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Social Change Training Manual
MEDIA STRATEGIES
Presenter: Elisabeth Mealey
1. TEN THOUGHTS ON DEVELOPING A MEDIA CAMPAIGN
1.1 Why do you want to go to the media with this issue? Have you done everything else you need to before you take it into the public arena? Is the media your first option?
If so, maybe you should think hard about all the other avenues you need to pursue first:
- Political
- Educational
- Community
- Others?
Is your media strategy closely linked to the rest of the campaign?
If not, FORGET THE MEDIA STRATEGY!
1.2 What are the key points you want the media (and the public) to understand about your issue? If it's a new issue, perhaps you'll need to do some media briefings before you take it further.
List your TOP THREE messages, then refine them to ONE MAJOR POINT
1.3 Who are you targeting? Everyone in Australia? everyone in the world? Start again.
- The Minister? Better.
- The Department? Now you're talking.
- The mayor/local council
What's the best way to get the 'target's' attention?
- A one-off media expose?
- A concerted media campaign?
- Public pressure?
- All of the above?
1.4 What outcome(s) are you looking for?
- A one-hit, one-day wonder?
- A week-long, hard-hitting, to-and-fro beat-up?
- A targeted attack in one key media outlet?
- A letter in the letters page?
- A meaty discussion on talk-back radio?
- An all-encompassing TV documentary with no-holds barred?
- An international embarrassment released overseas?
- All of the above?
BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT COVERAGE YOU WANT AND WHERE BEFORE YOU START.....
1.5 How are you going to get that ideal coverage?
- A press conference releasing something HOT and NEW?
- A tightly written, targeted press release which makes the journos want more?
- An exclusive story released to a trust-worthy journalist with 'pull' ?
- A briefing session with an editor/chief of staff/columnist/environment correspondent/TV producer or researcher?
- A letter to the editor which makes everyone sit up and take note.
1.6 Have you prepared all your materials, tailored to the style of release you've decided on?
- A new report (thoroughly researched and checked) which tells the media something they don't already know;
- A tightly-written, one-page media release which sets 'the line' for all speakers;
- A backgrounder with all the other important issues covered briefly;
- Any video footage or photographs which can be made available;
- For an on-going campaign: a graphic/logo; media kit; poster; stickers
- A web page?
1.7 Practising the line: Now that you've decided all of the above, practise THE LINE over and over again until you've covered every potential TOUGH QUESTION. Set up a mock interview/ press conference - and challenge your speakers with EVEN TOUGHER QUESTIONS.
1.8 Practise makes perfect: If it's TV news you're going for, try to set up a practise run using a video camera. Don't throw your trainee campaigner into the TV deep end without several practise runs!! Does your issue have a visual element for TV - if so, EXPLOIT IT.
NB: TV NEWS GRABS ARE AS SHORT AS 5-10 SECONDS! CAN YOU GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS THAT FAST? IF NOT, REFINE IT!!
(Watch a few talking heads who've mastered the art: Peter Costello, Jennie George; Jim Downey, etc)
1.9 Think hard about TIMING.
The media loves a story that's connected to a particular event eg an anniversary; an international convention meeting; environment day; a minister's departure for an important meeting overseas, etc. You could take the running if you get in just ahead of that event.
The old method of releasing things on Sundays for Monday's media still works - AS LONG AS IT'S NEWSWORTHY.
Fridays are to be avoided since most Saturday papers have early deadlines and the journalists are off to the pub by lunch time!
If something BIG happens the day before your release (eg Port Arthur massacre), consider changing the release date. Even with the best strategy in the world, you're not going to be able to compete with a mad, media frenzy.
1.10 Always be on the look-out for opportunities to RESPOND.
Responsive media work has an undeservedly bad rep. What's wrong with phoning John Laws with some well-aimed invective or offering yourself or your campaigner to 'AM' when there's a story breaking with relevance to your campaign? Or if it's more local, get into the local letters page or on local radio.
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2. TIPS FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEDIA WORK
Ideas, ideas. Keep them coming. The media get bored quickly and are always under pressure to find new ways with old material. Your organisation's creative talents could be harnessed to deliver the goods.
Get personal. Journalists operate on a system of 'contacts'. That's where 75 per cent of their stories come from. Get to know your local media personnel on a personal basis and suggest lunch, or a coffee or a drink to discuss ideas.
Maintain an up-to-date list of media contacts and their areas of interest and their deadlines. After hours contact numbers can be useful for BIG stories.
Be sensitive to media deadlines. Don't call a radio producer five minutes before the news is going to air and don't call a daily newspaper reporter just before their copy is due. That's a great way to make a media enemy.
Don't bombard reporters with pointless press releases. The most effective organisations only put out releases when it's something BIG. Reporters are blitzed by press releases every day and get to know which ones to discard just by looking at the letterhead.
Make sure you follow-up your (once in a while, newsworthy) press release with a quick call to check that the reporter received it and understands it.
If you think you've run a media campaign by putting out a press release, you need to go back to activist school.
The non-mainstream media should not be ignored as they are often the source of ideas for the mainstream. They are also important as they reach particular target groups which you may want to reach too. Keep in mind:
- The gay press
- Ethnic media
- Community TV and radio
- Party political media
- Free, local 'what's on'-type press, etc
These media often welcome feature articles, columns, guest appearances, public service announcements - some of which you could churn out while on the bus or at the beach or at the laundromat, etc.
Keep abreast of the new media technology. Be aware that much of the debate about environment issues is going on in cyberspace these days and many reporters are connected to the Net. Find an enthusiastic member of staff to keep an eye on the relevant bulletin boards and Web pages and think about having your own Web page designed. But don't do it unless you're going to get into the Net boots and all.
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3. DEALING WITH A CRISIS
Just as you start to get complacent with your media performance and how positive the coverage has been, there is bound to be A MAJOR SET-BACK.
Why is it so?
- Murphy's law
- The media loves to find dirt on people and organisations that the public was just learning to like and respect: eg Princess Di; Carmen Lawrence; Greenpeace.....
- There are lobby groups out there (with lots of money from industry) who are paying PR companies to:
- Destroy the environment movement's credibility;
- Find dirt on green organisations and their leaders;
- Dig out overseas 'experts' and pay them to tour the world spreading doubt about your campaign;
- Campaigners are human beings too. Sometimes they make mistakes and you can be pretty certain that the media will find out about them!
How to respond
- Don't panic. This happens to everyone! Look at Esso and BHP!!
- Keep doing what you do best - ie campaign and make it as media-friendly as possible.
- If anything, do more media work than you were doing before the crisis. Show them that you're above all that!
- If the attacks are to the heart of your organisation and are sustained, produce a statement which responds and rejects the criticisms POINT BY POINT or explains the mistake.
- emember, you don't have anything to hide!! Appoint one spokesperson - preferably the BOSS - to handle all of the media to ensure consistency.
- Make sure you keep all staff updated on the situation and brief them on how you are responding. If the media can't get a response from the top, they'll find ways to get to staff - especially former staff and especially former, aggrieved staff.
- Roll with it. If nothing else, you can be assured that the media frenzy will die off within a week or so. Then you can get back to REAL work and campaigning. Meanwhile, ensure that you remain as open and honest with the media as you can.
- GOLDEN RULE: Never mislead a journalist. Always be truthful and up-front. If there is a legitimate problem or a campaigner has made a mistake, be open about it. Journos love nothing more than a COVER-UP!!
Elisabeth Mealey
Email: emealey@peg.apc.org
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