COMM 101: Building a Media & Communications Foundation April 20, 2010 Presented by: Stephanie Goss &...
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Transcript of COMM 101: Building a Media & Communications Foundation April 20, 2010 Presented by: Stephanie Goss &...
COMM 101:Building a Media &
Communications Foundation
April 20, 2010Presented by:
Stephanie Goss & David Stupplebeen
COMM 101: Training Objectives
• Developing messages • Drafting talking points• Training spokespeople• Handling an interview • Writing press releases • Building media contacts
What is a meaningful message?
• Concise– Messages should be honed to 1 -2 sentences– If it takes a paragraph or more to make your
points, keep working!• Catchy
– Messages should be easy to remember– Messages should NOT be overloaded with data
points• Make your case
– Link your work to a broader community issue– Communicate the issue and why it matters– Identify obstacles or misconceptions that keep
people from engaging
Message Development: Identifying the issue
• What’s the issue?• Case study: World AIDS Day• World AIDS Day is on December 1st and
seeks to raise awareness about the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. For A&PI Wellness Center, observing the day includes raising awareness about HIV in A&PI communities in the US.
• Example: The rate of new HIV infections continues to rise among A&PIs, an ignored community perceived to be “low-risk.”
Message Development: Making your case
• Why does it matter?• Support your issue statement with
compelling statistics or anecdotes• Example: Recent data shows the
annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group and yet over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.
Message Development: Putting it together
• The rate of new HIV infections continues to rise among A&PIs, an ignored community perceived to be “low-risk.” Recent data shows the annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group and yet over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.
Message Development: Know your sound bites
• Sound bites are PART OF your message, but not the message itself
• Sound bites reinforce the message• Example: there are three sound bites
in the sample message. Can you find them? RAISE YOUR HAND!
What are talking points?
• Concise and clear list of key points for speakers, spokespeople or organizational representatives
• Useful for situations involving communication with any external audience
• Use cases:– Public and private funders– Media– Policymakers– Anyone with a question about your issue or the
work you do
Why use talking points?
• Message consistency• Clarification of organizational
position• When to use talking points
– Fielding calls from media– Media interviews– Interactions at large events
Talking points format
• Concise, clear and easy to remember• Speakers can use their own words to
express the points
Case Study: World AIDS Day
• Sample talking points:– A&PIs are perceived to be “low risk” for
HIV infection– A&PIs are often ignored in broader
discussions about HIV– A&PIs comprise over 40 different ethnic
groups and speak over 100 distinct languages and dialects
Talking points format
• Example continued:– The annual increase in HIV infections for A&PI men
and women was higher than any other racial/ethnic group (8.1% for men and 14.3% for women, between 2001 and 2004)
– Over two-thirds of Asians and over half of Pacific Islanders have never been tested for HIV.
– 1 in 3 A&PIs living with HIV don’t know it– Clearly, HIV prevention education and testing must
be culturally and linguistically competent in order to better serve the needs of the A&PI community.
Do you really need spokespeople?
• YES!• Trained spokespeople are your
strongest advocates when talking to an external audience
• Why do you need spokespeople?– Strength– Credibility– Authenticity
Who are your spokespeople?
• Staff members (ED, program staff, etc)
• Board of Directors• Clients and community members• Public and private funders• Political leaders and policymakers• Experts
Training your spokespeople:Practice, practice, practice!
• Hold a training• Training logistics:
– Videotape the training, if possible– Pay attention to time– Practice staying on message
Handling an interview
• WARNING! Interviews are business transactions
• Do your homework:– What is the interview format?– How long is the interview?
• Don’t have more than 3 messages for any interview
Tricks of the trade
• Don’t be lured off-topic during the interview• Use these techniques to stay on message:
Bridging – transitioning back to core message:• “Another thing to remember is…”• “If you look closely, you’ll find…”• “That reminds me of…”
Flipping the script:• “That’s not my area of expertise, but I think it’s
important to note that…”• “Let me answer you by saying…”• “What I can tell you is…”
Tricks of the trade
• More techniques for the interview:Hooking – “3 things” or “2 mistakes”
• “Three things people should know about HIV in our community are…”
• “Two common misconceptions about HIV in our community are…”
Flagging – highlighting the important point• “The important point here is…”• “The real issue here is…”
Tricks of the trade
• More techniques for the interview:Cherry picking – answer the question YOU
want!Telescoping – Explode to the big picture
• “What that means is…”
What not to wear
• Men– Solid suits in gray or navy– Cream, blue or other light-colored shirt– Careful with the tie! Complicated patterns create
illusions on TV!
• Women– Solid, bright colors are best– Avoid all-white or cream and busy prints– No heavy jewelry– Everyday makeup
Press release or media advisory or both?
• A press release should be written like a news article
• A media advisory is much shorter than a press release
Drafting your press release
• Now that you have your skeleton, the press release should have muscle and skin
• Inverted pyramid– Section 1: broad strokes of event or issue– Section 2: your main message– Section 3: your supporting arguments– Section 4: event and logistical details
• Don’t be too wordy – keep it to a single page
Sample press release
Sample press release
Sample press release
Sample press release
Sample media advisory
Sample media advisory
Building an initial media contacts list
• Identify local newspapers, magazines and television/radio stations that are important for your community
• For newspapers: send press releases and media advisories to the major desks (i.e., Metro desk for local events, Health desk, etc.)
• For radio/television: Media advisories are put on studio calendars for reporters to pick up
Sending out the press release/media advisory
• Pay attention to deadlines• Avoid sending releases on Mondays
or Fridays• Make sure to follow up!
More resources
• Visit our project web site!
http://www.banyantreeproject.org/
Questions? Contact us!Stephanie Goss: [email protected]
David Stupplebeen: [email protected](415) 292-3400 x 330 and 361, respectfully