Media Relations Training: Communicating Your Campaign

Media Relations Training: Communicating your Campaign APIAVote / APALA / One Nevada October 15, 2008 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Overview • Communicating your Campaign • Defining your Goals & Identifying your Audiences • Understanding your Media • Tools to Start & Continue Communicating with your Media • Publicizing an Event • Nevada Specific Messaging •Debrief + Q&A

About APIAVote • Work towards full engagement of AAPI communities in civic and electoral processes • We believe communities can best help themselves. • Centered around field, communications, and training • 2008 election efforts: voter mobilization in 14 states.

Why should you communicate your campaign?

• Amplifies Your Message (s) – media exposure can further amplify the message you want to disseminate to your audiences

• Assists Your Field Efforts – media exposure can extend your outreach & complement your field efforts

• Strengthens your Community’s Presence – Casts a wider net and informs other audiences about your community’s importance and work

Define your campaign goals & identify your audience(s) • Campaign goals? • How can your campaign use communications to help accomplish your goals? • Target audiences? • Message(s) to reach audience(s)? • Organizational capacity to do media outreach?

Making your message relevant: the second line • A profile on an active community member • Fundraising events & projects to mobilize voters • Personal narratives of people, and how they became involved and engaged • The launch of a campaign targeting a community not traditionally engaged • Announcement of coalitions or sponsorships • Relevant data or statistics

Understanding your Media • • • •

Ethnic versus Mainstream Types of Media Pop Quiz Categories of Media “hits”

Ethnic versus Mainstream Media Different audiences = Different uses, messages, & strategies •

 Ethnic Media – – – –

•

Ethnic Media is more targeted More easily accessed Audience, of course, more interested in AAPI issues In-language media reaches audience with limited English proficiency

 Mainstream Media – – –

Wider audience (s) Might be more difficult to access Audience may not know much about AAPI community or issues

Think about the different audiences and the messages with which you want to reach them, and plan your ethnic and mainstream

Types of Media Different types of media require different approaches and different timelines. Media

Characteristics

Deadlines

Televisio n

* Good for reporting stories that visually show the importance of your message. •Stories are brief (30-60 seconds) • Can reach large audiences

Radio

* Ranges from 10-15 second sound bites to sometimes longer interviews

•The day before your event •10am for the evening news for last-minute events or announcements •3-8 weeks for public Allow several days announcements notice for public events that need outside coverage. • The same day is usually fine for studiobased news items.

Types of Media Different types of media require different approaches and different timelines. Media

Characteristics

Deadlines

Newspape r

•More in-depth treatment of subject •Reporters may use direct quotes from press releases & statements, or interview spokespeople directly

Magazine

•Targets specific audiences of the public •Will enable you to explain complex voting issues in-depth

• By 2-3pm of the day before for a daily newspaper. • Three to five days before the newspaper comes out forto a weekly • Two eight weeks paper. before the magazine is printed, depending on whether the magazine is published weekly or monthly.

* Social Networking

Pop Quiz! Choose the most appropriate media type to approach for each of these below: • New stats on the # voters you have registered • A group of voters voting at an early voting site, after a quick rally • A profile on a very important community leader who has been pivotal to your campaign • An appeal to political parties to be more inclusive of AAPIs in their outreach • An appeal for high school and college students to get involved

Two Categories of Media “hits” Earned Media

Paid media

Press Conferences

TV Advertisements

Press Releases

Radio Announcements

Letters to the Editor & Op-Ed Pieces Radio/TV Appearances

Newspaper Advertisements Magazine Advertisements

Interviews Depending on your organizational capacity (human resources and funding), you can do one or the either. Usually though, it is strategic to do a combination of the two. For example, when a campaign is launched, you should try to do interviews and do an announcement or advertisement in tandem.

Tip! Paid media can be earned media too. Ask your media outlet if they would be willing to make an in-kind contribution to your cause by donating ad space or air time!

Tools to Communicate with your Media • • • • •

Media List Talking Points Surrogates Media Advisory & Press Releases Online/Social Networking

Compiling Media Lists & Establishing • Compile a list of all the relevant ethnic & Relationships mainstream media outlets.

• Include at least one contact person for each outlet, with this person’s email, landline, and cell. • Include more than one person for large media outlets, especially those with busy newsrooms. • Email them to introduce yourself and your organization/campaign, follow up with a phone call, and make yourself available as a resource.

Talking Points • Talking Points are useful so that everyone in your campaign STAYS ON MESSAGE. • Should be given to campaign surrogates to know. • Should be incorporated when people do interviews, in quotes in press releases, etc.

Campaign Surrogates • Should be willing to be high-profile and very visible. • Should be able to articulate the goals and the messages of the campaign publicly. • Should be willing and able to interact with the media as well as other communities’ leaders & representatives.

Pitching & Interviewing Tips • Pitching your message – Short but sweet is KEY!

• Being interviewed – Short and succinct very key! – Stick to the talking points – No rambling!

Media Advisories & Press Releases • The ‘lead’ paragraph should answer these questions in one or two sentences • • • • •

WHO is involved? WHAT happened? WHEN did it happen? WHERE did it happen? WHY or HOW did it happen?

• Second and third paragraphs should include a relevant quote reporters can use. • The rest of the release can provide more detail on what you have achieved and hope to achieve.

Online Tools • Blogs & Social Networking Sites • Generally have a younger audience • Can increase your online network & presence

Publicizing your Event – 2-3 Weeks Before Your Event • Write an op-ed, pick a good location, contact reporters, call calendar reporters

– The Day Before the Event • Send a media advisory, and call & remind reporters about the event

– The Day Of The Event • Set up a sign-in table, have spokesperson greet media, and take photos

– After The Event • Send out a news release, write a follow-up article, and release these with photos.

Ideas for One Nevada Campaign: 20 days to Election Day • Campaign Goals? • Messages: early voting, GOTV, postelection • Momentum • Activities

Debrief + Q&A • What did you learn, or what would be useful for the future? • What are your communications goals? • What resources do you have & do you need to continue your campaign from this day on? • Who will be designated surrogates who can pitch stories & be interviewed?