Effective Media Strategies Maria Farrah Howell

1. Effective Media StrategiesMaria Farrah Howell

2. Media Environment

3. The Business of News • Media outlets want • Exclusives • Conflict and controversy • Stories affecting large numbers of news consumers • Novelty – “Man bites dog” • The economy has resulted in: • Greater focus on entertainment, sensationalism • Shorter stories – less room for nuance • Younger, less experienced reporters

4. Opportunity Why law enforcement is uniquely positioned for success: • Departments address multiple issues that affect large populations • Issues have a strong visual component • Enforcement mobilizations, checkpoints and ride-alongs are both educational and compelling for audience • Good reporters understand the importance of a symbiotic relationship

5. Basic Media Outreach Channels • Media events (enforcement driven) • Photo opportunities • Feature stories • Editorial boards • Opinion pieces

6. Getting Your Story Placed • State and national issues drive local coverage • Identify the compelling “hook” or “angle” to your story • Personalize the issue with real people • Determine which media outlet would target your audience best • Identify and reach out to the appropriate reporter or editor with your story idea • Provide the reporter with credible third parties who will support your story angle • Begin cultivating relationships with beat reporters/editors who cover your issues

7. Getting The Media To Cover Your Event • Design events that are interesting • Consider inviting media to existing law enforcement operations vs. holding a press conference • Ensure media-friendly location and start time • Use strong visuals, local data, survivors and “experts” • Keep it brief – 20 minutes • Beware of the talking heads!

8. Becoming a Spokesperson

9. Reporter-Spokesperson Dynamic • Reporter’s job: ask questions, get story • Your job: position department and/or issue, convey key messages

10. Relationship Balancing Act

11. Build Relationships • Be helpful off the record, but disciplined on the record • Reach out with story ideas that are not self serving • Understand and respect deadlines • Don’t lie – okay to say “I don’t know” or “I can’t tell you” • Speak simple English – avoid law enforcement jargon • Remember what motivates the media

12. Key Messages 20 questions, 20 answers? or 20 questions, 3-5 answers

13. Why Key Messages? • Frame issue, shape story • Simplify complex issues • Provide framework, building blocks for soundbites, Q&A, and all other communications on topic • Limit reporter choices

14. CIOT Key Messages Handout

15. Managing the Interview

16. Be Prepared • Interview reporter • What is deadline? • What is “angle”(or thrust)? • What information does reporter already have? • Who has reporter already spoken to? • Prepare “guerilla” Q&A • Draft soundbites

17. Establish the Ground Rules • Ground rules must be defined and agreed to ahead of time • Unless otherwise specified, interviews are on the record – everything you say can be quoted • “Off the record”, “not for attribution”, “background” have different meanings to different reporters and must be negotiated and agreed to before you begin

18. Reporter Tactics • Creating friendly environment so you let down your guard • Waiting until end to ask tough question – or rotating friendly and hostile questions • Asking same question different ways • Silence after your response • Calling just before deadline

19. Controlling the Interview • Stay on message • Answer question you wish you had been asked • Don’t answer in the negative – always frame answer in the positive • Stop talking when you’re done – don’t fill dead space • Rely on “bridging language” to get back to safety of key messages

20. Bridging Language

21. Interview Example

22. Resources www.nhtsa.gov/CIOT/planner2011 www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/ www.mass.gov/highwaysafety

23. Questions and Closing Discussion