Media relations targets audiences through media coverage

Can be either responsive or proactive No direct cost for receiving coverage But there is some loss of editorial control

Credible Third-party endorsement Cost-effective Objective and trusted

Influence your audiences towards action Enhance your organization's reputation Promote your organization's services Provide third-party endorsements Make your organization the "go to”

Resource Establish positive relationships that can

"smooth over" difficult times

Print Television Radio Web and Other New Media

Relevance Proximity Timeliness Occurrence-based Calendar-based Uniqueness Human Interest Entertainment Value Celebrity Controversy

Conduct research◦ Who cover industry◦ What angle◦ What kind of reporter

Respond to calls Prepare for interviews Maintain ongoing relationships

6-7

Involve internal media relations personnel in strategy

Develop in-house capabilities Use outside counsel sparingly

6-8

The powerful internet Expansion of power to individuals Do not discriminate legitimate and phony

news Monitoring content Web-based communication platform Blog Handling negative news

Summarizes the story by answering◦ Who◦ What◦ Where◦ When◦ Why◦ How

Written just like a newspaper article

Pros◦ Traditional and expected media tool◦ Provides crucial information in written form

Con◦ Has become spam◦ Too often places organizational priorities above

those of target audience◦ Individual pitches may be more effective

Know your media◦ Be prepared◦ Make it easy for reporters◦ You’re always “on the record”◦ It’s okay to not have all the information◦ Give up editorial control◦ Don’t ask to see a story in advance◦ Media relationships are symbiotic◦ Respect deadlines◦ Respond NOW

Keep answers short Avoid “No comment!” response Listen to each question Use “bridging” to move closer to your

objective Use anecdotes, analogies, simple stat Keep body language in mind

6-13

French term – du jour – “of the day” News value decline as a function of time Significant and interesting to all“when dog bites man, that’s typical. When man bites dog, that’s

news”

News is s/thg new, up to the minute, unusual, sensational or s/thg which will affect many people and is therefore in the “public interest\’

Understood b average person “Use short sentences. Use short

paragraphs. Use vigorous English, not forgetting to strive for smoothness. Be positive, not negative.”

Writing simply is extremely difficult

Fog Index by Robert Gunning – to measure readability/simplicity

1. Sample +-100 words. Count the exact no2. Divide no of words by no of sentences 3. Count the number of words of three or more

syllables4. Step 2 + step 35. Multiply by 0.4 to calculate your Fog Index If 10 –readers at least year 10. If above 12,

writing will reach only highly educated audience. Above 15, most likely don’t have audience

Over use of words1. Lower socio-economic group the poor2. Prior to the commencement before3. We anticipate we expect4. The fact that that5. Microprocessor-based computer functions functions

What, where, why,how,when,who Print/electronic – almost every story answer

these 6 key points:◦ What happened◦ Where it took place◦ When◦ How◦ Why it occurred◦ And to whom

Deadlines – the latest possible time at which the media can accept material◦ Most morning n/paper put together between

midday and around 10pm. Completed by 5pm◦ 6 pm TV news – by 4 pm start editing and putting

together the news◦ Embargo – giving the time b4 which the story

cannot be published/broadcastEmbargoed until 9pm, Wednesday, July 6

Note key periods of days (Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas)◦ Not advisable to release major new stories◦ Sunday announcement/ news events receive

major coverage on Monday media◦ Use facsimile or e-mail to send material. Follow-

up by phone

Media style – familiarize. Placing material Intro / lead - <25 words, news comes first,

active voice Built for just RM10,000, a mini-jet aero plane

will be given its maiden flight over KLIA next Sunday by a 21-year-old apprentice engineer who constructed it in his backyard

Tense – use media reporting style of everything in past tense except direct quotes within quotation marks

Attribution – all statements to the media must be attributed

“…………,” president of the YXZ organization, En. Ali said.

The XYZ organization has warned that if …. Editorialising – stick to facts and attribute

all comments to a source – a named person or the organisation

Elegant variation –don’t dress up simple ideas with mumbo jumbo

Abbreviations – use all titles and terms in full on first usage; subsequent references can be abbreviated

Cliches – don’t use cliches. Be original leave no stone unturned, put our shoulder to

the wheel Tautologies – watch for repetition new innovation, hasten quickly, new initiative Ambiguity –watch for in joining up

sentences and paragraphs Newspaper advertisement “For sale, bulldog. Will eat anything. Very fond

of children.”

Punctuation – don’t over punctuate. Avoid colons and semi-colons and use commas only where necessary

One idea to one sentence, and one main point to one paragraph.(25, 15-40)

Quotable quotes –look for simple, down-to-earth direct quotes to use in your media statements. Quotable quotes are picked up and used