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| Handling the Media |
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| March 16, 2006 |
| Luhrs & Associates |
Handling the Media
The phone rings, and low and behold a reporter from a local news outlet is doing a story about a community issue and is considering profiling your organization. This journalist wants to interview you or a representative from your organization. What an opportunity! With a little creativity, practice and understanding of the journalistic world, you can talk about the issue like a pro.
Joyce Luhrs, a marketing, public relations, and management consultant with 19 years of experience in the field, offers these media pointers to directors and others who may be interviewed by the media.
Accuracy counts.
Provide only the facts. Don’t compromise your nor the reporter’s credibility. Offer sufficient facts to support any claims made about your organization that may be used during interviews, in press releases, a media kit, or in other marketing materials.
Develop a relationship.
Give solid information to writers and reporters. Offering contacts or suggestions of experts in the field, who could be interviewed, demonstrates you know people in similar situations and are a valuable resource for the media to call again in the future.
Be Prepared.
If a telephone appointment has been set up, demonstrating you are prepared eliminates not only nervousness and reduces uncertainty, but also shows you are an expert and know what you are talking about. Think about what questions might come up and how you will respond to them.
Keep It Simple.
Don't overload the reporter with information, unless asked. Make it easy for the journalist to understand immediately what is important. Choose two key points that demonstrate what your organization is about. Focus on those points and don't stray, unless the reporter asks for something specific.
Offer Background Information.
Not only does this make the reporter's job easier, it helps get to the main news story much faster. If you offer background information, supply facts to set a story in a specific framework, or provide good, reliable comparative figures or other information that aids the reporter in collecting data, a larger story may appear.
Develop a Media Kit.
Sometimes a reporter may ask for a media kit, a handy resource of information that provides an overview about an organization. Generally, a media kit may include a brochure or fact sheet about an organization and other information.
Speak Slowly.
This is important, especially with a telephone or even an in-person interview, when a camera is not taping everything. If you want to get your message across accurately not only to the reporter but also eventually to the audience that reads or hears your statements, slow down. Give the reporter time to reflect and write down the main points.
Spell Proper Names or Words.
In a telephone or one-on-one interview, don't assume a reporter will know how to spell proper names of a particular discipline or even know the correct spelling of words in other languages. As you are saying the word, spell it to the reporter.
Return Phone Calls Promptly.
This must be one of the biggest complaints of journalists. When a reporter calls, return the call. Even if you don't have the information, can't answer questions or don't have the time at that moment to speak with the reporter, don't ignore the call.
Talk to the Reporter, Not the Camera.
If you are fortunate enough to be interviewed on-camera, look at the reporter directly. Don’t think about the camera and the people watching. You will only set yourself up for nervousness. Speak with the reporter as though you were at a party, but don't say anything you will regret later.
Off the Record.
Talking to a reporter about something that you don't want to appear in print or stated on-air needs to be stated very clearly in the beginning. If a reporter you haven’t spoken with previously is interviewing you for the first time, don't bring up something that you don't want repeated or printed. Once you've had several interviews with a reporter and like the way the stories are coming across, then in subsequent interviews you may feel more confident to speak off the record.
Copyright @2006 by Joyce Luhrs, Luhrs & Associates. All rights reserved.
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