• Interview tips

• Appearing on TVSession 19 30Slide 19-

Media Outreach: Keys to Success

• Relationship building– Will not be dealing with these news organizations

just once

– Many stories

– Call this reporter again – and you want the reporter to call you

– Never lie

– Do not know an answer, admit it and tell the reporter you will get back

– Get back when you say you willSession 19 31Slide 19-


• Tell the story well– Use compelling visuals– Imagery and action.– Credible, prepared and attractive messengers



• Get the message out– Know the message

• One thing do you want the viewer to remember• Exact sound bytes• You are in control

– Start with your conclusion– Wrong way– Right Way– Give specifics if time allows– Can’t edit or cut short your message



• Keep is short– Sound bites

• 1960s – 40 seconds

• 1980s – 20 seconds

• Now – 8 seconds

– Long sound bites will be edited– Law of diminishing returns



• Be consistent and disciplined– Repeat your message– Cut through the clutter– Consistent message



• Use everyday, value-laden language– Avoid jargon, acronyms and talking about

process– Values of your target audience



• Remember who you’re talking to – and it’s not the reporter– Not your friend or a debating partner– Conversation with a larger audience


Media Outreach: How do you get media coverage?

• Pitch the story

• Hold a news conference

• Stage an event

• Piggyback on another news event or news story

• Generate copy yourself


Media Outreach: What does TV want?

• Stand-up interview at an event– Short and low tech– Pulled aside– Won’t be a lot of time– Talk to the reporter before the interview starts– Be prepared ahead of time. – Talk about what you know



• Sit-down one-on-one interview– Lasts longer & goes more in-depth– Time to talk to the reporter– Time to prepare – Prepare your office



• Remote Live-Shot– Most high-tech and maybe most intimidating – Conversing with someone they can’t see– Be talking to an inanimate object, the camera– Wireless microphone and an IFB– Often (but not always) on live television– Preparing no different


Media Outreach: How do I match my story to a media outlet?

• Core question: Is it news?– Disaster– Non-disaster period– Tough sell



• Who do I call? – Assignment editor at a TV station. – Individual reporters at newspapers and

magazines. – Producer of a newsmaker show



• Holding a news conference– Send an advisory 5 days ahead by fax

– Call to make sure it’s arrived and been noticed

– Make your pitch (work off a printed pitch memo)

– Get a NAME – always get a name

– Send another advisory 2 days ahead

– Call to make sure it’s arrived and been noticed

– Ask if they intend to cover

– Call the day before the event and the morning of

– Ask if they intend to cover



• Press kit – News release – Fact sheet– Bio’s of the speakers– Visuals:

• Photos

• Graphs/charts

• Video



• Straight pitch for coverage: – Reporter’s beat is and the kind of story they

like– Pitch letter and call


Media Outreach: Television Interview Tips

• Pick the right spokesperson– Knows the program/issues– Has experience talking about the

program/issues



• Master the sound byte– Quote or succinct one-liner – Keep to 8-10 seconds. – Lead with the conclusion– Avoid jargon and acronyms– Be brief and direct



• Know your show – Watch several episodes of the talk show or

news broadcast to familiarize yourself – Talk to the booker or producer ahead of time – Other guests and the order of appearance



• Know your message – Know the main points you want to make. – Anticipate questions but do not over-rehearse – Steer the interview toward your main points – Don’t read from your notes on the air



• Reiterate your points – Repeat your major point over and over– Don’t want to risk having your main point edited

out. – Take advantage of pauses – Have a right to complete your answers, – Request clarification – Do not fudge facts and figures. – Bring visuals



• Pay attention to body language – Avoid distracting actions – Sit upright – Look at the interviewer, not the camera– Use moderate hand gestures, smile and nod – Remember that everything you do will be

magnified



• Assume you are always on camera – Act like you are on camera at all times– Do not say anything, even jokingly, that could

be taken out of context – Assume the cameras are always rolling



• Dress carefully – Women - solid-colored, simple suits or dresses.

– Women - avoid light colors, busy patterns, sparkling or noisy jewelry and heavy make-up.

– Men - light-blue shirts and dark suits.

– Men - look professional but don’t overdress

– Men - Ties should not have wild colors.

– Men and women should avoid clothes that are uncomfortable

– Contact lenses are preferred over glasses


session 191 working with the news media session 19 slide deck slide 19-

Documents

slide deck slide

news media session

news crews session

news reporters

government session

coverage session

ideas session

stories session