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Winning the Media Game

The Powell Group4514 Cole Avenue, Suite 1200

Dallas, Texas

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OVERVIEW• How we view the media

• Dealing effectively with reporters

• Communicating during a crisis

• Things to remember

• Let’s do some interviews!

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5 Keys to Winning the Media Game

• Understand the media

• Have an agenda

• Deliver compelling messages

• Prepare

• Practice, practice, practice

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Understanding the Media

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How you might view the media • Intimidating

• They’re out to get me!

• Not truthful

• Only looking for bad news

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What makes news? • Winners and losers

• Heroes and villains

• Criticism and controversy

• Trend or change

• New, unusual, different

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Things we might be fearful of

• You’ll look stupid or, worse yet, make your company look stupid

• You don’t have a solid message

• You forgot the message you had

• You’re not prepared for the tough questions

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“Always tell the truth; then you don’t have to remember anything.”

--- Mark Twain

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How the media sees most of us • We don’t want them at our locations

• We try to hide the truth - even when it’s good!

• We’re arrogant

• We won’t teach them about our business

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What’s important to a reporter • Deadlines

• Accuracy!

• Their reputation

• Honesty

• Good sound bites

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Have an Agenda

• Determine whom you want to hit (your audience)

• What you want to hit then with (your message)

• Develop messages - two or three things you intend to say whatever the questions

• Have a solid grasp of the approved Q&A

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Have an Agenda Cont’d.

• Keep it narrow and specific

• Communicate something important

• Define your communications goal

• Determine the one point you want to get across

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“I am now ready to give the answers I have prepared for your questions.”

--- Charles DeGaulle

“Do you have any questions for my answers?” --- Henry Kissinger

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Compelling Messages

•Only two or three

•Brief

•Accurate

•Simple

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Support Your Messages

•Facts

•Examples

•Experts

•Statistics (sparingly)

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Blocking and Bridging

• Don’t ignore or evade the question

• Address the topic of the question

• Asked about a problem, talk about a solution

• Never say “no comment”

• If you can’t comment, explain why

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For questions you can’t answer

• You don’t know the answer

• Someone else is better suited to answer

• You don’t understand the question

• Question that calls for speculation

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Blocking and Bridging Examples

• “It’s our policy not to discuss _____ specifically, but I can tell you………”

• “Let me put that in perspective…….”

• “I think what you’re really asking is…….”

• “What’s important to remember, however,…….”

• “What’s most important is ……”

• ”What I really want to talk to you about is…..”

• “I don’t know about that, but what I do know is …….”

• “The real issue here is …..”

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Headlining

• Make the most important point first

• Think like a journalist

• Use deductive reasoning

• Back it up with facts or “proof points”

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Headlining: Some Examples

• “The most important thing to remember is…”

• “The real issue is…..”

• “It boils down to these three things…..”

• “Let me make one thing perfectly clear…””

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Prepare

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Preparing for an interview

• List your key messages

• Anticipate questions

• Prepare answers

• Have some knowledge of the reporter

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Anticipate the worst

The toughest question will be asked.

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Rule of Silence

Never say anything you don’t want to read in the newspaper, see on television or hear on the radio.

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Practice, practice, practice

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Practice

• Prepare list of questions

• Prepare best answers in language/tone you’re comfortable with

• Rehearse

• Review

• Revise your answers

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Ten Tips

• Use simple, direct answers

• Repeat yourself

• Pause

• Shut Up

• Avoid jargon

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Ten Tips Cont’d.

• Don’t say “no comment”

• Don’t repeat a negative

• Tell the truth

• Keep your cool

• Be yourself

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Your Bill of Rights - you have the right to:

• Know the topic

• Know the format

• Buy time

• Have time to answer the question

• Correct misstatements

• Use notes

• Record the interview

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You DO NOT have the right to:

• Know the questions in advance

• See the story in advance

• Change your quotes

• Edit the story

• Expect your view to be the only one

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Print vs. Broadcast

PRINT

Longer, more detailed interview

Possibly more knowledgeable reporter

Questions may be repeated in different ways to get response

Chance to correct a misstatement

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Print vs. Broadcast

RADIO

Emphasis on delivery - voice, inflection, pace

Need to speak “visually”

OK to use notes

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Print vs. Broadcast

TV

Short, simple answers are crucial

Emphasis on appearance and technique

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Believability - the 3 V’s

• Verbal - your words

• Vocal - your tone, projection and resonance

• Visual - your non-verbal body language

93% of your message is non-verbal behavior - tone of voice, facial expression, body position

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Television Tips

• Be yourself

• Dress conservatively - avoid stripes, checks, high contrast colors, no big jewelry

• Talk to the interviewer, not the camera

• Speak in a conversational tone

• Smile when appropriate

• If your news is serious, be serious

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Telephone Tips

• Buy prep time if possible

• Establish as “interview setting” - clear your desk and close the door

• Use notes

• Keep message points in front of you

• Speak distinctly

• Use short declarative sentences

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