BROWN BAG WORKSHOP: MEDIA TRAINING. Office of Communications & Marketing

Transcription

1 BROWN BAG WORKSHOP: MEDIA TRAINING Office of Communications & Marketing

2 Today s media landscape Print/Online New Media (Huffington Post) Television Radio Social Media Blogs Facebook Twitter Pintrest

3 Where people get news Source: Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism

4 Why work with the media? Promotion of your scholarship or expertise Contribute to Georgia Regents University and Health System s reputation Tell our story

5 Why work with Media Relations? We are the spokespersons for the enterprise We have relationships with the media We have experience with traditional and non-traditional media We are knowledgeable about applicable state laws (Open Records Act, Sunshine Law) We vet media requests We advise on appropriate venues and reporters We are trained to handle crisis communications We are former members of the media

6 Timeliness: Why it s important Deadlines are constant Reply to media inquiries as quickly as possible Expert s obligation Helps to develop reporter/expert relationships Media outlets usually work together in which increases your chances of national & international exposure

7 Media Exposure: How do we get it? Responding to media inquiries Media releases External pitches Op-Eds Established relationships with institutional experts Public Relations Listservs Crises

8 Roles Interviewer Reporters don t work for us A good reporter is: Balanced/Honest Quick A generalist Curious Interviewee

9 What to do when a reporter calls you Alert the Media Relations Department before scheduling a time to speak with the media. We will advise on how to proceed and assist in scheduling an interview. We ll ask the questions Identify the media outlet What is the story about? Who else are they talking to? Who is the right expert? What is the deadline? Relax you re the expert, remember?

10 What to do when a reporter calls you USE LAYMAN S TERMS! Don t dumb down. Lose the jargon Tell it to your mother Know your audience Don t assume any prior knowledge on the reporter s part

11 Soundbites Realize up front that reporters will use about 10 seconds of what you say Analogies and visual examples work well Arm yourself with some keepers about your area of expertise Dull: Premature babies don t have enough surfactant and may benefit from an endotracheal tube Keeper: When babies are born premature, the sacs in their lungs stick together when they breathe in and out. By providing a natural lubricant, through a tube in their airway, we can fix that problem.

12 Bridging Know in advance what you are going to talk about and LISTEN CAREFULLY to questions Find a way back to the point you want to make Expand or narrow the scope of the question Do not speculate. If you don t know the answer, say so. Do not repeat false statements or toxic wording

13 Don t expect To receive a list of questions prior to the interview To approve the reporter s story ahead of time, but you can offer to be available to fact-check To tell the reporter what he or she should write about The headline to reflect the content of the story

14 On Camera Appearance Clothing & Makeup No sunglasses No striped, checkered, plaid, or big prints Consider storing an extra jacket/tie in the office Women, wear more makeup than you typically do Physical Speak to the reporter (taped) Speak to the camera (live) Avoid crazy eyes Avoid swivel chairs Sit up straight puppet on a string

15 Women Bright, flattering colors Minimal jewelry Flattering makeup Professional look Avoid busy patterns Men Conservative colors Blue dress shirt Professional look No busy patterns Shave Dressing for TV

16 Quick Tips Stand if you re talking on the phone it prevents multi-tasking, improves your breathing and you think better on your feet NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD! Try to avoid No Comment You can limit the time of the interview

17 Media Relations Contacts Christen Carter, Director Toni Baker, Medical College of Georgia Danielle Harris, Hull College of Business, College of Education, & College of Math and Sciences Denise Parrish, Clinical Affairs: Georgia Regents Medical Center and Children s Hospital of Georgia mparrish@gru.edu LaTina Emerson, College of Dental Medicine, College of Nursing, and College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences lemerson@gru.edu Jennifer Scott, Medical College of Georgia (student news), Research, and University Partnerships jscott1@gru.edu Steven Uhles, Cancer Center suhles@gru.edu Sharron Walls, College of Allied Health Sciences shwalls@gru.edu GRU Paging Operator The operator will direct you to the on-call media relations representative (24/7)