Creating an Earned Media event
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Transcript Creating an Earned Media event
Minnesota Arms Spending
Alternatives Project
(MN ASAP)
[Presenter]
[Date]
Overview
Earned media overview
Telling stories
Messages
Crafting them
Getting them across
Staying on them
What is news
The newsroom
Working with reporters
effectively
Building a press list
Tools
Press releases, pitch
letters, radio fees, etc.
Opinion pieces
Working with broadcast
media
What to do if a reporter
calls you
Dealing with
unfavorable coverage
What is Earned Media
and Why Use It?
Earned media = Media that doesn’t cost you
money, but have to earn (not free)
News articles, TV interviews, etc.
Contrast with paid media and owned media
Earned media can help you:
Educate the public
Sway elected officials
Recruit new members
Win your campaigns!
The Importance of Telling Stories
People love stories
Natural way we process information
More likely to notice, remember, share information if it is
presented as a story
To tell a story, use the elements of narrative
Protagonist, antagonist, conflict, resolution
Emotional impact is key
Emotion tells us what’s important in the world
How to get emotional impact
Help audience identify with “protagonist” (e.g. through personal
stories)
Appeal to moral values
Big-Picture Stories & Messages
Big-picture story
Broad, all-encompassing story about your
effort & why it’s important
Message
What you’re communicating in a particular
interview, etc.
Part of your big-picture story
Getting Your Message Across
Develop concise messages
Average quote is 30 words, TV clip is 10 seconds
Use the 27/9/3 formula (“sound bites”)
Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Keep your message consistent
Select spokespeople
Coordinate between them
Discuss big-picture story
Develop talking pts & answers to likely questions
Train people how to stay on message during an interview
Staying on Message During
an Interview
Don’t allow the reporter to lead you off topic
Say “I’d be happy to talk about that, but first I’d like
to explain how…”
You don’t need to wait for a question to be
asked to answer it
Never repeat a negative
Reinforces it in audience’s mind
Instead, neutralize it with a positive statement
Staying on Message During
an Interview
You don’t have to answer every question!
Instead, respond using a pivot
Pivot = Pivot phrase + talking point
Example pivot phrases
“The thing is…”
“What’s important is…”
“What it sounds like you’re really getting at is…”
“That’s an interesting question, but first I’d like to
address…”
Staying on Message During
an Interview
Pivot examples:
Reporter: “Do you really think the MN Congressional
delegation will take this seriously?”
You: “What it sounds like you’re really getting at is whether
military spending is a problem in our country. I think we can
all agree that Minnesota cannot afford to spend $8.6 billion
dollars funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, when we
have a $5 billion budget shortfall here in MN.”
Reporter: “What are the chances your group will be
successful?”
You: “The reality is that Minnesotans are coming together
with a unified voice on military spending. We want to bring
our tax dollars home for local control.”
What is News?
Just because it interests you doesn’t mean it’s news
News value (“newsworthiness”)
1. Conflict
2. Novelty
3. Timeliness
4. Proximity
5. Prominence
6. Impact
7. Human interest
Rank your story in each category, try to increase its
rankings
What is News?
Angle
How the story is told, what is emphasized
Focus on news value categories with highest rankings
Peg
Current news item to which you tie your story
Makes your story timely
Hook
Grabs the audience’s attention
Encapsulates the story
Like a jingle in a commercial
How are News Stories Created?
Assignment
Top-down method
Assignment editor => reporter
Enterprise
Bottom-up method
Beat reporter => editor
Generally the better stories, & more copy
What Reporters Want
They want good stories presented in a
way that makes their jobs easier
Give them that, and you both win
Compete hard for space in paper
Increasingly harried due to downsizing
They want a resource
Not your enemy
But also not your friend
Building Relationships
with Reporters
Beat reporters at newspapers most important
Also consider bloggers, editors, etc.
