United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division Building Relations with the Media With examples from Statistics Slovenia and Statistics Finland Training Workshop on Disseminating.
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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division Building Relations with the Media With examples from Statistics Slovenia and Statistics Finland Training Workshop on Disseminating MDG Indicators and Statistical Information Astana, Kazakhstan, 23-25 November 2009 Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE Courtesy to Jussi Melkas, Statistics Finland Examples of well working media relations Press releases • Media relations approach, follow-up of media relations and Publication Calendar • Statistics Slovenia Statistics Finland Naturally there are others Basic Publication Calendar – almost in all participating NSIs • Press releases • 24.11.2009 Statistics Canada, ABS, all Scandinavian NSIs Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 2 Why Statistics Slovenia deserves to be mentioned? Well structured press releases • • • • • • 24.11.2009 Headline Ingress/Introduction Basic text Graphs and visual presentations Links to additional information Possibility to sign up to receive press releases by e-mail by sphere of interest – good categorization of the supply Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 3 Why Statistics Slovenia deserves to be mentioned? They follow the golden KISS rule Keep It Short and Simple 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 4 Why Statistics Finland deserves to be mentioned? Relaxed general attitude built on mutual trust with the Media They have developed the Publication Calendar to be the backbone of their main and very modern publication activities in a very systematic way with an extensive use of XML This dates back to a long tradition – Publication Calendars have been in use already since the 1980’ies The present practices introduce the electronic era in real terms 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 5 Finnish stereotype of a statistician 24.11.2009 Produces figures on something that is not important Too many theoretical concepts and indexes, out of touch with reality Statistics is a special brand of history that has nothing relevant to say about the present Says nothing or, if does, denies it in the next sentence Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 6 Finnish stereotype of a journalist 24.11.2009 Short memory and always in a hurry Moving in crowds, only one thing at a time seems to be interesting Bad news is good news No methodological knowledge Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 7 Instead of stereotypes... We should understand that statistics and journalism are two useful institutions/professions which collect and process information on society and different phenomena Statistics and journalism have different kind of theoretical foundations and culture, of which neither is false or true Both are useful and inevitable parts of society We should strive for co-operation and possibly synthesis 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 8 Two Cultures STATISTICAL OFFICE Systematic Condensed info Standardising Mathematics Indexes, Indicators Descriptive Conservative, Time series oriented 24.11.2009 MEDIA Intuitive Condensed (not as much) Free-form Humanities Typical cases Searching for answers Oriented towards change, News and scoop oriented Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 9 The Statistical Agency needs good publicity... for same reasons as any organisation: • • • in order to guarantee fiscal resources in order to get good employees in order to get customers for some reasons of its own: • in order to get good data • in order to be trusted - statistics has to be trusted • in order to serve the public discussion with the data it can provide 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 10 Journalism needs good statistics… because they give a picture of short term fluctuations in society because they offer the public facts and information for analysing social problems and structure of society because they validate or do not validate single observations, which journalists make because they are based on concepts and classifications which help to analyse society 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 11 What is the outcome/experience in Statistics Finland? More than 50 experts are giving statements on Statistics Finland’s statistics to the media, press and TV About 700 statistical releases and 70 press releases are published annually, and all get a fairly good publicity 3 000 - 4 000 special news stories published annually in the 35 largest newspapers • Less than 1 % of the special news stories included criticism: politically sensitive questions (unemployment, regional development), obvious errors 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 12 What is the outcome/experience in Statistics Finland? (Continued) 24.11.2009 A survey among the Finnish journalists tell that Statistics Finland is evaluated as one of the best sources of information for them Continuous development of customer contacts to different parts of the media Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 13 Familiarity of Statistics Finland 1975–2007 % of respondents are familiar with Statistics Finland 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1975 1978 1983 1988 1992 1994 1996 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 TNS Gallup Ltd & Taloustutkimus Ltd 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 14 Reliability of Statistics Finland’s statistics Don't know 8% Data reliable 85% 24.11.2009 Data unreliable 7% Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 15 Statistics Finland's usefulness Only useful for some 21% Needless institution 2% Useful for everybody 71% 24.11.2009 Don't know 6% Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 16 Basic principles of communicating about statistics at Statistics Finland – or anywhere... 