dominion’s media relations · communicating with the media do: be prepared; have 3-5 talking...
TRANSCRIPT
© 2003 Dominion
Dominion’s Media Relations
Presentation for
VEDA’s Spring Conference
© 2003 Dominion
DVP’s Media Relations Team
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David Botkins
Le-Ha Anderson
Dan Genest
Janell Hancock
Bonita Harris
Tom Morris
Chuck Penn
Daisy Pridgen
Rob Richardson
Rick Zuercher
© 2003 Dominion
Hot Topics for Dominion
Gulliver
Power restoration vs.
power outages
Cold winter, high bills
Skiffes Creek project
Decommissioning of
Chesapeake Energy Center
Atlantic Coast Pipeline
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© 2003 Dominion
Do’s
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Be prepared with 3-5 talking points
Be sensitive to reporters’ deadlines
Turn negatives into positives
Be honest, friendly and likeable
Think before responding.
© 2003 Dominion
Don’ts
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Don’t say anything off the record!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vecw539MjWM
Don’t speculate
Don’t fill the silence
Don’t use jargon
© 2003 Dominion
The Media
What does today’s media look like?
Journalists
Bloggers
The public
Employees
24 x 7 news cycle
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© 2003 Dominion
Best Practices
Embrace diversity
24 hour Media Line
Tracking news stories
Social media team
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© 2003 Dominion
Social Media
Emergence of Social Media Facebook followers – 47,000+
Twitter followers – 34,000+
Tending the garden Answer customer questions
Monitor conversations
Cheerleading Tout company programs and good deeds
Being a sponge Listen to customers; interpret their tone and pass along feedback
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Our Media Philosophy
Build relationships
Honesty, availability, transparency, respect
Goal is a positive or neutral story, mitigating a
negative story.
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© 2003 Dominion
What reporters want
A story
Accurate information
Timely responses
Clear, concise statements
Colorful details or anecdotes
Human drama
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© 2003 Dominion
Objectives of the interview
Before agreeing to do an interview,
ask yourself …
What’s my message?
Who’s my audience?
What’s my goal?
Am I the right person for this interview?
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© 2003 Dominion
Communicating with the media
Do:
Be prepared; have 3-5 talking points
Show empathy and caring
Think before responding
Use good eye contact
Use bridging technique“What’s important to know is …”
“Let me emphasize …”
“Here’s what I’m familiar with …”
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© 2003 Dominion
Components of the spoken message
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© 2003 Dominion
Empathy
If empathy is needed, communicate it first.
Empathy is the key to establishing credibility.
Be sincere and humble – not weak.
If you can’t show or don’t feel empathy, find
another person to do the interview.
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© 2003 Dominion
Empathy Gone Wrong
Six words he would like to take back
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© 2003 Dominion
Thank You!
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