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COMMUNICATING WITH AND THROUGH THE MEDIA

Who and what are the media?

Credits: Magnus Karlsson, Sean MacEntee, Iker Merodio, Marvin Jansen van der Sligte

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Pew: 2016

New or old, similar issues

¨  Still telling a story, communicating information ¨  Still have to tell a story in a way that shows

importance, is engaging ¨  Still trying to inform and influence an audience ¨  Still generally working with a reporter or editor

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How reporters find you

¨  News releases and public information officer ¨  Your position in an organization ¨  Once quoted, likely to be contacted again ¨  Professional organizations ¨  Social media/blogs

You can reach out to reporters

¨  Don’t be afraid to make the first move ¨  Easier to get attention if you are a known entity ¨  Aim for reporters who’ve published articles

related to your issues ¨  Need a compelling pitch ¨  Once you’re in their list of contacts, it’s easier to

get coverage again in the future

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Is it newsworthy?

¨  A story should be: ¤ Timely ¤ New ¤ Significant/compelling. It should affect people’s

lives or places/things people care about. ¤ Emotional engagement ¤ Relevant to audience ¤ Clear. Your message should be simple but not simplistic.

When a reporter calls

¨  Ask: What is the story about, when is their deadline? ¤ Tell them you will call them back in a few minutes.

¨  Ask yourself: Am I comfortable with: ¤ My knowledge of the subject? ¤ The reputation of the news outlet?

¨  Prepare your talking points ¨  Call the reporter back

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Things to consider

¨  Who is the audience? ¨  Why should the audience care about what you

have to say? ¨  Does the audience know it should care? ¨  Are you responding to a request for technical

information to verify that x+y=z or are you being asked for an opinion?

And your point is…

Main Message

Talking Point 2 Talking Point 3

Talking Point 1

Transition Phrasing

Transition Phrasing

Transition Phrasing

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Communicating your message

¨  Bottom line up front – Put the take away first ¨  Be brief – Use short words and sentences, avoid

fillers. Don’t ramble. ¨  Be conversational – Avoid scientific jargon.

Explain things as you would to your grandparents. Speak slowly.

¨  Avoid “ums” and other nervous habits ¨  Be memorable – Clever and colorful sound bites.

Use helpful analogies or visual aids. ¨  Anticipate difficult questions

Quotable sound bites

¨  Reporters look for quotes that summarize the impact of a research finding or policy decision and why it’s important

¨  Paint a picture with your message ¨  Employ the astute quip ¨  Use an active verb, such as ‘reveals’

¤ Drop ‘is,’ ‘are,’ ‘were,’ and ‘have been’ as verbs

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Example: Doula Support for Pregnant Women Could Improve Care, Reduce Costs

¨  “What is coming together now is a research consensus and a professional consensus of the benefits of doula care… The barriers to access are financial, cultural, and geographic. The financial barrier ought to be the first to fall.”

¨  “Researchers and doctors now agree about the benefits of doula care… Although multiple barriers still exist, the cost of doula care is falling and it should be within reach for more women soon.”

Don’t

¨  Wander into places you are not qualified to go ¨  Think out loud ¨  Overstate or overpromise ¨  Be inflammatory or partisan while wearing your

‘expert’ hat ¨  Answer a question you don’t understand ¨  Assume something is off the record

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How reporters get information from you

¨  Put you at ease ¨  Silent treatment ¨  Leading questions ¨  Open ended questions ¨  Pretend to have information ¨  Ask you about something outside of your expertise

Example

¨  Radio interview with CDC expert

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Analysis

¨  What is your response to this interview? ¤ Host? ¤ Interviewee? ¤ Format?

Debunking myths

¨  Don’t lead with the myth—that reinforces it ¤ Use a myth sandwich: facts before and after the myth

¨  Don’t present too many facts. Aim for three. ¨  Validate concerns. Share what you do know, then

debunk misinformation. ¨  You can’t change everyone’s mind

¤ “Don’t mud-wrestle with a pig; you’ll both get dirty and the pig will enjoy it.”

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Uncertainty

¨  In science, being transparent about what you know and don’t know builds credibility

¨  To the public, the more time you spend on uncertainty, the less credibility you have

¨  Don’t emphasize uncertainty, especially in the beginning of your conversation

¨  Emphasize what is known