Media & MayhemSept. 12, 2011

Misty Fry, Public Relations ManagerMichael Schwabe, Account Manager

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Howdy! And welcome!

All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.

- Marshall McLuhan

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Howdy! And welcome!

Today’s media landscape

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What you’re up against

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What you’re up against

24/7 – 365

Continuous publication

Compressed publication times

Shrinking newsrooms

Multiple platforms – print, websites, blogs, social media, videos

News spreads at broadband speed

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What you’re up against

It’s not just about traditional outlets

Everyone is a publisher

• Bloggers

• Citizen journalists

• Social media

• Reader comments

The playing field

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The risk

It’s always a risk to speak to the press. They are likely to report what you say.

- Hubert H. Humphrey

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What’s newsworthy?

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Journalist’s perspective

Their job? To tell THEIR story, not YOUR story

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The good, the bad and the ugly

The Good – the ideal reporter

• Curious, balanced, understands big picture, skeptical

The Bad – the not-so-ideal reporter

• Biased, uninformed, unwilling to learn

The Ugly – the less than not-so-ideal reporter

• Confrontational, argumentative, only preconceived notions

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What drives a journalist

At the end of the day, it’s about:

• The story

• The byline

• The headline

The DOs

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The 5Cs

As a strong baseline, be:

• Clear

• Concise

• Complete

• Consistent

• Current

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How to get it right

Do:

• Talk in sound bites

• Get your message in early

• Remember to use key messages

• Paint a picture – use analogies, stories and examples to illustrate a point

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How to get it right

Do:

• Be enthusiastic and animated

• Stand up during phone interviews

• Be cordial and complimentary

• Listen carefully

• Have developed responses (that you’ve practiced) to difficult questions

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How to get it right

Do:

• Give appropriate detail

• Provide background and framing as appropriate

• Respect deadlines

• BE PREPARED

• REHEARSE

The DON’Ts

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Don’t say “No comment”

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Build a bridge

Use a bridging statement

• The fact is…

• That’s why it’s important to…

• Let’s circle back to what I mentioned earlier…

• The larger question is…

• Although I’m not able to answer that question, I can say…

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Don’t ever go off the record

There’s NO SUCH THING as

Off the Record

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Other don’ts

Don’t:

• Ever, ever lie

• Answer hypothetical or irrelevant questions

• Say anything you don’t want to see in print or hear on a broadcast

• Use industry jargon

• Talk too fast

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Other don’ts

Don’t:

• Agree with or repeat false assumptions, inaccuracies or negative statements

• Start with “Yes” or “No”

• Blame the reporter

• Keep talking to fill the silence – you’re more likely to say something wrong

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Other don’ts

Don’t:

• Tell the reporter how to do his/her job

• Criticize competitors

• Speculate

• Be sarcastic

• Long-winded

• Be promotional

What to do when you get the call

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What to do when you get the call

The questions don’t do the damage. Only the answers do.

- Sam Donaldson

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What to do when you get the call

Three magic words

• Preparation

• Preparation

• Preparation

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What to do when you get the call

Ask questions

• What media outlet are you with?

• What is your topic?

• What is your deadline?

• What is your contact information?

Stall if necessary

• “This isn’t a good time. Can I call you back this afternoon?”

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What to do when you get the call

Research the media outlet

• Audience

• Reach, influence

• Perspective

• Coverage angles

• Social media

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What to do when you get the call

Research the reporter

• Background and beat

• Recent coverage

• Previous articles on topic

• Previous articles on you – positive or negative?

• Personal blog

• Social media presence

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What to do when you get the call

Prepare yourself

• Write down key messages

• Review relevant materials – news releases, fact sheets, stats, dates, etc.

• Anticipate questions, including the hard ones

• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

• Relax, be comfortable

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What to do when you get the call

Prepare your surroundings

• Scout out a “quiet zone” away from all distractions (ringing phones, coworkers, copy machines, high-traffic areas, open windows)

• Have background materials and messaging readily available

• Silence your cell phone, office phone, volume on your computer

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Putting it in perspective

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few seconds to destroy one.

- Unknown

The bottom line

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What makes a good answer?

A strong answer:

• Restates the question

• Gets to the point

• Is concise

• Uses relevant facts and figures

• Is informational

• Is conversational and sincere

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Control what you can control

You have ZERO

control over the questions, but

100% control over

the answers

Q&A

Misty FryPublic Relations ManagerMisty@thundertech.com

Michael SchwabeAccount ManagerMichael.Schwabe@thundertech.com

(216) 391-2255

www.thundertech.com