GSSC Media Training

Transcript

1. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
2. OUTLINE
3. WHO AM I?
4. CRITICAL MEDIA THEORY CRITICAL MEDIA THEORY
5. ü  How are themes, individuals and ideas portrayed by the media? ü  How does the media produce and reproduce reality? ü  Who participates in media? By what means is this participation produced, controlled and brought into being? For whom is the media produced for? ü  How can language and ideas be used as tools? ü  How does media representation uphold or dismantle? CRITICAL MEDIA THEORY
6. ü  If used properly, communications can: ü  Heighten visibility ü  Raise stature ü  Reinforce reputation ü  Once you understand how media is constructed, you can deconstruct it and remake it into serving your goals. ü  Discourse CREATES fact, and discourse can also DISMANTLE fact. THEORY INTO ACTION
7. ü Tell stories that grab people’s attention ü Fire up imaginations ü Inspire and motivate your audience ü Show your community what is possible COMMUNICATIONS ALLOW YOU TO
8. CRAFTING STRATEGY
9. ü  You – Tell your story, your way ü  Media – Get a story ü  Interview – An opportunity to get your issues and cause out there WHO DOES WHAT
10. ü  Do you have the time to allocate to communications? Do you know what resources are available to you? ü  Types of people involved in communications efforts: coordinator/director, spokesperson, writer ü  Institutional Memory IDENTIFYING EXISTING RESOURCES
11. ü  Know how to access prior records, especially Columbia Spectator archives, and Columbiana Archives ü  Have Google Alerts for your name, your issue. Monitor Twitter using HootSuite, TweetDeck, Postling ü  Get a cheap scanner and PDF everything. Put them somewhere accessible for future reference INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY
12. DEFINE GOALS & SET OBJECTIVES
13. IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
14. Specific Individuals President Bollinger/Low Library Dean Awn/Lewisohn Hall Dean Schollenberger/Lerner Hall Specific Groups Students, Alumni, Trustees, Faculty Specific Communities Women, People of Color, LGBT, Athletics, Performance IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
15. Your audience is NOT the general public. Neither is the media. The media is a means to an end. IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
16. HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
17. IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE Who needs to hear your message? Who or what has influence over your target audience? Who or what must be moved so that your end goal is met? Who has the greatest impact on the outcome?
18. FRAME YOUR ISSUE
19. FRAMING “For any way of thought to become dominant, a conceptual apparatus has to be advanced that appeals to our intuitions and instincts, to our values and our desires, as well as to the possibilities inherent in the social world we inhabit. If successful, this conceptual apparatus becomes so embedded in common sense as to be taken for granted and not open to question.”
20. FRAMING Video: Zoe Oxley on Media Framing
21. FRAMING Framing is the art and science of organizing information in a way that connects to what people already think, aligns it with what they already know, and helps them see new ideas in a context that acknowledges and builds on their values. Messaging is connecting those shared values to the change you want to see in the world. Storytelling is crafting a narrative to amplify marginalized voices to uproot power dynamics to create a common tale that resonates with your audience.
22. IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE Framing is the art and science of organizing information in a way that connects to what people already think, aligns it with what they already know, and helps them see new ideas in a context that acknowledges and builds on their values. Messaging is connecting those shared values to the change you want to see in the world. Storytelling is crafting a narrative to amplify marginalized voices to uproot power dynamics to create a common tale that resonates with your audience.
