Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

60
Media Relations 101: Making Headlines October 2010

description

Have you tried to get your issue into the news, with limited success? Are you struggling to keep up with the changing media landscape? If your work sometimes requires dealing with the media, but your staff lacks media skills training or experience pitching the media, this training presentation is for you.

Transcript of Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Page 1: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Media Relations 101:

Making Headlines

October 2010

Page 2: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Nicole Lampe [email protected] @ThePacificOcean Linkedin.com/in/nicolelampe

Program Director Oceans and Public Health Team 2 years at RM Portland office

Presenters

Sian Wu [email protected] @ThatsSoEco @Sian_I_Am Linkedin.com/in/sianwu

Program Director Oceans and Public Health Team 6 years at RM Seattle office

Page 3: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

About Resource Media

•  Communications Strategy •  Execution and Outreach •  Digital and Social Media •  Environmental and Health Policy Focus

Page 4: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Staff 30 9 Offices

San Francisco Seattle Boulder Kalispell Sacramento

Bozeman Portland Salt Lake City Anchorage

Page 5: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Have a question? Need help?

Page 6: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

1. Changing media landscape

2. Recognizing and creating good stories

3. Packaging your pitch

4. Reaching out

5. Acing an interview

What we’ll cover today:

Page 7: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Newspapers Struggle to Survive in New Media World 1

Page 8: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Changing their models: Seattle Post Intelligencer, Christian Science Monitor, Capital Times, Detroit News…

Shutting their doors: Tucson Citizen, Rocky Mountain News, Baltimore Examiner, Albuquerque Tribune, Honolulu Advertiser….

The media landscape is changing beneath our feet

Page 9: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Circulation is down by 30% since 2000

•  Advertising revenue has dropped by 10% since 2009

•  Every newspaper in the country has had to cut newsroom staff, some by 25% or more

The news business ain’t what it used to be

Page 10: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

People consume news differently these days

According to a September 2010 report by Pew Research Center:

•  44% of Americans got news online, by email, cell phone, social networks, or podcast yesterday

•  Just 26% read a newspaper

•  57% of Americans are “news grazers”

•  33% use search engines to find news on topics of interest

Page 11: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

But good old fashioned earned media still matters

Page 12: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Newspapers, TV and radio can help you:

•  Raise Awareness

•  Influence decision-makers

•  Reach new audiences

•  Gain credibility

Print and broadcast news remain influential

Page 13: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Shrinking Newsrooms Require More Strategic Pitching

2

Page 14: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Reporters are busier than ever

•  Many reporters wear multiple hats

•  They write stories, blog, tweet, and monitor online comments

•  Rather than covering a single beat, they have to be generalists

•  And more channels means they get pitched even more often

Page 15: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

You can help busy reporters do their jobs—and get your news in the press—by packaging stories well.

Cut through the noise

Page 16: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Savvy Groups Shape News Coverage

3

Page 17: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

But first, figure out what makes good news

•  Before a reporter can get to work on your story, they first need to sell it to their editor.

•  Give them the right tools to pitch and write your story, and you may just see it in the headlines.

Page 18: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Learn to think like a reporter:

What makes a good story? Something that gets people talking. Something that is:

• New or topical

•  Surprising

• Moving

•  Relatable

•  Accessible

• Or has great visuals

Page 19: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Be a news junkie

•  Use Google Alerts to track coverage by keyword

•  Subscribe to Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

•  Follow reporters on Twitter

•  Sign up for RSS feeds from key outlets

Pay attention to what’s making news now

Page 20: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Take advantage of external hooks

Make your news feel more timely by tying it to:

•  Current trends

•  A decision point or milestone

•  An upcoming event

•  Holidays or other significant dates

Page 21: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Get creative!

The media frenzy over Lady Gaga’s meat dress provided an unlikely opportunity for

The Big Idea What’s the Environmental Impact of Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress?

Page 22: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Well-Packaged Story Makes Front Page News

4

Page 23: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  How can you convey a story’s major points in just a few words?

•  Try to paint a picture with your words

•  Cut to the chase

Think in headlines (and email subject lines)

Page 24: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Get through the editor’s filter

Be ready to answer questions like:

•  Why should my readers/viewers/listeners care?

•  Why is this important now?

•  What’s the problem, solution, threat, or benefit?

Page 25: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Focus on the human interest

angle •  People relate to people

•  Personal stories help put a face on facts and figures

•  They want to know how news will affect their family, friends and neighbors

Page 26: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Identify the right spokespeople

•  Local people who can describe real world impacts

•  Scientists, economists, and other experts that can provide hard data and context

•  Advocates who can offer solutions

Page 27: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

A great photo can:

• Catch a reporter or editor’s eye

• Land a story on the front page, catch readers’ eyes

•  Increase search engine rankings

• Boost traffic to the online article

Take stock of your visual assets

Page 28: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Share the (image) wealth

The media frenzy over Lady Gaga’s meat dress provided an unlikely opportunity for

Page 29: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Reporters Thank Enviros For Bank of Story Ideas

5

Page 30: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

• Do your homework!

