Jumpstarting Local Media Relations: Telling the Texas TAP Story

• Introductions, Objectives

• What’s new with TAP PR

• Dealing with the Media

• What is Newsworthy?

• Telling the TAP Story

• Tactics that Work

• Overview of TAP PR Materials

• Q&A

Overview

Objectives

• Introduce you to the new PR efforts

• Offer insight on how to use the new materials and how to deal effectively with the media

– Rapport and relationship building with the media

– Understand what the media is looking for and how you can increase the odds of receiving coverage

– Introduction to news values and how to turn a press release into a story worth covering

– How to ensure that your spokesperson is quoted

Compelling media story telling focuses in on current trends and issues in your space while underscoring your key messages.

• Edelman Public Relations

• Aggressive outreach effort

• Support for recruiting efforts for the program

• New eye-catching, tailorable materials

– Messages

– Fact Sheets

– FAQ

– TAP Brochure

– Foundational Presentation

Building awareness of the Texas TAP program will be key to our continued success.

Spreading the NewsWhat’s New with TAP PR

The Give & TakeDealing with the Media

• The “Give and Take”

– Understand what the media wants

– Understand what you want

– Establish a rapport

• Change your mindset about the media

– Set a goal

– Know your messages

– Make it timely, relevant, in synch with news values

– Have visuals

Remember that you have an agenda, and so does the media. Understanding your agenda and theirs will help you to get your story placed.

Understanding News Values

Getting AttentionWhat interests the media?

• Violence

• Sensationalism/The Unbelievable

• Scandal

• Controversy

• Conflict

• Sex

• Novelty/Uniqueness/Weirdness/Oddities

• Money issues and trends: Extraordinary Value/extraordinary cost savings/something that impacts a wide number of consumer pocketbooks or business bottom-lines

• Being first/premiere/breakthroughs/innovations

• Celebrity

• Crises, including, but not limited to-- Broad health impact/disease or illness/cures/pandemics, Acts of God/Severe Weather/Disasters

• Extraordinarily Cute Factor (especially for visual mediums)—babies, kids and cute fuzzy animals

• Geography: National, regional or global impact—local impact for local news.

• Value

– To the community: It is an investment in Teachers which ultimately benefits the students, who can eventually become productive citizens

• Localization

– If you have a district in your local market with a success story, you have a great chance at coverage

– If you are attempting to sell in the idea at your district, using a nearby district with a success story as an example of how TAP works can interest media

• Firsts

– For many districts that are just joining the TAP system, the program launch could be a first in the market.

TAP NewsworthinessWhich news values does TAP invoke?

Pictures Say So MuchOther useful tactics

• Using Visuals: Show and Tell

– Consider a rally to kick off you program

– Engage your teachers AND the kids (the cute factor)

– Have your superintendant ride in on a Harley

– Set program goals and make a challenge

• “If X teachers complete the program, I’ll do X” (something outrageous)

– Celebrate milestones

– Open your classrooms

• Build relationships

– Plan a calendar of media opportunities

– Introduce yourself and your program with desk-side briefings

– Point to other trends and issues in education for which you can become a valued resource

• Define Texas TAP

• Explain how has/will the program improve the district

• Give examples of successes

• Deliver a call to action

Developing a pitch angle:

• This is a tie-in to something current—like a trend or issue

• Gives your story immediacy

• Example: While reports of some districts cutting budgets swirl, DISD is looking at a non-traditional way to impact their performance. A strategic reallocation of funds in in favor of one UT Austin program has proven to be a winner for XX school. Here’s how.

Having an agenda enables you to

•Remain focused during conversations with the media

•deliver your core messages during interviews

•Enables you to keep it “tight and concise”

Know How to Say ItSetting Your Agenda

• Messages

• Fact Sheets

• FAQ

• TAP Brochure

• Foundational Presentation

TAP Public Relations Tools

•The key messages that you want to convey

• Useful in developing media materials

• A guide for your spokesperson

•Keeps your outreach efforts unified across the TAP network

•Consider them “take aways” for the media

The Core of Your StoryWhat is a Message Document?

• Backgrounder on TAP and Value-Added

•Great, quick reference for media

• Bulleted benefits of the system

•Enables media to quickly digest details

•Useful with pitch letters and other media materials

TAP At-A-GlanceThe Fact Sheet

•Spokespersons reference

• Supplemental leave-behind

•Quick reference for media

•Useful with pitch letters and other media materials

Answers at your fingertipsFAQ

•Excellent tool to re-emphasize key points in detail

• Memorable, colorful, supporting graphics

•Helps you to “show” as well as “tell” your story

•Re-enforces your call to action

The Leave BehindTAP Brochure

• Great desk-side briefing tool

• Details system with stats and success stories

• Use success stories in pitches as relevant examples that system works

In-Depth Program DetailsFoundational Presentation

Contact

For more information about Texas TAP PR, please contact:

Keri McDonald

kmcdonald@utsystem.edu

(512) 771-2863