23. FRAMING ü  A frame makes the issue. ü  We unconsciously frame every issue we come across as good or bad, liberal or conservative. ü  Level One Frames - Freedom, Justice, Community, Success, Responsibility ü  Level Two Frames - Environment, Child-Care, Equal Rights, Health ü  Level Three Frames - Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the PATRIOT Act, Climate Change, Earned Income Tax Credits, Net Neutrality
24. FRAMING
25. FRAMING ü  Accountability ü  Civic participation ü  Compassion ü  Courage ü  Creativity ü  Democracy ü  Dignity ü  Discipline ü  Diversity ü  Equal Opportunity ü  Faith ü  Freedom ü  Health ü  Happiness ü  Honesty ü  Independence ü  Justice ü  Making a better life ü  Self-Reliance ü  Tradition ü  Work
26. FRAMING ü  Come up with your own frames: What is the frame for your values, vision and mission? ü  Avoid attacking opponents’ issues and arguments*
27. FRAMING ü  Tap into shared values and ideals. ü  Link problems with solutions. ü  Educate the target audience. ü  Win allies and champions
28. TOOLS
29. TOOLS – “OWNED” ü  Three different categories of media ü  Owned Media Website, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook ü  Earned media Cost effective; Not always largest audience; Create a Media List; Cultivate relationships ü  Paid Media
30. TOOLS – OWNED MEDIA ü  Media Advisory ü  Press Release ü  Tip/Fact Sheet ü  Biographies ü  Backgrounders ü  FAQ Sheets ü  Flyers/Posters
31. TOOLS – OWNED MEDIA ü  Council Meetings ü  Social Media/Videos ü  Student Government Websites (YourCCSC) ü  Town Halls/CU Student Forum ü  Dormstorming ü  LCD Screens ü  Meet with editorial board ü  Write op/ed or Letter to the Editor
32. OWNED MEDIA - RELEASES ü  Media Advisory ü  Events/Newsworthy, Advanced Notice ü  Who, What, When, Why ü  Contact names, e-mail, web addresses, critical facts. ü  Press Release ü  Longer than a media advisory, less than two pages. ü  Quotes, background, summary ü  Written in the form of a news report ü  Headline and first few sentences are CRITICAL.
33. MEDIA ADVISORY ü  Logo or name at the top ü  Who is announcing the news? Brief list of key speakers, names and affiliations. ü  What is being announced? An event, rally, protest, press conference, release of new report? ü  Where?, When?, Why? (coming up) ü  Strong visuals? Photo opportunities? ü  ### OR -30-
34. PRESS RELEASE ü  Logo or name at the top ü  For Immediate Release/Embargoed Until ____ ü  Contact names, e-mails, telephone numbers ü  2-3 sentence description of your organization, a boilerplate ü  Summarize your news into a headline ü  Lead Paragraph ü  Organize the press release in order of importance ü  Frame your news ü  One or two pithy soundbites
37. HOW TO ENSURE THE MEDIA IGNORES YOUR PRESS RELEASE
38. GETTING YOUR PRESS RELEASE IGNORED ü  No contact information ü  No news ü  Irrelevant or conflicting information ü  No “media hook” ü  Bad fact-checking ü  Confusing or poorly written, typos, mistakes ü  Jargon, political rhetoric
39. REPETITION ü  The “Seven Times, Seven Ways” Rule ü  “700 Impressions” Rule ü  Repeating your message sounds boring to your colleagues, reporters, etc. ü  But NOT your audience. They need to hear it as many times as possible.
42. HOW TO GET THE MEDIA INTERESTED ü  Breaking news – Information of current interest to general public ü  Human interest – emotional element ü  Inherent conflict ü  Unusual/unique
43. AFTER THE RELEASE – NOW WHAT? ü  Call reporter or editor with whom you have an existing relationship. ü  Make your pitch.* ü  Mention you have a press release if they are interested in reading it. ü  Provide other sources, compelling spokespersons, if you can.
44. AFTER THE RELEASE – NOW WHAT? ü  Have a backup pitch – a different story, or angle. ü  Have more than one hook. ü  Be knowledgeable about the reporter’s prior work and coverage. ü  Ask to be referred to other colleagues who might be interested. ü  Respect a reporter’s deadlines, priorities, and humanity.
45. AFTER THE RELEASE – NOW WHAT? ü  Don’t take rejection personally. ü  Consider exclusives – but be mindful. ü  Pass the “distant relative test” – Could one of your distant relatives understand what you are pitching and why it is important or sympathize with it?