• Consider the competition

• Figure out who covers the beat

• Review recent coverage

Before Reaching Out…

Page 31: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Choose your direction

Know when to call, when to send an email, and when to write a press release, pitch letter, or media advisory

Page 32: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Always call with breaking news

•  Be mindful of deadlines

•  Give advance notice for events or feature story ideas

•  Suggest a meeting or field trip

•  Try, try again

Timing is everything

Page 33: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

A social media release can include:

•  Contact information, keywords, quotes and facts

•  Video, audio, and images

•  Links to previous coverage and additional information

•  Social media share links and an RSS feed

And make it social!

Page 34: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Engage in a little self-promotion

Post your content to new media websites:

•  NowPublic

•  Digg

•  del.icio.us

•  Care2 News Network

Page 35: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Conservationist Aces Interview

6

Page 36: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Responding to media inquiries Success is 90% preparation and 10% inspiration. Set the stage by:

1.  Making sure your organization’s media representative is clearly identified and easy to reach (including by cell phone)

2.  Developing basic talking points and anticipating tough questions

3.  Training your spokespeople and staying in practice

Page 37: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Find out what they are writing on. If unprepared, offer to call them back.

•  Do a little sleuthing to figure out their background on the issue

•  Jot down some notes: what are the three most important points you want to convey?

When a reporter calls…

Page 38: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Suggest other contacts

•  Provide background information and reference materials

•  If you don’t know the answer, find out and follow up

•  Preview upcoming news to gauge their interest

Be a resource

Page 39: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Dealing with tough questions •  Stay calm, avoid repeating the

question, and use these tactics to steer conversation back onto safer ground:

•  The Bridge—Answer the question briefly, then pivot to your key points

•  The Hook—Switch gears by referencing new research or other engaging news.

•  The Flag—Signal key messages clearly.

Page 40: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Know that you are never really “off the record”

•  Instead of saying “no comment,” explain why you’re not the best person to address that topic and share something you do know.

•  Stick to your core messages

Mind your Ps and Qs

Page 41: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Conservation Quote Heard ‘Round the World

7

Page 42: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Some soundbites are just memorable

A good message is:

•  Something you can picture

•  Something you want to tell a friend

•  Something anyone can understand with little or no context

Page 43: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Good quote

Cutting down the rain forest for money is like burning a Rembrandt to cook soup.

Page 44: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Estimates based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change business-as-usual emission scenarios suggest that atmospheric CO2 levels could approach 800 ppm near the end of the century, and corresponding biogeochemical models indicate that surface water pH will drop from a pre-industrial value of about 8.2 to about 7.8.

Bad quote...

Page 45: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

To make yourself quotable

•  Instead of leading with process, talk results

•  Make your statistics meaningful

•  Translate your findings into plain English

•  Tell a story

•  Use a little color

Page 46: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

There's a limit to the amount of heat-trapping gases you can put into the atmosphere before Mother Nature shows you what the climate system will do. And Mother Nature bats last.

Page 47: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

It’s junk food for fish…like expecting a teenager to grow by just eating marshmallows.

Page 48: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Give story pitches and press releases new life as:

•  Blog posts

•  Newsletter articles

•  Website content

•  Twitter and Facebook fodder

Keep your talking points “handy”

Page 49: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Recycling: It’s not just for paper and plastics

8

Page 50: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Content creation takes time To maximize your return on investment—and hedge your bets in a

competitive media market—think creative reuse.

Page 51: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Give story pitches and press releases new life as:

•  Blog posts

•  Newsletter articles

•  Website content

•  Twitter and Facebook fodder

Recycle and repackage

Page 52: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

•  Link to positive articles on your website

•  Blog, Facebook and Tweet them

•  Include in packets for decision makers, editorial boards, or reporters

•  Share with your networks and members, and encourage colleagues to spread the word

Move good news around your network

Page 53: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

9 Conservationists Adapt Successfully to Changing

Media

Page 54: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

While the shape of media is changing… The public’s appetite for timely, relevant news remains constant.

Page 55: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Remember:

•  Content is king: learn to recognize and package a good story

•  Do your homework before reaching out

•  Think about what the reporter needs to sell the story to the editor

•  Harness the power of new media to reach reporters and your target audiences

Thriving in a brave new world

Page 56: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Take it to the next level

Resource Media offers:

•  Customized message development •  Interview skills training •  Audit and analysis of your previous media

coverage and spokesperson quotes •  One on one media outreach •  Story enterprising

Page 57: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

1. Would you recommend this webinar to a friend?

2. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 as poor and 10 as best – how would you rate this webinar?

3. Ideas for 2011 webinars?

Feedback?

Page 58: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Sian Wu Program Director Seattle Office [email protected] 206.374.7795 x102 @ThatsSoEco

Nicole Lampe Program Director Portland Office [email protected] 503-719-5626

We welcome your questions!

Page 59: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

Explore More RM Trainings •  Story Pitching – November •  Blogger Relations – December

Page 60: Media Relations 101: Making Headlines

In the Beginning