24.11.2009 Reliability Timeliness Impartiality Clarity Objectivity Confidentiality Relevance Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 17 Proactive measures in media relations at Statistics Finland Organise visits and education • Focus on the most important groups • • television, major newspapers, business periodicals economic, science reporters Present data sources and service possibilities, tell how to read statistics, discuss also methodological difficulties Be informal Give special service to every journalist in need of it Build friendships but do not favour any partner 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 18 The effects of media operations are monitored Systematic follow-up of media reactions • • Thematic classification Attitude classification Make statistics on the feedback and analyse what should be done better in the future Pick out stories needing immediate reaction Compile a collection of interesting stories and distribute them in your office 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 19 Rules of reaction to media at Statistics Finland Be active Don’t be aggressive Be honest, admit you faults Avoid taking a stand on social problems You can react both in public and in private 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 20 A word of warning to statisticians: Everything you say can be used as a story The task of a journalist is to make a good story - nothing more 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 21 Advice for Finnish journalists making a story on statistics Beware: • • • Easy conclusions are seldom right conclusions If nobody hasn’t noticed your finding before, there is probably something wrong in it Be ready to throw away your hypothesis / prejudice Don’t be afraid: • • 24.11.2009 Be critical on truths, which are said to base on statistical reasoning Use your imagination when reading statistics Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 22 Advice for Finnish journalists making a story on statistics (continued) Ask first The statistician surely knows the frequently made errors (FME) in reading statistics 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 23 The Publication System of Statistics Finland – main features(1) Number of statistical releases annually • About 700 in Finnish and Swedish • 330 in English … growing The structure of statistical releases has been carefully defined • To meet the demands of multichannel distribution All statistical releases are archived • 24.11.2009 Their URL address will remain unchanged Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 24 The Publication System of Statistics Finland – main features(2) Since spring 2007 the Publication System is XML based A single three-language XML original file can be used to automatically publish • HTML pages in Finnish, English and Swedish (a total of about 90 HTML files), • compile a PDF publication in Finnish and English, • compile a PDF file in Finnish for printing and • distribute the publication via e-mail and RSS in Finnish, English and Swedish 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 25 Earlier, before the year 2007 In the old publishing process, the data contained in a single set of statistics was published • • • 1) as electronic statistical release in the online service; if required, annexed tables and figures and a longer article would also be published 2) as a printed publication and 3) as database tables in the table database. All three publishing processes were separate and employed different tools in the production of tables and the publishing of data Data in different distribution channels were not coordinated and they did not form a consistent whole 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 26 A qualitatively new publication process – Managing the whole The new publishing system combines the content of statistical releases published in the online service (and the table and figure annexes supplementing them) and the content of earlier printed publications This revision was not merely a question of routine copying of earlier data into new tools, but a complete redesigning of the publishing system as a whole 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 27 One XML-original --> several content combinations to different dissemination channels in three languages Publication original (XML-file ) Stat. release (FIN, SWE, ENG) Heading Caption text Short text section Contact persons Larger text section RSS E-mail Web site HTML PDF Fi ISSN 1a, ISBN 1a Sw ISSN 1b, ISBN 1b En ISSN 1c, ISBN 1c Annexed tables Description of variables Printed publication Annexed images Fi ISSN 2a, ISBN 2a Sw ISSN 2b, ISBN 2b En ISSN 2c, ISBN 2c PDF Quality description 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 28 Technicalities Data Architecture of the new publication system • COmmon Structure of Statistical Information, COSSI • Available at http://www.stat.fi/cossi The publishing tool • 24.11.2009 Arbortext XML Editor Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 29 More detailed information Mr Markku Huttunen’s presentation at the International Marketing and Output Database Conference, 1-5 September 2008 http://imaodbc.stat.fi/media//presentations/ huttunen_.pdf Markku Huttunen is Head of the web services division of Statistics Finland 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 30 Helpful materials by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Communicating with the 24.11.2009 Media – A Guide for Statistical Organisations Geneva 2004 http://www.unece.org/stats /documents/media/guide/ Making Data Meaningful, Part 1 – a Guide to Writing Stories about numbers Geneva 2006 http://www.unece.org/stats /documents/writing/ Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 31 Helpful materials by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Making Data Meaningful, Part 2 – a Guide to Presenting Statistics Geneva 2009 http://www.unece.org/stats /documents/writing/ Making Data Meaningful • Part 1 and • Part 2 are both available in • English and • Russian at the web site, mentioned above 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 32 Communicating with Media – Main content Principles, objectives and management issues in data dissemination Organisational aspects • • • • • 24.11.2009 Media services Release calendars Dissemination strategy Dealing with negative press coverage Measuring the impact Methods and tools Renewed edition in 2010 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 33 Communicating with Media – Main content (Continued) Impact of the internet on information dissemination • • • • • Learning in each others classrooms • • 24.11.2009 Who is the customer? What is the product? Making a good website Measuring web performance & collecting customer feedback Organisational issues What statisticians should learn What media people should learn Handling a media crisis Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 34 Making Data Meaningful, Part 1 – Main content 24.11.2009 What is a statistical story? Why tell a story? Things to take into consideration when writing a story on statistics How to write a story Writing about data: Make numbers “stick” Evaluating the impact Applying good writing techniques Examples of well written statistical stories Further reading recommendations Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 35 Making Data Meaningful, Part 2 – Main content 24.11.2009 Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 36 Conclusion 24.11.2009 You cannot learn to swim if you don’t go into the water! Petteri Baer - UNECE Statistical Division Slide 37