46. HOW TO PITCH A STORY ü  Don’t take rejection personally. ü  Consider exclusives – but be mindful. ü  Pass the “distant relative test” – Could one of your distant relatives understand what you are pitching and why it is important or sympathize with it?
47. HOW TO PITCH A STORY ü  When can you approach a reporter/editor on your own without them reaching out to you first? ü  If you can answer: “Why should I care?” ü  Trends (Three examples) ü  Anniversaries, milestones, rulings ü  Controversies, new findings ü  Human interest ü  Unlikely bedfellows, coalitions
48. HOW TO PITCH A STORY ü  When can you approach a reporter/editor on your own without them reaching out to you first? ü  If you can answer: “Why should I care?” ü  Trends (Three examples) ü  Anniversaries, milestones, rulings ü  Controversies, new findings ü  Human interest ü  Unlikely bedfellows, coalitions
49. HOW TO PITCH A STORY ü  Why should I care? Why should my readers/viewers care about what you have to tell us? ü  Why should we pay attention to you? Why do you matter? ü  What bigger issues does this engage? What is this issue really about? ü  Is it unusual? Unexpected? ü  Co-sponsor or build coalitions to elevate your event or news ü  If you get shot down, ask what might make the story more compelling
50. MEET THE PRESS
51. MEET THE PRESS ü  Editors and Producers assign, coordinate and supervise stories ü  Reporters deliver stories, assigned or pitched. Objective, assigned to beats and areas of expertise. ü  Columnists and Editorial Boards are opinionated and subjective.
52. TELEVISION ü  Limited crews ü  Deadline: 3pm for a 5pm or 6pm broadcast ü  On camera ü  No stripes, patterns or green. ü  Stay standing ü  Make eye contact with reporter ü  Keep your feet and legs steady.
53. NEWSPAPERS ü  Lots of ground to cover, especially Spec ü  News, City, Arts & Culture, Higher Education, Lifestyle ü  Columnists, Editorial staff ü  Wire Services – AP, AFP, Reuters, etc. ü  Datebook Editor decides what will be listed. ü  Assignment Editor assigns events.
54. COLUMBIA SPECTATOR ü  Sarah Darville – Editor in Chief ü  Sammy Roth – Campus News Editor ü  Finn Vigeland – City News Editor ü  Andrea Garcia-Vargas & Lanbo Zhang – Editorial Page Editors ü  Stephen Snowder – Spectrum ü  Ben Gittelson – Campus/ CCSC ü  Yasmin Gagne - Campus ü  Jeremy Budd – Campus ü  Michelle Mocarski – Campus/GS ü  Margaret Mattes – Campus ü  Casey Tolan – City ü  Gina Lee – City ü  Luke Barnes – City/Crime ü  Avantika Kumar – City ü  Jillian Kumagai – City/ Politics
55. INTERVIEWS ü  Anticipate biases. What are questions a reporter might ask? ü  Watch out for yes or no questions: ü  “Would you agree that…” ü  “Do you think…”
56. INTERVIEWS ü  For phone or in-person, will generally catch you off-guard. ü  Don’t do actual interview or respond to questions on first call. ü  Buy some time: “Thank you for calling, may I confirm your number, your editor’s name and your deadline?” ü  Their deadlines could be in an hour or the end of the day….or next week. ü  BUT, you should still be the first to call or e-mail back. You set the debate and frame the discussion. ü  Underpromise and overdeliver.
57. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS ü  Too many questions – Choose one or two and ignore the rest ü  Interruptions – Ignore the interruption, say “Please let me finish,” or “I’ll get to that in a moment.” ü  Bullying – Unfair characterizations, personal attacks. Show indignation, don’t overreact, don’t be unprofessional. ü  Unprepared – You become journalist/interviewer. “I think your audience or readers would be interested in the question that…”
58. COMMON MISTAKES ü  Answering the question the reporter asks you. ü  If you answer the reporter’s question, you are giving them control of the message. ü  All of your answers should tie/align with the goals of your issue/vision. ü  Be reasonable, problem-solving, likeable.
