Framing the Discussion in the Media

Media coverage is one of the best ways to gain the attention of decision-makers, educate the public and inspire other young people to take action against climate change. It is a vital way of countering the vast resources that are poured into influencing the public by global warming deniers, liars and naysayers. It also helps us to accomplish our goals and attract new recruits to the cause. With a little savvy and a lot of gumption, you can work with the media and influence public debate.

Here are some basic ways that you can gain media coverage:

Press conferences
Press conferences are a great way to make your case to the media either about the work that you are doing or a victory that you have achieved. They are relatively easy to set up and usually last less than half an hour. Having a couple high profile individuals (i.e. a professor or a local politician or leader of a group) be the messengers of your campaign is a great way to increase the chances of coverage.

Events
Events are likely to get better media coverage than a press conference particularly if there is a visual component that will make for good pictures. Events can include community forums, rallies, marches, polar bear swims etc. Just remember to be creative and fun. You also want to make sure that your message does not get lost in the process.

Interviews
Interviews can take place in a television or radio station, by phone or in person. These are awesome opportunities to have a deeper conversation with a reporter that allows a greater chance delivering a clear and succinct message.

Editorials
Editorials are basically opinion pieces written by the members of the newspaper/magazine editorial board and reflect the sentiment of that board. They can be in support or opposition to the issue that you are promoting.

Make your own Coverage

Letters to the editor
If you like to write, are pretty good at it and have something compelling to say, you're ready to write your own letter to the editor. This section of your local newspaper offers an ideal method of getting your message across to a wide variety of readers. More people read the letters to the editor section than almost any other part of the paper.

Opinion editorials
If you find you have a flair for letters to the editor - i.e., they get published! - then you might enjoy the challenge of drafting an op-ed. Op-eds enable you to have your say in a format that allows more detail than a letter to the editor. Also, if your paper editorializes on a subject and you disagree with that opinion, you can ask for space to publish an alternative view.

Editorial board meetings
The editorial section of a newspaper is widely read and highly influential, especially among decision makers. Generally, there is a board of editors who decide what position the paper will take on various subjects, and these people need information as they consider the issues. Most newspapers also are committed to public service and thus often use their editorial pages to articulate community values and stake out positions. If you can assemble a small, diverse group of people and present issues in a compelling fashion, you might be able to convince your local newspaper's editorial board to write its own positive editorial, thereby influencing thousands.

Independent media
Independent media can include free daily or weekly papers, community newspapers, cable access television shows, and radio programs. They are a great way of getting the word out about local issues.

Blogs
Blogs are a great way to get message out to people who may not get their information from the mainstream media. There are a number of climate/environmental blogs as well as a lot of liberal/progressive blogs.

What is news?

Components of a newsworthy story

1. New—To get their attention, your story should be current, timely, and fresh.  It is a late-breaking development, something happening right now, a steaming hot entrée—not reheated leftovers.  Like a new report or new lawsuit.
2. Local—It should tie into what is going on in that particular community.  Even if you are releasing a national report or talking about federal legislation, find a local angle, such as its potential impact on a local river or your region's air quality. Better yet, see below for a local human interest angle…
3. Human Interest Angle—Try to put a human face on your story, such as a local children who suffer from breathing problems from going to a school that is near a coal power plant.
4. Conflict—A story with a hard-fought conflict makes news.  Describe to reporters who the good guys and bad guys are.  Examples: A campaign to support the Grassy Narrows First Nation community’s struggle to stop industrial logging was covered as Weyerhaeuser v Native Community.
5. Controversy—Anything controversial is more likely to get news coverage. Civil disobedience pretty much always gets media.
6. Strange Bedfellows—We can often garner increased news coverage by building a coalition of strange bedfellows, a coalition that contradicts most reporter’s assumptions of who supports environmental campaigns. For example, a campaign for a campus clean energy policy supported by the College Democrats and the College Republicans.  
7. Visuals/ Colorful quotes and images.
• Dramatic images - a hockey game played on slush, a huge STOP sign that says “No New Coal,” Blown-up photos of the place that is being put at risk.
• Creative and fun images - a polar bears playing beach volley ball, environmental super heroes like Captain Planet.
• Event visuals - Dozens of people marching backwards to protest a “backwards” policy, big banner hangs on the side of buildings.
• Some visuals are already there, like shots of the beautiful natural areas we want to protect, but often times we need to create a big visual for it to be enticing to TV.
8. Timely- Can your story be linked to an upcoming holiday or season? Examples would include using Independence Day to talk about how America needs to declare independence from fossil fuels.

Also, the media love superlatives! Is something in your story the “biggest” “first” “most”? Don’t forget to make that part of your pitch.

