ENGAGING THE MEDIA
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Maj Michelle Coghill Ms. Cathy Jung OBJECTIVES
Effectively Confidently Skillfully connect with adapt to a variety develop and deliver news media and of interview clear, memorable their audiences settings messages AGENDA
• REASONS TO ENGAGE
• THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
• MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
• THE INTERVIEW REASONS TO ENGAGE
It is our It is our We want obligation opportunity ownership of the issue
Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and Sharon Burke, the assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs, brief the Pentagon press corps June 14, 2011, on the Defense Department's operational energy strategy at the Pentagon in Washington. (Defense Department photo/Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey) THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
Consider how your experience with the media may impact your perspective…
What’s your impression of the media?
Matt Lauer – NBC “Today” show anchor THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
The media landscape shapes news reporting – and how you may be interviewed.
• Media Proliferation Creates intense competition for market share
• Deadline Pressure “Get it first” mentality; shorter sound bites; simpler stories
• Clutter Limits what media can use
• Financial Pressures Fewer experienced reporters; limited research THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
New Media: Engagement Opportunities
• Multi-media journalism Most reporters now carry still and video camera + notepad
• Blogs Do we treat bloggers the same as traditional journalists? Janis Krums used his iPhone to take a • Social Media photo of US Airways flight 1549 moments after it made an emergency Reaching our target audience in landing in the Hudson River. The image their domain posted to TwitPic went viral, and the site crashed from all of the traffic. THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
Digital and Social Media: Where to Find the Air Force
Facebook Twitter Blogger United States Air Force @usairforce U.S. Air Force Live airforcelive.dodlive.mil
You Tube Flickr Widgets AF Blue Tube Air Force Photostream RSS Feeds
“Any journalist who is ignoring new media…isn’t going to be employed – it will be our lifeline. - Dan Ephron, Newsweek THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE How reporters think:
• Timeliness • Unusualness • Proximity • Personal consequence • Prominence • Loss of life/property • Significance • Human Interest • Newness • Opinion • Conflict • Speculation
“News∙wor∙thy adj \’nüz-wər-thē\ :interesting enough to the general public to warrant reporting -Merriam-Webster THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE PREPARATION is the key to a successful interview!
› Define your communication objective › Know the issues › Build your messages › Anticipate tough questions › Understand the interview format › Prepare your answers › Practice your responses
I needed some serious media training. I did it on the job “but I could have saved myself a lot of hassle if I had done it earlier on. - AP Interview: Howard Dean Looks Back THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand who you’re talking to:
• Scope How broad/diverse is the potential audience?
• Impact What is the reporter’s reputation with their audience?
• Interviewer’s past Reporting style, relationships and experience
• Bounce How may the story be reprinted in other formats or news media? THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand the interview format:
• Face-to-Face Sit-Down Interview Edited or live? THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand the interview format:
• Remote Interview Speaking to an unseen reporter through an earpiece and microphone
BP issued a new internal report blaming the largest offshore oil spill in history on a series of human and mechanical failures. PBS News Hour reporter Judy Woodruff talks to Steven Mufson of the Washington Post about the report. (WNET) THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand the interview format:
• Press Conference Seated, standing or media roundtable? THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand the interview format:
• On-Scene Interview With reporter and “over the shoulder” cameraman THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE Understand the interview format:
• Ambush Interview Reporter suddenly appears and starts asking questions
Jesse Watters, producer of “The O’Reilly Factor,” conducts an ambush interview with former NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller. (HuffingtonPost.com) THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE The Pentagon’s Press Corps:
PRINT TV RADIO WIRES Los Angeles Times ABC ABC Associated Press (AP) The New York Times CBS CBS Bloomberg USA Today CNN NPR Reuters The Wall Street Journal FOX The Washington Post NBC “ MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
What is a message?
Key bits of Effects-based: Repeatable, to information you Designed to help cut through want your achieve the clutter audience to know, communication in a form the goals Always tied to a media can use factual answer
“Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean. -Baseball player Pedro Guerrero on reporters MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
Telling your story in 10 seconds or less:
10 seconds = 6.5 seconds = 35 words 21 words
Decide what Write your Good message headline you want message down format: What you want your Evaluate your Headline statement audience to remember message; it must be Supporting point 1 short, memorable and relevant Supporting point 2 MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
To make your message more “quotable” try using:
Repetition Tripartite Imagery division “Word spread like Stories “We search for new leaves in a storm.” Brief, with a point: technology, we put A story without a it to the test, and Analogy plot is like a joke we deliver it to the “The data is solid as without a punch line warfighter.” a rock.”
If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be “subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack. - Winston Churchill MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
• Use active, high-energy words • Emphasize the positive • Don’t use a long word when a short one works • Avoid jargon, acronyms and scientific terms • Use the “inverted pyramid” to draft answers
WHO – WHAT – WHEN – WHERE – WHY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION “ OTHER DETAILS LESSER DETAILS THE INTERVIEW
First, establish the type of interview:
On-the-record Background Off-the-record Consider everything Allows you to Clearly state which you say as “on-the- provide context to portion of the record.” Never say stories, ensure the interview is “off-the- anything you don’t proper emphasis is record” to ensure want to see printed placed on key there is no chance or broadcast. aspects, and stories of confusion. are accurately The quote is reported There is always a attributed to your risk that the name. The quote is reporter will not attributed to a honor your generic title. agreement. THE INTERVIEW
The camera is always on, and the mic is always hot:
Is This Thing On? CNN American Morning Reporter: Jeanne Moos THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Using the Entice the conversation interviewer before the interview to “I know you are HOOKING ensure the interested in talking agenda hasn’t about [TOPIC], but changed and to that’s only a small get the reporter part of something interested in much more important what you want to to your audience…” talk about THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Techniques used Answer the to move from the question honestly, reporter’s agenda then bridge to to your message your message. BRIDGING “No, that’s not the “Yes, we did. What’s case. Our primary important to focus is on…” remember is that…” THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Technique (verbal Use voice inflection and/or non-verbal) plus facial and hand used to emphasize gestures to highlight your message messages. FLAGGING “The most important thing to remember is…”
“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. - Mark Twain THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Get to your message quickly Answer + Message Never just “answer” = RESPONSE a question THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Personal credibility: YOU are the expert!
Use personal Establish “From my 28 years authority, professional of experience…” experience credentials “When I facilitated joint environmental exercises…”
“My perspective as a cultural resource management Critics aren’t shy – you can’t be! director…” THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Remember… HOW you say it is as important as WHAT you say
7% 35% What You Say How You Sound 58% Body Language THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Key points:
• Be yourself • Know your • Stay in your facts lane
• “No comment” is not an answer THE INTERVIEW Techniques
Key points:
• Be yourself • Know your • Stay in your facts lane
• “No • Asking for a • Protect and comment” is restart is okay correct the not an answer record
• Talk headlines, • “I don’t know, • Repeat and not history but my PA will restate follow up” is okay CONCLUSION
• Control is the key to success
• Messages are your lifeline
• Confidence comes with preparation and engagement
Engage for the Joint Force! For questions, contact your unit public affairs office or:
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Engagement Division Media and Opinion Leader Engagement Branch 1690 Air Force Pentagon | Washington DC20330-1690 703.692.3231 | 703.695.9664 | [email protected]
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