DEMYSTIFYING THE MEDIA. or how to have your moment in the media spotlight

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2 DEMYSTIFYING THE MEDIA or how to have your moment in the media spotlight

3 WHO ARE THE MEDIA? The Fourth Estate Serving the public interest Making institutions accountable Businesses With shareholders Blurring of news values, entertainment Need to be first, preferably exclusive

4 WHAT MAKES NEWS? News values are not life values: IMPACT: how many people affected? PROXIMITY: in the outlet s own backyard TIMELINESS: is it happening today? CONFLICT or DRAMA: people, organisations CURRENCY: is there a related issue running? ODD or UNUSUAL: man bites dog!

5 MEDIA RELEASES An effective media release/news story should answer six essential journalistic questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

6 MEDIA RELEASES Ideally, the five Ws and an H should be answered in the first two pars Why? Chiefs of staff and news editors will only read two paragraphs You are not the only person trying to make news and editors receive hundreds of media releases and story ideas per day (literally)

7 MEDIA RELEASES Media release should have the most important information first (the inverted pyramid ) Aim for active, not passive tense

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10 MEDIA RELEASES Identify your audience: General public Research partners Government benefactors Prospective students Industry partners

11 MEDIA RELEASES Identify media outlets to target: Mainstream media (MSM) print, TV, radio Specialist media Online news services

12 MEDIA RELEASES DO: Distribute as early as possible on the day of the activity/event news lists are often settled by 10am and updated by 2pm Send your media release by to COS Have mobile phone details of spokesperson on the release, and have the mobile turned on! Recognise that it is the journalist who decides what the news angle is, not you.

13 MEDIA RELEASES DON T: Use hyperbole and puffery the media is interested in news, not self-promotion Write War & Peace one well-written page should be ample to tell your story Embed images in the document the print media will take their own photos and TV will shoot own footage Ask to see the story before it s published most journalists will politely refuse

14 INTERVIEW HINTS Take confidence from the fact that you will always know your subject better than a reporter Look at the reporter asking the question, not directly at the camera Do not look from one to another: it looks furtive Don t look away when asked a tough question: keep looking at the reporter

15 INTERVIEW HINTS If you need time to think, preface your remarks with That s an interesting question or I hadn t looked at it like that such comments will generally be edited out leaving your considered response Keep answers concise remember it s a 30 second grab, maximum

16 INTERVIEW HINTS Don t try and answer a question before its been asked responding to specific questions keeps your comments relevant, and facilitates easier editing Don t agree with the question Yes, that s right Start your answer with a statement. The situation in nursing is..

17 INTERVIEW HINTS If a question is simply wrong or loaded, give a gentle shake of the head to indicate No while the question is being asked, say something like that is not correct and then give the appropriate response If using hands to demonstrate a point, move hands in a relatively slow manner don t flap, chop or point

18 INTERVIEW HINTS Stay calm and don t debate a point with the reporter, simply answer the question If interrupted while speaking, say something like If I could just finish my point and continue with your previous thought, otherwise you end up without any completed answers

19 INTERVIEW HINTS Don t be distracted by cameras moving around you, even behind you, just ignore them Final advice: You control what comes out of your mouth, you don t have to say anything that you don t wish to say

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