59. MANAGING THE MESSAGE IN A CRISIS ü  I don’t know, but I can tell you _____ ü  What is really critical is______ ü  A question we sometimes hear is_______ ü  That may have been the case in the past. Now we are____ ü  That was once important. What is most important now is _____ ü  I think you would have a more complete picture if you considered_____ ü  No, let me explain. ü  Yes, and furthermore _____ ü  Anderson, the question most people care about is_____
60. MANAGING THE MESSAGE ü  USE STORIES – Moral. Good and bad. ü  No one can argue with a story. You won’t get cut off. ü  Start off with something you can all agree with: We can all agree that_______.
61. GROUP EXERCISE
62. FROM THEORY TO ACTION: VIDEO Fox Business – 30% of Students with Loans Drop Out of College
63. AFTER THE STORY ü  Be grateful. Compliment reporters for a job well-done. ü  Quick e-mail, say what impact the coverage has had. ü  Offer to help with future stories on related topics. ü  Let small mistakes go, don’t demand corrections on typos or misspelled names.
64. BEING A RESIDENT EXPERT ü  Be readily and easily accessible. Make sure reporters have your contact information, and those of your team. ü  Be personable, credible and confident. ü  Simplify complexity. Speak clearly and concisely, no jargon. ü  Offer a fresh perspective, unique insight and information. Provide real stories. ü  Be focused on solutions, not problems. Be optimistic. ü  Deliver great (and accurate) quotes.
65. BEING A RESIDENT EXPERT ü  Know your facts. Don’t give inaccurate or questionably accurate information. ü  Be prepared to back up your assertions. Don’t exaggerate. ü  Don’t call or email them just to be quoted. Sometimes you are a source and you aren’t quoted at all. ü  Don’t waste their time. Only contact them if you have: news, a good pitch, or are responding to a story. ü  Don’t expect reporters to be your cheerleader or megaphone.
66. BEING A RESIDENT EXPERT ü  Positive first impression: Be bold, be brief. Be yourself on your best day, be enthusiastic, be prepared. ü  Establish expertise: submit op-eds and letters to the editor. ü  Speak at conferences, workshops, community events, keynote speeches. ü  Not about us, me or you, its about the community and the cause.
67. BEING A RESIDENT EXPERT ü  Don’t say “No Comment.” This is an admission of guilt or ignorance. ü  Everything is on the record. Don’t say anything that you don’t want to see on the front page as a headline. ü  Everything is on the record except when it’s not. Know the difference between: On the record, off the record, on background.
68. BEING A RESIDENT EXPERT ü  On the record – Everything you say is reported, quoted and attributed to you. ü  Off the record – Not attributable to you, quote not published. ü  On background – You are characterized in general terms (“GSSC Member”), no direct quotes ü  Not for attribution – Quoted directly, characterized in general terms (“GSSC Member”) ü  Deep background – Information not included/published in article, but used to write article and find other sources.
69. RESOURCES ü  Messaging Matters – Daily Messaging Email ü  George Lakoff or Frank Luntz – Anything written by them. ü  Spin Project Whose media? Our Media! Strategic Communications Tools to Reform, Reclaim and Revolutionize the Media. ü  Young People For - Media and Messaging ü  European Forum for Restorative Justice Media Toolkit for Restorative Justice Organizations
70. RESIDENCE HALLS East Campus 571 John Jay 429 Broadway 336 Schapiro 330 Carman 301 Wien 297 Hartley 294 Furnald 212 Wallach 204 McBain 200 Ruggles 141 River 128 Hogan 114 600 90 Watt 90 Woodbridge 83
71. IF YOU REMEMBER ONLY ONE THING FROM THIS PRESENTATION
73. ARIES DELA CRUZ aries@caa.columbia.edu ! ! !