Telling Your StoryTelling Your Story

Through the MediaThrough the MediaMar. 24, 2011Mar. 24, 2011

Traditional media

• TV• Print Media• Radio• Web

Mn/DOT and the media

“On an average day 7 minutes of news happens. Yet there are currently three full-time, 24-hour news networks.Jon Stewart -

Media-Map – The Internet PR

“On an average day 7 minutes of news happens. Yet there are currently three full-time, 24-hour news networks.Jon Stewart -

Media-Map – The Internet PR

The media

• The media is an important interest group and vehicle in getting our messages to the public

• News is competitive – reporters, editors and producers have an incredible need for information

What influences leaders

• Congressmen and women are influenced more by what is reported in their hometown media than any other form of communications.

Peter Hart Research Associates Communicating with Congress

What Americans say about the media and the news

• Access media for average of one hour per day

• Useful in their everyday lives• Believe media are more influenced by

powerful interests than good of society• Trust local news outlets more

Newsmakers

• Unique, unusual situation• Focus is impact on people – how many?• Prominence – who or what is involved?

Newsmakers

• Timeliness• Proximity• Opposing views

What is news?

Here’s what makes news Compelling C’s

ConflictConflict

ConfusionConfusion

Close to home

ContradictionContradiction

ControversyControversy

CatastropheCatastrophe

CompetitionCompetition

Mn/DOT makes news

• Snowplowing• Road construction• Traffic management• Potholes• Road blows• Litter• Speed limits

• Funding• Investments• Sprawl• Contracting • Eminent domain• Environment• HOT lanes

Mn/DOT Media Relations

• Provide ongoing communication with print, television, radio and Web-based news media to ensure that accurate and timely agency information is provided to a broad public audience

Media contact

• Phone call from a reporter about your project• Reporter asks questions at a public meeting or

open house• Report is searching for information or

spokesperson on a particular issue or during a crisis

• Special interest on the particular function you perform at Mn/DOT

Media Relations tasks

• Responding to media requests for information and interviews

• Issuing news releases and media packets• Providing public statements and commentary

for the agency• Holding news conferences and media events

Media Packets

• News Release• Maps• Project /subject Information• Resource material• Agency information• Contact information

Mn/DOT spokespersons

• The people assigned by management and communications staff to represent the agency in a media interview

Mn/DOT PACs

Major TV Media

• KTCA• WCCO• KSTP• FOX 9• KARE 11

Cable TV

• Local cable TV is important to the community • Good source of free media coverage• Provides in-depth coverage of topics• A natural for transportation and transit

projects

Cable TV in Minnesota

• Great opportunity for agencies to connect with community

• Check out

http://www.acm-midwest.org/minnesotacommunitytelevision/ for cable access closest to your community

Mn/DOT and print media

• Print media generally serves an audience with more advanced education than other types of media.

• Print media provide identity to communities and lends a certain weight to content.

Source: iMedia Advisory, 2009

Daily Print Media in Metro Area

• Star & Tribune

• St. Paul Pioneer Press

• Minnesota Daily

Outstate Daily Print Media

Outstate Weekly Print Media

Radio

• Arbitron research shows that 84.8 percent of people, 12 years or older, listen to radio every day

• On average, people listen to six radio stations each week, and they tune in for shorter bursts of time than previously documented

Radio Stations and Mn/DOT

• WCCO• KSTP• MPR• Clear Channel

Minnesota Radio Stations

• To find radio outlets in your project area visit: http://www.ontheradio.net/states/minnesota.aspx

Mn media serving ethnic populations• Asian American Press• Asian Pages • Bois Forte News

Nett Lake, American Indian• Circle

Minneapolis, American Indian community newspaper

Mn ethnic media continued• One Nation News, Native American newspaper• Nash Dom Minnesota

Russian community newspaper• Somali TV news show through CTV15 in

Roseville• African News Journal• Insight News, African American Newspaper

sota, radio and TV

Mn ethnic media continued

• Spokesman Recorder, African American Newspaper

• Hmong Times• Latino Communications Network, newspaper,

radio & TV• Mshale, Online African-American media• Hmong Today, newspaper

Mn ethnic media continued

• Vietnamese Broadcasting of Minnesota, radio and TV

• KFAI Radio provides several ethnic radio shows

Ethnic media and projects

• Develop relationships with editors at ethnic media outlets

• Work with ethnic community leaders to promote involvement at public meetings

Media interviews

Before DuringAfter

Contact your public affairs/information coordinator• They may have background information on the

reporter or media outlet• They will find out:

• Scope of interview• Who else has been interviewed• Deadline

Before agreeing to an interview

Who is your audience?Why are you conducting the interview?Why does your audience care? How will information

affect them?Are you the appropriate spokesperson?

Focus the interview

Speak in pyramidsTalk about benefits, not featuresKeep it simple - 3 pointsBe brief – 7 seconds, 140 charactersSum it up

Messages

• Phone calls• Emails

How do we provide info to media?

News releases• Useful for sharing info. with a

number of media• Critical when sharing

complicated info• Today, increasingly helpful in

sharing info. immediately through media websites

Advantageous to work with reporters as a groupEconomical use of your timeInvolves:Pre-briefingOpening statementRehearse presenters – limit the numberAccessible location with parkingMedia kits that reinforce information

News conferences

1. Weave your three main points throughout your answer

2. Don’t repeat negative information3. No personal opinions4. Don’t go off the record5. Don’t say “no comment”

During the interview

6. If you don’t know the answer, say so7. Keep your message simple8. When you’ve answered the question, stop talking9. Never comment on an issue in litigation10. Don’t speculate

During the interview, continued

Watch your reaction shot (especially on video)Don’t label the questionsDon’t use the reporter’s name

Answering questions

Have your public affairs staff presentGet out of your officePay attention to the background of the camera shotKeep your feet flat on the floor

On camera?

Sit still – don’t rock, chew gum or slouchForget the camera-keep eyes on interviewerUse normal tone of voiceRemember the photographer

On camera? continued

Monitor • Look at the coverage in print, online, on-air• Correct inaccurate information• Thank them for a job well done

After the interview

If story has factual errors, call the reporter and point them out

Don’t ask for a retraction

They got it wrong!

Contact your PACKnow your audienceUse three key messages

Summary

Questions?

Where do Social Media and Regular Media Intersect?

“Marketers feel they’re required to have a Facebook strategy. That’s unfair to the poor marketers—heck, Facebook doesn’t really have a Facebook strategy.”

--Chip Heath, forward to The Dragonfly Effect

• Mn/DOT Tweets our traffic updates and news releases

• Mn/DOT set up a Facebook Page• Mn/DOT set up a YouTube channel

What we do

• Snow plow video• Mndotnews and mndotraffic tweets• Facebook?

What MSM does with our social media

• Do we have something to say?• Do we have somewhere to point them?• Are we responding to questions quickly?• Is our tone right?

Questions we ask ourselves before we post

You can monitor media outlets’ Tweets and their

Facebook Page

Social Media’s two-way street

TweetDeck

Explosion Last Week

Questions?

Thank you for your time and attention.

Get a copy of this presentation (without video) from webteam.dot@state.mn.us