VT RAA 9-15 final

Effective and Powerful

Communications

Recently Appointed Administrators

September 24, 2015

• Creates an open, trusting environment

• Anticipates issues and trends that could affect the school or school system

• Keeps an ear to the ground, especially on social media

• Engages the community appropriately

• Quickly handles issues that “land”

• Coordinates with colleagues, other schools, school division

What Does Effective Communications Look Like?

• Understand today’s communication realities

• Understand the impact of your school’s brand

• Identify your audiences or stakeholders

• Understand your audiences’ information needs, trusts

• Craft meaningful messages and deliver them authentically and regularly

• Be relentless in your commitment to keep communications a priority

How Do You Get There?

How Do We Communicate in Today’s World?

Social Media

Has transformed communication globally

• Anywhere, anytime, immediate• Trending topics drive news coverage• Facebook has 1.5 billion users• YouTube has 1+ billion users• Twitter has 304 million users

• 64% of Americans own smartphones

– 67% report sharing photos and videos

– 56% use mobile devices for local news

• 75% of smartphone users access social networks using mobile apps

• Lower-income, minorities and younger adults are “smartphone dependent”

It’s a Smartphone World

Source: 2015 Pew Research Report

Less likely to trust schools in day-to-day operations

• More deliberate, intrusive, hands-on

• They care less about the institution, more about their own child

• Parent involvement is an extreme sport

• Extremely tech savvy

Parents Today Are …

Sophisticated parents can easily launch a communications blitz on issues that matter most to them

• Drown out “quieter” voices

• Push issues forward at an accelerated speed

• Put higher priority issues on back burner

Communication Realities

• Traditional news industry is more understaffed to cover stories

• Public is reading fewer newspapers, watching fewer news broadcasts, and getting more news through online sources

• Credibility of traditional media sources is lowest in 20 years

• Trust in government is at all-time low


• Consensus journalism—tendency among journalists covering the same story to report similar, quick conclusions about the story rather than report conflicting interpretations

• 24/7 news cycle—to broadcast or go to print quickly even if wrong

• Citizen journalists—blogs, Twitter, YouTube


Where Do YourStakeholders Get

Trusted Information About Your School?

Source: FCPS Trust & Confidence Survey, 2013

The BRAND PROMISE The BRAND EXPERIENCE

YOUR SCHOOL’S

BRAND

Media

Social Buzz

Logo

Website

SSchool

facilities

Employee interaction

Results

ServiceMission,

goals

Customer Trust

District Management Council

Multiple Tools to Reach Your Audiences

School newsletters

Face-to-face

Text messages

PTA meetings

Surveys

Traditional media

Social media

Videos

Student advisory groups

Faculty meetings

School website

Why Social Media Matters

• Your parents, staff, and students are already there

• Listening and engaging tool

• It’s free

• Great way to tell your stories

The overall goal, regardless of social media channel, is to engage and provide information to your audience. That information needs to be more than just your information and content; it needs to be content that is relevant and valued by your audience.

Crossfield Elementary School, Herndon, Va.

https://www.facebook.com/CrossfieldElementary

Dublin Elementary School,

Dublin, Va.

https://www.facebook.com/

dublinelementary

Andrew Lewis Middle School,

Salem City, Va.

https://www.facebook.com/And

rewLewisMiddleSchool

Radford High School,

Radford, Va.

Snow-related video on Virginia Beach City

Public Schools Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/VBSchools

Closed Facebook page for invited groups –

Alexandria City Public Schools new teachers

https://twitter.com/ACPSk12

https://twitter.com/fcpsnews

https://twitter.com/FlorisSchool

Twitter Hashtag Campaigns

There have been in excess of 2.4

million ice bucket-related videos

posted on Facebook, and 28

million people have uploaded,

commented on or liked ice

bucket-related posts. On

Instagram, there have been 3.7

million videos.

From July 29 to Aug. 28, 2014,

ALS received $98.2 million

compared with $2.7 million

donated during the same period

the previous year, according to

the BBC.

Break Time

Media folks are like in-laws; you don’t have

to love them, but you better learn to live

with them.

--Dan Gallagher

Media Relations

Expect Bias, Demand Fairness

• Adherence to any ground rules previously laid out

• Honesty and fairness in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information

• Special sensitivity when covering children

Journalists’ Code of Ethics

• Seek truth and report it

• Minimize harm

• Act independently

• Be accountable

Source: Society of Professional Journalists

Your

Administrative

Assistant:

“ … A reporter

from the

Washington Post

is asking for you

on the phone …”

Preparing for a Media Interview

Ask Questions

• Clarify the subject of the interview

• Establish areas that are not open for discussion, if necessary

• Determine your deadline with respect for the reporter’s deadline


Position Yourself

• Target your audience—who is going to hear or read this?

• Prepare your message

--Anticipate reporter’s questions

--Bridge to positive themes

--Most effective when newsworthy

• Prepare/review background facts


Stand and Deliver

• Be consistent in delivering your message

• Don’t parrot the reporter’s question

• After hearing the question, pause to reflect on how to structure your answer

• Talk conversationally and use “lead in” phrases for control

• Don’t merely respond to questions … answer and bridge to your message


Stand and Deliver

• Answer the question, then be quiet

• For broadcast media, keep message to 10 seconds in length; print media, a bit longer

• Don’t ask a reporter to review his/her news story

• Relax—you’re in control!

What Do You Say …

When You Can’t Say Anything?

• Our foremost concern is with the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff.

• We are conducting a thorough investigation of the matter.

• We share the concerns of our community.

• Because this is a pending investigation, we can’t comment on specifics right now.

• We will share our answers and findings with you as soon as we can.

Common Questions

• Should I go “off the record” with a reporter?• Can’t I just do the interview off the cuff? • What about using “no comment”? • What can I do when reporters get it wrong?• What should I do when my relationship goes sour with a reporter?

The Bridging Technique

• A way to “bridge” from a reporter’s question to your key message points

• Provides uniformed response

• Puts you in control

When you’re talking to the media, be a

well, not a fountain.

--Michael Deaver

Transforming Your Learning into Action

• Read through your scenario

• Identify your target audiences

• Identify the key messages

• Write one tweet

• Select your two spokespersons, one co-reporter, and one person who will report out to larger group

• Prepare for an on-camera interview

Barbara M. Hunter, APR

Hunter Communications

[email protected]

703-863-8025

VT RAA 9-15 final

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