What is Media?
In general, "media" refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, newspaper and the internet are different types of media. The term can also be used as a collective noun for the press or news reporting agencies.
What Media does
Communicates
Informs
Educates
Creates Awareness
Influences
Empowers
Entertains
Makes Money
Channels Of Media
• Print Media• Television Broadcast Media• Films as a Media Vehicle• Radio Broadcast Media• Music as a Media Vehicle• Home Video as a Media Vehicle• Internet• Mobile• Outdoors• Events as a Media Vehicle• ?
What is
media relations?
It is not a press release• It’s not about who you know
- Not without a good story it’s not• Payment for placement isn’t media relations
- Advertising / advertorial / infomercial• Simply telling the world your good news doesn’t work• One size doesn’t fit all
- Match target audience to media outlet
What is media relations?
First priority• Delivery of a message to a target public by way of the media:
“unpaid
media”
But it’s also…• Giving the media information or access• Developing a two-way exchange• Providing background information and spokespeople• Offering useful information to develop a story or angle• Building a professional relationship
What is media relations?
• Fair and accurate reporting of your service or issue
• Two-way respect
- Belief in you as a professional
- Trust that you respect them and their role• A valuable resource for information and ideas
The goal of media relations
The relationship is often …
YOU THEM
What editors want What you want
• News • Positive news coverage about your company and the industry
• To report story well and in a timely
fashion • Fair and balanced reporting on• Access to background information, stories of controversy
people, trends• Balanced resources • To be viewed as a resource• To beat their competition
It should be …
• Media are one of the primary – and best – ways to deliver your key
messages to your target audiences• The better way is to build and use pro-active media relations
What does
pro-active media
relations mean?
What is pro-active media relations?• Having a professional working relation• Being available at all times – good or bad – to respond to the media
Why be pro-active?• Others have defined who you are in the past• News environment allows you to position yourself as a responsible
professional• It shows confidence, that you are “in tune” with society• An opportunity to build a trusting relationship with journalists• Being silent carries a negative message in the media• Help ensure you will be given time and space for response in
negative stories
Understand your role• As a company
- For example: can you comment on the status of the crime? others?
• As an employer
- For example: can you comment on careers, knowledge or people? others?
• As a contributor to society
- For example: can you comment on community relations? Others?• You can be the “human face” bringing emotional dimension to the
news of the day• To be pro-active, you must also understand what new is
what makes
news?
1. Interest
2. Consequence
3. Timeless
4. Proximity
5. Prominence
Six types of news stories• News
- Today's news• Service
- Gives the reader information, such as a “how to”• Trends
- Local, National, Regional or International• Round-Up
- Doesn’t just focus on your company, brings in many elements• Appilication or Test
- How a new product performs• Profiles
- Portrait of an individual
What makes a news story?
Who?
What?
Six Elements When?
Where?
Why?
How?
Every (good) story has three characteristics
1. From a credible source
- Build your identity as a corporate or topic expert
2. Confirmed by experts
- Prepare them and refer to them
3. Substantiated by facts
- People, research
The communications
equation
How communications works
The communications equation
=Deliverer Message Mechanism Receiver Change
Deliverer issues• Their message is written for themselves, not to who is going to hear
the messages• Flawed message delivery • Received is ill-defined
- Too large
- Too small
- Wrong influencers or media• Internal pressure
- Money
- Time
- Resource
Message issues• Typically , the message is written from the point of view of the
deliverer not the receiver• To the receiver, the message is not
- Relevant
- Credible
- Defensible
- Differentiating
- Memorable or lasting
Mechanism issues• Inappropriate use or mis-understanding of the different mechanisms,
among the most common methods
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Media Relations
- Direct Marketing
- Sales Promotion
- Online Marketing• Insufficient resources to support the chosen methods
- Money/Budget
- People
- Time
Receiver issues• In addition to relevant messages, the receiver may be:
- Not interested / apathetic
- Mis- informed
- Clueless
- Antagonistic
- Already has decided upon an opinion • In general, their perceptions are already established
One element cannot be controlled
=Deliverer Message Mechanism Receiver Change
Messages
VOICE™: Managing the Message Cycle
Messages are created in five basic steps:
V = VISION Messages are created as part of a business orcommunication plan of action
O = ORGANIZATIONMessage are based on facts, research and analysis of the current environment (e.g., audiences’ current perception, media environment?
I = INSTRUCTION Messages are delivered by qualified and trained spokespeople
C = COMMUNICATIONS Messages are relayed in a compelling communications campaign
E = EVALUATION The success of the message delivery helps determine the success of the business or communication plan of action
All messages should be…
Compelling (encourages action)
Differentiating (‘yours” alone)
Relevant (is important to the audiences)
Credible (is believable by the audiences)
Defensible (from competition)
And possibly, sustainable (usually corporateor brand messages)
Delivering
Effective
messages
1. Know the journalists’ objective
• What do they want from the interview?• Who is the journalists? What have they ‘written’ in the past?• What is their deadlines?• What topic specially do they want to focus on?• Who else have they spoken to? What did they say?• Buy time if you need it• Once you commit, always prepare
2. Know your objective
• What do you want to accomplish• What headlines do you want?• Anticipate all types of questions
- What are the basic questions?
- What are the “nightmare” questions?
- Ask yourself: what could go wrong? Then, in advance, think about
what you would do or how you would handle yourself
3. Every answer is a message
• Be clear • Be simple• Be consistent• Focus on only 3-4 messages• Remember: PREP
- Point
- Reason
- Example
- Point
4. Use bridging and flagging
• Bridge from answer to answer
- “Yes, and in addition to that…”
- “No, that’s not right. Let me explain...”
- “I don’t know about that, but I do know about this…”
- “That’s how we used to do it, and heres how we do it now…”• Flag important concepts and information
- “The most important point to remember is…”
- “After all we’ve said today, we should remember these three things…”
- “Let me leave you with one point …”
5. Turn negatives into positives
• Be in a position to respond to every question with a positive answer• Don’t repeat negative language
6. Be a credible – but approachable-expert
• Avoid professional jargon – instead, use “everyday language”• Explain yourself simply • If you don’t know an answer, say so• Use stories and anecdotes to make your point
7. Show you mean what you say
• Look at the interviewer directly (never the camera)• Watch your posture and body language
- Be “open” (no arms crossed over chest)
- Don’t fidget
- Do not use a swivel chair• Make your voice authoritative without being domineering• Where clothing which underscores your authority
8. Keep your emotions in check
• Just because the journalist is (___________), you remain calm and
poised• Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security• Remain calm and poised• Don’t be afraid of silence (“dead air”)• Never lie
9. Never speak “off the record”
• Do not say anything you do NOT want to see in print• There is no one definition of “off the record”
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
• Practice makes you less nervous• Practice makes you more confident• Practice allows you to make mistakes and correct yourself before
the interview• Practice allows you to “hear” you answers before you say them in
an interview• Find someone to acts as the “interview”
Role play 1
and critique
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