Telling Your Story Through the Media Mar. 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 - 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 - 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?

Heres what makes news Compelling Cs ConflictConfusion Close to homeContradictionControversy CatastropheCompetition

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 midwest.org/minnesotacommunitytelevision/ for cable access closest to your communityhttp:// midwest.org/minnesotacommunitytelevision/

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: spx

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 TVsota, 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 During After

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 pyramids Talk about benefits, not features Keep it simple - 3 points Be brief – 7 seconds, 140 characters Sum it up Messages

Phone calls s 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 group Economical use of your time Involves: Pre-briefing Opening statement Rehearse presenters – limit the number Accessible location with parking Media kits that reinforce information News conferences

1.Weave your three main points throughout your answer 2.Dont repeat negative information 3.No personal opinions 4.Dont go off the record 5.Dont say no comment During the interview

6. If you dont know the answer, say so 7. Keep your message simple 8. When youve answered the question, stop talking 9. Never comment on an issue in litigation 10. Dont speculate During the interview, continued

Watch your reaction shot (especially on video) Dont label the questions Dont use the reporters name Answering questions

Have your public affairs staff present Get out of your office Pay attention to the background of the camera shot Keep your feet flat on the floor On camera?

Sit still – dont rock, chew gum or slouch Forget the camera-keep eyes on interviewer Use normal tone of voice Remember 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 Dont ask for a retraction They got it wrong!

Contact your PAC Know your audience Use three key messages Summary

Questions?

Where do Social Media and Regular Media Intersect?

Marketers feel theyre required to have a Facebook strategy. Thats unfair to the poor marketersheck, Facebook doesnt really have a Facebook strategy. --Chip Heath, forward to The Dragonfly Effect

Mn/DOT Tweets our traffic updates and news releasestraffic updatesnews releases Mn/DOT set up a Facebook PageFacebook Page Mn/DOT set up a YouTube channelYouTube 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 Medias two-way street

TweetDeck

Explosion Last Week

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