Working with the media

Working with the Working with the mediamedia

a presentationa presentationby by Bruce HugmanBruce Hugman

Consultant to Consultant to thethe Uppsala Monitoring Centre Uppsala Monitoring CentrePretoriaPretoria

September 2004September 2004

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004

What are the principal What are the principal purposes of almost all purposes of almost all media?media?

• To make profits and surviveTo make profits and survive

• To provide entertainment and/or To provide entertainment and/or informationinformation


The ideal, visionary The ideal, visionary purposes of the media?purposes of the media?• To discover and report the truthTo discover and report the truth• To expose injustice and corruptionTo expose injustice and corruption• To inform and educateTo inform and educate• To empowerTo empower


What is truth?What is truth?

• A comprehensive account of an A comprehensive account of an event, including every fact, detail event, including every fact, detail and perspective, from every possible and perspective, from every possible angle and viewpointangle and viewpoint

• The illusion of ‘objectivity’The illusion of ‘objectivity’


What is our everyday What is our everyday conception of the truth?conception of the truth?• An account of events which matches An account of events which matches

our view of the world; our our view of the world; our preferences, biases, prejudices, orpreferences, biases, prejudices, or

• Events or evidence which can be Events or evidence which can be accommodated within our view of accommodated within our view of the worldthe world

• The illusion of ‘objectivity’The illusion of ‘objectivity’


Everything is seen from a Everything is seen from a point of viewpoint of view• PersonalPersonal

– EmotionalEmotional– IntellectualIntellectual– PhilosophicalPhilosophical

• SocialSocial• EducationalEducational• PoliticalPolitical• EconomicEconomic


• Those who don’t share our point of Those who don’t share our point of view are ‘the enemy’view are ‘the enemy’

BUTBUT• Those with whom we don’t actively Those with whom we don’t actively

share our point of view, cannot see share our point of view, cannot see the world as we see it and may the world as we see it and may become the enemybecome the enemy


The media owe us The media owe us nothingnothing

• We must earn our right to their attentionWe must earn our right to their attention

What you do is of intense What you do is of intense importance to society, but unless importance to society, but unless you promote its importance, it is you promote its importance, it is invisible and mysteriousinvisible and mysterious


Hierarchy of journalistsHierarchy of journalists• Knowledgeable, dedicated, specialistsKnowledgeable, dedicated, specialists• Competent generalistsCompetent generalists• Inexperienced, generalists (often juniors)Inexperienced, generalists (often juniors)

• Personal and professional agendasPersonal and professional agendas

Our world is absolutely mysterious, Our world is absolutely mysterious, obscure to outsidersobscure to outsiders


The media are a fact of The media are a fact of lifelife• IgnoreIgnore

– Court disasterCourt disaster• EngageEngage

– Court opportunityCourt opportunity•Moderate negativity/lack of knowledgeModerate negativity/lack of knowledge•Encourage fairer and more comprehensive Encourage fairer and more comprehensive

coveragecoverage•Spread the wordSpread the word

The media as allies, collaboratorsThe media as allies, collaborators


The power of the mediaThe power of the media

• PrintPrint• RadioRadio• TVTV

What percentage of the population What percentage of the population never sees a newspaper, listens to never sees a newspaper, listens to the radio or watches TV?the radio or watches TV?


Develop an active media Develop an active media relations policy and relations policy and strategy for all audiencesstrategy for all audiences• Popular Popular • ‘‘Serious’ generalistSerious’ generalist• SpecialistSpecialist• Professional (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, Professional (nurses, doctors, pharmacists,

etc)etc)• InternationalInternational• Adult/youth/childrenAdult/youth/children


Be clear about your Be clear about your messagesmessages• What are the primary, key points you What are the primary, key points you

wish to communicate?wish to communicate?• What are the issues that matter to What are the issues that matter to

journalists and their audiences?journalists and their audiences?• What is the key background What is the key background

information needed to understand information needed to understand your messages?your messages?


Get to know key editors Get to know key editors and journalistsand journalists• Meet and brief regularlyMeet and brief regularly

– Spread the wordSpread the word– Identify common agendasIdentify common agendas– Educate and informEducate and inform

•Provide background and contextProvide background and context– Have allies in crisisHave allies in crisis– Take risks: off the recordTake risks: off the record

• Provide formal education and trainingProvide formal education and training


MethodsMethods

• Cultivating relationshipsCultivating relationships• News releasesNews releases• News conferencesNews conferences• Sharing events and practiceSharing events and practice• FeaturesFeatures• Availability for enquiryAvailability for enquiry• Education and trainingEducation and training


News releasesNews releases• Clear, brief and effective messageClear, brief and effective message• Lead with the messageLead with the message• Write for the journalistWrite for the journalist• Provide technical detail and background in Provide technical detail and background in

Notes to EditorsNotes to Editors• Include quotations or examplesInclude quotations or examples• Include pictures or graphicsInclude pictures or graphics• Provide for follow-up enquiriesProvide for follow-up enquiries• Seek feedbackSeek feedback


InterviewsInterviews• Be clear about the purpose of the interviewBe clear about the purpose of the interview• Be clear about your key pointsBe clear about your key points• Use simple languageUse simple language• Remain calm, relaxed and friendlyRemain calm, relaxed and friendly• NEVER say ‘No comment’: explain problems NEVER say ‘No comment’: explain problems

with sensitive informationwith sensitive information• Take questions as prompts for your key pointsTake questions as prompts for your key points• Convey concern and commitmentConvey concern and commitment


EventsEvents

• Conferences and briefingsConferences and briefings• LaunchesLaunches• Field trips: clinics, hospitals, labs, Field trips: clinics, hospitals, labs,

coursescourses• Meeting VIPs, patients, cliniciansMeeting VIPs, patients, clinicians• Training courses for journalistsTraining courses for journalists• Regular informal contactRegular informal contact


Critical failuresCritical failures• Not having an active media relations Not having an active media relations

strategystrategy• Not engaging with journalistsNot engaging with journalists• Not taking initiativesNot taking initiatives• Being defensive or evasiveBeing defensive or evasive• Not being availableNot being available• Being invisibleBeing invisible• Fear of debate or controversyFear of debate or controversy


‘‘Bad press’ results from:Bad press’ results from:• Bad decisionsBad decisions• Dubious or corrupt behaviourDubious or corrupt behaviour• Unpopular decisionsUnpopular decisions• Apparently arbitrary decisionsApparently arbitrary decisions• Unexplained decisionsUnexplained decisions• Decisions implying conspiracyDecisions implying conspiracy• Complex messagesComplex messages• Lack of context, backgroundLack of context, background• Secrecy, evasiveness, defensivenessSecrecy, evasiveness, defensiveness


Key messagesKey messages• Develop a media relations strategyDevelop a media relations strategy• Select, educate and train your internal Select, educate and train your internal

media contact peoplemedia contact people• Get to know editors and journalistsGet to know editors and journalists• Establish open, collaborative relationshipsEstablish open, collaborative relationships• Keep in touchKeep in touch• Spread the word; clear messagesSpread the word; clear messages• NEVER say ‘No comment’NEVER say ‘No comment’


Documents

Working with the media