Identify key individuals, do background research
Ask to meet at her office or over coffee
At the meeting
Explain issue & give her background materials
Offer yourself as a resource
Build the relationship
Deliver consistent quality
Don’t waste her time
Offer exclusives, & suggest other stories on her beat
Building Your Press List
Press list = List of media contacts likely to be
interested in your stories
Detailed information & a record of past contacts/stories
Be selective
Sending materials to those unlikely to be interested is
spamming
Build your list using internet & phone calls
Can use another organization’s list as starting point - but
check over everything
Keep the list updated
Press Releases & Advisories
Press release
Alerts a reporter to a story
Enough to write an article, but also gives contact info
Written like a news article
Headline, inverted pyramid style, quotes
Press advisory
Alerts a reporter to an event
Answers who, what, where, when, why
Formatting & sending
See guide for advice
Important: Follow with a pitch call!
The Pitch Call
Purpose: Get a reporter’s attention & convince her to
cover your story or event
When you call
Introduce yourself & your organization
If you know the reporter, connect briefly on a personal note
Ask if she has a moment to talk
Give a brief summary of story or event
Ask if she got your release or advisory
Be prepared to do an interview on the spot
If get answering machine, call back later
Radio Feeds & Actualities
Audio versions of the press release
Used by radio stations in newscasts
Lead-in, clip, closing, contact info
Feed vs. actuality
Feed = Clip prerecorded
Actuality = Clip recorded at a live event
Make pitch call before sending
Not all stations accept these
Pitch Letters
Used to convince news outlet to
interview someone or book them as a
guest
Format flexible, but keep it short
Follow up with a pitch call
Press Conferences
Staged event where one or more
speakers present a story to reporters
Opportunity for reporters to ask
questions & take photos
Difficult for small organizations to use
effectively
Opinion Pieces in Newspapers
Letter to the editor
Short letter responding to a current topic
Anyone can submit
Many people submitting increases chances
Can have a few writers & larger number of senders
Op-ed
Longer opinion piece
Most often signed by an expert or public figure
Editorial
Statement by a paper’s editorial board
Meet with editorial board to make your case
Radio Interviews
Prepare!
Learn talking points, practice answers to likely questions
Bring documents along to the interview
Studio vs. telephone
During the interview
Treat mic like ear of someone close to you (don’t shout)
Speak slowly & clearly
Repeat your main messages often
Smile!
If talk radio, line up people to call in
Listen to your interview afterwards & learn from it
Television Interviews
Prepare!
Like radio - but television short-form medium, & visual
Pay special attention to:
Sound bites
Clothing & appearance
During the interview
Ask that the camera be brought to your eye level
Be still (everything looks bigger on camera)
Smile!
Watch your interview afterwards & learn from it
Radio Call-Ins
Familiarize yourself with the show
Make the call
Be prepared to wait
Have your points ready & in front of you
Tell screener why you’re calling in one short sentence
Greet host by name, then immediately make your point
Remain calm
Can assemble a team of callers for maximum impact
Public Service Announcements
Short noncommercial messages on TV and radio
Used to meet the FCC’s requirement that stations serve “in
the public interest”
Can use to send a message or announce an event
Free airtime, but stiff competition
Usually delivered as ready-to-use files, though some
stations prefer a script
Requirements vary by station
Call & ask for individual responsible for PSAs
Try to set up a meeting
If a Reporter Calls You
Most likely to happen in the afternoon or early evening
But not always!
When get the call, pick up
Ask what the story is about
If you are willing to talk, say you’re in the middle of something &
will call back in 5-10 minutes
Compose your thoughts, & then call back
If get a voicemail, return the call promptly
Remember the reporter is probably working under deadline
Dealing with Unfavorable
Media Coverage
This will happen sooner or later. Don’t panic, and don’t
become defensive!
If a mistake
If small, ignore
If moderate, alert the reporter so she doesn’t repeat it
If severe, ask for a formal correction
If reporter refuses, consider going to her editor
If critical or hostile coverage
Consider carefully whether to respond
If choose to respond
Return to the issue and stress why it is what’s important
Remain calm & always behave like an adult
Questions?
Acknowledgements
This presentation was donated to MN ASAP by Kaja
Rebane of www.movetoamend.org. She gave an
excellent media training at the 2011 Democracy
Convention in Madison, WI. She was gracious in
sharing her expertise with us.