Steps for Developing a Media Plan

1. Decide which outlets are most influential to your target audience.  
• For example, if you’re working on a campaign to get your campus to buy renewable energy, your target audience is probably going to be the administration first, then students.  Therefore, the school-sponsored paper would probably be the best place to get coverage to get them to notice it.  
• Whereas if you were trying to educate lots of students about how to properly use the recycling system on campus, you might decide that public service announcements on the radio station was a better idea b/c more people listen to it.
• If you are working on a campaign to get the city your school is in to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard, your target audience is going to be people in the city, not just campus, so you would put much more attention on getting covered in city-wide outlets than on-campus outlets.
2. Decide the best way to get those outlets to cover the campaign
• For example, if you were trying to get the campus paper to cover renewable energy, you might do a big event that lots of people would see and wonder about so the paper would want to cover it.
• If you were trying to get the city-wide paper to cover you, you might do a press conference with local experts and alumni.
3. Make sure that you have a media plan for all of your campaign events
4. Put your ideas and events on a timeline

Making the Pitch

Before you pick up the phone:

Know who you’re pitching.
Do your research. Reporters have beats, but it’s not enough to just know what the reporters’ beat is. Look up past stories they have written so you know what they like to cover. If you can make it seem like the story you are pitching is tailored to what that reporter likes to cover, you will be more successful.

Even an environmental reporter has their preferences.
There are only two ways to find out what someone likes to write about—by reading them, and by asking them. If you haven’t already done this, don’t hesitate to just come out and ask, “Generally, how do you decide what you are going to write about? What kinds of stories are you and/or your editors looking for?”

Write your pitch and practice it.
Write down your pitch beforehand and have it in front of you while you’re on the phone.

When you’ve got them on the phone

The 4 “C”s – Connection, Context, Commitment, Catapult
As with many organizing calls, a good phone conversation is structured with the 4 “C”s. Calling a reporter is no different than calling a coalition partner or a new recruit: you are trying to build a relationship, develop their interest and understanding of the issue, get a commitment out of them, and make a follow-up plan with concrete actions and goals.

Keep it short
Reporters are usually working on multiple stories simultaneously so be respectful of their time. Ask them if they have a minute to talk, then get to the point in a polite manner or find out when would be a better time to call them back.

Tell a story
Telling news stories is like telling fairy tales. Think about how to make your story come to life. Who are the good guys and bad guys? How can you make it sound vivid and compelling? Instead of saying, “we have some folks who are working on stopping the construction of a new coal power plant,” try “We have a real David and Goliath story here—local community members who have taken on a company planning to build 11 new coal plants.”

Be ready to adjust
Think through several different ways you can pitch your story. Everything the reporter tells you is a clue, and you are the detective. If they say that they are not interested in covering the story, ask them what kinds of stories they are interested in covering, and figure out if you can bounce back with another angle that works for them.


You’re doing them a favor—you’re not asking for help
It’s easier to show them this when you know what they like to cover. Reporters need you, because you are the one who can give them the story they are looking to write. Make the reporter feel like you are familiar with their work and you are pitching them something that is right up their alley.

As soon as you have the reporters’ ear, they are already thinking about how they are going to get the story past their editors.

Reporters have to pitch stories to their editors. If you present a thoughtful, well-organized pitch, the reporter can often use the same pitch to pass the idea by their higher-ups. Hand the story to them—make it as easy as possible. Let them know what useful materials you can send. If it is a juicy story, think about giving them an “exclusive.” An “exclusive” story pretty much what it sounds like, you give the story to only one reporter. This is something that should be used rarely.

After the call

Be prepared and prompt
What materials do you have that would be useful to the reporter? What are you going to send them after you get off of the phone? What photos can you send them? What contacts or research can you get them? Send them anything you promised, immediately.

The Pitch Call

Phrases to use:
“Are you on deadline, or do you have a quick second?”
-shows them that you are considerate of their timeline, and you can make it quick.

“I saw that great article you did on X…”

“I wanted to give you the heads up on an interesting story idea…it seemed like it would be right up your alley.”
-this shows that you are doing them a favor, not begging them to help you.

At the end of your pitch, a good way to end is: “Does this sound like the kind of thing you’d be interested in covering?” If the reporter says no, that is a great opportunity for you to ask, “Well, what kinds of stories are you interested in covering?” and figure out if there’s a different angle that works.

Catapult: don’t forget to make a follow up plan. “Great, so I’ll send you X,Y,and Z, and the contact info for you to get in touch with A, B, and C. When’s a good time for me to call back and follow up with you?”

Some final tips about etiquette:

• Reporters get a ton of emails every day. You can use email to pitch if you have a very good relationship with a reporter. In the beginning, you should do phone outreach.
• Leaving messages: generally, you want to avoid leaving lots of messages for reporters. The first time you get voice mail, don’t leave a message—it’s preferable to call back later and get them in person, unless you have a good enough relationship with the reporter that you know they will call you back. If you try a few times and don’t reach them, leave a message—but make it short and sweet.
• Be prompt. If you say you are going to get information to a reporter, let them know how long it will take and make sure you meet their deadlines.

