Telling Your Story To The Media Pat Lewis National Jewish Democratic Council Washington, D.C. Working with the media is tough, but ignoring it is tougher. It's also, in the end, a losing strategy. Ease the way by planning ahead: Know what you want to say, why you want to say it, who to say it to and how to phrase itand you're practically there. Introduction. Next to asking for money, talking to reporters can be one of the most difficulteven unnervingaspects of an organizer's work. But it's every bit as important. Whether you're trying to shine the light on stealth candidates or keep books on the shelves of your local library, the media can play a critical role in how your story ends. I. Starting out or First Things First Before you can begin telling your story, you have to know what it is. That means being able to talk easily and succinctly about who you are, why you formed this organization, and what you hope to accomplish. One way to make sure you can do this is to formulate a mission statement. Even if it's seldom used, the process of writing it helps hammer out these and other answers. Be able to answer these questions: "Why are you doing this?" "Who are you?" "Why should anyone care about this issue?" Next, think about why you want to tell this story. Do you want to influence policy makers? Increase awareness among voters? Increase membership? These questions may not be asked directly, but it's always a good idea to keep your focus in mind when talking to the press. II. Impress 'Em With Paper Have your materials prepared before you approach the press. Your general information piece should include: a standard oneor twosentence paragraph explaining your organization, the names and affiliations of the people involved in your organization, an address and working phone number. That means a number that doesn't go unanswered and isn't busy 23 hours a day. Don't let a small budget hold you back. Your material doesn't have to be glossy and expensive just neat, wellwritten and typofree. III. Finding Those Reporters Now you're ready to begin identifying the media in your area. Start a list of daily and weekly newspapers, radio and television stations, the Associated Press bureau that serves your area, and college papers that cover offcampus news. Monitor media coverage regularly to find out who is most likely to cover you. At smaller outlets, particularly television and radio stations, reporters are more likely to be general assignment, covering dozens of different stories every week. This means it may take more time to develop a relationship with certain journalists, and also that you have to be ready to go over background more than once. Make sure you have correct phone and fax numbers, and mailing addresses. (Widespread fax technology has made the written release a relic, but you may want to mail other kinds of information.) Deadlines are critical information. Remember that not only do different outlets have different deadlinesthe same outlet may have different deadlines depending on the day of the week and the subject matter. Finally, put together a list of alternative media sources. This includes talk shows on radio and TV, and the op-ed pages of area newspapers. Again, assemble the names and numbers for the people in charge. IV. Setting the Stage The media can be approached in a number of different ways: Press release Ideally, a one-page, double-spaced news announcement that talks about an action taken, a position staked out, people appointed to positions, suits filed. Releases can be used alone or in lieu of a press conference. Press conference While print reporters may be able to work from releases, television needs visuals. That's not a criticismjust a statement of fact. Press conferences allow you to use props to make a point as well. (Talking about censorship surrounded by stacks of books that someone is trying to ban, for example.) Of course, holding a conference is more complicated and risky than sending out a release, too. You have to find a good location accessible to reporters, at a time that makes it easy for them to meet their deadlines. And you have to have a reason. A release that doesn't grab anyone's attention will just get tossed in the trash. A news conference without news can actually generate hostile attention. Press advisory This is a written announcement of a scheduled eventpress conference, rally, speechsent out in advance. Although not a news release, it should contain enough of a hook to get the media there. Editorial boards These scheduled meetings are on or offtherecord conversations with a paper's editorial staff, taken to introduce an issue or organization, scheduled at your or the paper's suggestion. They may result in editorials and they may not. Reporters may or may not sit in. They are useful, but be careful not to assume that discussions with editorial staff are the same as discussions with reporters. V. Talking to Reporters Just as there are different ways to approach the media, there are different reasons. Those break down into two main categories: Proactive and reactive. Proactive This means taking the initiative. It can range from announcing the formation of your organization to coming out in support of proposed legislation. It means you are seeking out reporters, which means you have the task of convincing them that something is newsworthy. It helps to have a hook to sell your story. Is your event the first of its kind? Is it in recognition of an anniversary? Does it tie into a national event? Think about how reporters will phrase the part of their stories that explains why they're writing it. (If you're not sure what that is, take some time reading and listening to news reports. Pinpoint the reason why stories appear when they do.) Getting your story told on talk shows and in the op-ed pages is part of being proactive. Don't wait for talk show producers to call you. Let them know you're available and why. Don't wait for newspapers to call, either. If you have an idea for an opinion piece, call the paper's editorial page and find out how to submit an idea. Reactive This involves responding to actions or comments by opponents. Part of your media work is intended to make sure reporters know you're there so you will hear from them when your issue is the topic of a news story. But you don't always have to wait for a call, either. For example, if you know that a local antigay group is holding a news conference on Tuesday at 1 p.m., call the reporters ahead of time to make sure they know you'll have a response. If you've just settled in for the evening news and see something that warrants a responsedon't wait until the next day. Call the paper and see who is working on that story. Call the TV station and see if they're planning to rerun the story. Tell them you have something to add. VI. Conclusion These suggestions will help you get started. Remember, there are always people out there who have done it before and would be more than happy to help. If you're not sure how to approach the media, call a national organization's press office. Talk to someone locally who has spent a lot of time with the media. The most important point to keep in mind: you have something newsworthy to say. Say it. Pointers from the Pros Media tips from three professionals. Susan Bennett, producer for CNN's "Crossfire." Bennett says talk shows should be an integral part of an organization's media plan. These are her tips on making the most of this medium. "Call ahead of time and let producers know you have someone they might find interesting. Call in advancenot when news breaks." "Know what different shows are looking for. Not all shows want the same thing. 'Equal Time' is different from 'Nightline' which is different from 'Crossfire.'" "No one wants someone who is dull, who's slow. We look for someone who engages." "Consider taking a publicspeaking class. Become more versatile at quick analysis. Learn to articulate your viewpoint in a few short sentences." Eric Alterman, author of "Sound and Fury," senior fellow, World Policy Institute, Washington Correspondent, Mother Jones: Alterman offers advice as a writer and as someone who has written extensively about the media. "Don't sound like a nut. The media thinks anyone with a cause is crazy. Be as unemotional as possible." "It's got to sound like news. The first question is 'what's new?" "Look for a larger hook. Tie your news into something national." "Never assume a reporter is telling the truth when he says he won't tell anyone." Reporters using your off-the-record information may name you in a quote directly above, he explained, virtually giving away your identity. In addition, reporters may not report what you say, but may use it along with your identity in conversations with other sources. Doug Bloomfield, columnist and political analyst Bloomfield emphasizes the importance of knowing reporters personally, working to develop a relationship over time: "The information highway is a twoway thoroughfare. A good reporter can also be a good source. If you have a good relationship, they can serve as an earlywarning system for you." "Be sensitive to the personal interests and idiosyncracies of journalists most important to you." "Different reporters put different degrees of credibility on different sources. Know how to take advantage of the special relationships that may exist between some of your staff or board and key journalists." =================================================== How to Win: A Practical Guide for Defeating the Radical Right in Your Community Copyright 1994 by Radical Right Task Force Permission is granted to reproduce this publication in whole or in part. All other rights reserved. For more information contact: Pat Lewis National Jewish Democratic Council 711 Second Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 544-7636 =================================================== This document is from the Politics section of the WELL gopher server: gopher://gopher.well.com/11/Politics/ Questions and comments to: gopher@well.com