COMM 101:Building a Media &

Communications Foundation

April 20, 2010Presented by:

Stephanie Goss & David Stupplebeen

COMM 101: Training Objectives

• Developing messages • Drafting talking points• Training spokespeople• Handling an interview • Writing press releases • Building media contacts

What is a meaningful message?

• Concise– Messages should be honed to 1 -2 sentences– If it takes a paragraph or more to make your

points, keep working!• Catchy

– Messages should be easy to remember– Messages should NOT be overloaded with data

points• Make your case

– Link your work to a broader community issue– Communicate the issue and why it matters– Identify obstacles or misconceptions that keep

people from engaging

Message Development: Identifying the issue

• What’s the issue?• Case study: World AIDS Day• World AIDS Day is on December 1st and

seeks to raise awareness about the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. For A&PI Wellness Center, observing the day includes raising awareness about HIV in A&PI communities in the US.

• Example: The rate of new HIV infections continues to rise among A&PIs, an ignored community perceived to be “low-risk.”

Message Development: Making your case

• Why does it matter?• Support your issue statement with

compelling statistics or anecdotes• Example: Recent data shows the

annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group and yet over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.

Message Development: Putting it together

• The rate of new HIV infections continues to rise among A&PIs, an ignored community perceived to be “low-risk.” Recent data shows the annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group and yet over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.

Message Development: Know your sound bites

• Sound bites are PART OF your message, but not the message itself

• Sound bites reinforce the message• Example: there are three sound bites

in the sample message. Can you find them? RAISE YOUR HAND!

What are talking points?

• Concise and clear list of key points for speakers, spokespeople or organizational representatives

• Useful for situations involving communication with any external audience

• Use cases:– Public and private funders– Media– Policymakers– Anyone with a question about your issue or the

work you do

Why use talking points?

• Message consistency• Clarification of organizational

position• When to use talking points

– Fielding calls from media– Media interviews– Interactions at large events

Talking points format

• Concise, clear and easy to remember• Speakers can use their own words to

express the points

Case Study: World AIDS Day

• Sample talking points:– A&PIs are perceived to be “low risk” for

HIV infection– A&PIs are often ignored in broader

discussions about HIV– A&PIs comprise over 40 different ethnic

groups and speak over 100 distinct languages and dialects

Talking points format

• Example continued:– The annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men

and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group (8.1% for men and 14.3% for women, between 2001 and 2004)

– Over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.

– 1 in 3 A&PIs living with HIV don’t know it– Clearly, HIV prevention education and testing must

be culturally and linguistically competent in order to better serve the needs of the A&PI community.

Do you really need spokespeople?

• YES!• Trained spokespeople are your

strongest advocates when talking to an external audience

• Why do you need spokespeople?– Strength– Credibility– Authenticity

Who are your spokespeople?

• Staff members (ED, program staff, etc)

• Board of Directors• Clients and community members• Public and private funders• Political leaders and policymakers• Experts

Training your spokespeople:Practice, practice, practice!

• Hold a training• Training logistics:

– Videotape the training, if possible– Pay attention to time– Practice staying on message

Handling an interview

• WARNING! Interviews are business transactions

• Do your homework:– What is the interview format?– How long is the interview?

• Don’t have more than 3 messages for any interview

Tricks of the trade

• Don’t be lured off-topic during the interview• Use these techniques to stay on message:

Bridging – transitioning back to core message:• “Another thing to remember is…”• “If you look closely, you’ll find…”• “That reminds me of…”

Flipping the script:• “That’s not my area of expertise, but I think it’s

important to note that…”• “Let me answer you by saying…”• “What I can tell you is…”

Tricks of the trade

• More techniques for the interview:Hooking – “3 things” or “2 mistakes”

• “Three things people should know about HIV in our community are…”

• “Two common misconceptions about HIV in our community are…”

Flagging – highlighting the important point• “The important point here is…”• “The real issue here is…”

Tricks of the trade

• More techniques for the interview:Cherry picking – answer the question YOU

want!Telescoping – Explode to the big picture

• “What that means is…”

What not to wear

• Men– Solid suits in gray or navy– Cream, blue or other light-colored shirt– Careful with the tie! Complicated patterns create

illusions on TV!

• Women– Solid, bright colors are best– Avoid all-white or cream and busy prints– No heavy jewelry– Everyday makeup

Press release or media advisory or both?

• A press release should be written like a news article

• A media advisory is much shorter than a press release

Drafting your press release

• Now that you have your skeleton, the press release should have muscle and skin

• Inverted pyramid– Section 1: broad strokes of event or issue– Section 2: your main message– Section 3: your supporting arguments– Section 4: event and logistical details

• Don’t be too wordy – keep it to a single page

Sample press release

Sample press release

Sample press release

Sample press release

Sample media advisory

Sample media advisory

Building an initial media contacts list

• Identify local newspapers, magazines and television/radio stations that are important for your community

• For newspapers: send press releases and media advisories to the major desks (i.e., Metro desk for local events, Health desk, etc.)

• For radio/television: Media advisories are put on studio calendars for reporters to pick up

Sending out the press release/media advisory

• Pay attention to deadlines• Avoid sending releases on Mondays

or Fridays• Make sure to follow up!

More resources

• Visit our project web site!

http://www.banyantreeproject.org/

Questions? Contact us!Stephanie Goss: stephanie@apiwellness.org

David Stupplebeen: das@apiwellness.org(415) 292-3400 x 330 and 361, respectfully