 

Preparing for an interview

Before the interview

1. Develop your message (Problem, Solution, Action)
2. Control the Frame (Your analysis of the issue, the frame defines what's in your story)
3. Consider getting the opinion of someone outside the immediate group about the clarity of your message. Does it make sense to them? What other details are important?
4. Know you talking points and be well practiced-practice in front of the mirror, in front of your friends, and if possible even in front of a camera.
5. These days a news cycle is 24 hours. So it is helpful to be up-to-date on what has happened on your issue in the last couple of days. You should also consider how this interview will fit into the strategy to help you achieve your longer term campaign goals.
6. Know your audience and know the medium (watch the show, research the reporter, understand who watches).
7. Know the interview format and prepare yourself for the specific type of interview.
8. Think about what the others interviewed (the “opposition”) will be saying.
9. Ask the reporter a series of questions LONG before they ask you any!
• Find out what kind of a story the outlet is doing (how long, what angle, etc).
• What topics will be discussed in the interview?
• Who else is being interviewed?
• Are you live?
• When will it air?
• Where will it appear (and can you leverage that for more)?
10. Prepare for distractions and interruptions.
11. the music of your voice (tone, intonation, emphasis)
12. Image is very important. Be conscious of how you look and the impact of your appearance on your message. ALL of you is the message, not just what you say!
13. Choose the right clothes: avoid busy patterns, think polished and a bit more conservative than you usually dress, avoid accessories that are too bright or dangly, be ready for hot lights.

During the interview

1. Remember you have something important to say. Build up your self-confidence. This is your story.
2. There is no such thing as 'off the record' and no such thing as 'off camera' remarks!
3. Avoid 'No Comment'.
4. It is ok not to know the answer, but refer them to someone who does, and tell them what you want them to know (your talking points!)
5. Don't be thrown off by the question; be disciplined about staying on message.
6. Speak slowly and clearly and avoid pause words ('um' 'like' 'uh')
7. When preparing to answer: Stop, Breathe, Relax, Think, Speak!.
8. When answering: Listen, Respond, Expand (ONLY if necessary), STOP!
9. Don't try to explain everything; stay on your key messages.
10. Don't repeat the reporter's questions or phrases.
11. Remember that you set the pace and tone of the interview.
12. You can often determine the time, place and length of an interview.
13. If you are not doing a live broadcast, it is ok to start over if you make a mistake. (Let them know you would like to begin again.)
14. Know where to look: look at the interviewer, NOT at the camera-unless you are on a satellite 'talkback' style interview, in which case you do look into the camera. When in doubt, ASK where to look. And look at the same place throughout the interview!
15. Know how to hold yourself: if you are standing, straight but not too stiff, no rocking, one foot slightly in front of the other, hands clasped in front or behind you, or on the podium. If you are sitting, sit up straight a few inches away from the back of the chair and watch out for how your clothes may bunch up. Always avoid fidgeting and excessive hand motions, don't tap your foot or your pen, don't touch the mike or your hand piece.

After the interview:

1. Debrief with others; how do you feel about the interview? What did they think?
2. Watch yourself (request a copy or have someone record it!) and evaluate how it went: notice which bytes made it, did they ask the questions you were expecting, did you control the frame, did you stay on message?
3. Leverage the interview! What can you do with the video to further your goals?
4. Practice some more based on what you learned!!!

Letters to the editor

What makes a good letter?

1. Make one point (or at most two) in your letter. State the point clearly, ideally in the first sentence.
2. Make your letter timely. If you are not addressing a specific article, editorial or letter that recently appeared in the paper you are writing to, then try to tie the issue you want to write about to a recent event.
3. Make sure you have an action item for people. What should they do with the information you are giving them?  What person are you targeting
4. Keep your letter brief. Type it whenever possible. Find others to write letters when possible. This will show that other individuals in the community are concerned about the issue. If your letter doesn't get published, perhaps someone else's on the same topic will.   Make sure to make them different!
5. Once you submit you're letter, follow-up.  Call a day or two after you submit the letter to make sure that it was received.
6. Monitor the paper for your letter. If your letter has not appeared within a few days, follow up with a call to the editorial department of the newspaper.
7. Find the angle that makes your point interesting or noteworthy.
• Timing - Why is it relevant now
• Significance to readership - Why should they care (know your audience)
• Geographic proximity - how does it affect where you are.
• Prominence - Anybody famous or important that makes it more interesting?
• Human Interest - Give it a human spin (i.e. children, mothers, education)

Op-Eds

A good guide to writing Op-Eds by L. Shepherd

Sample Media Advisory

Download Sample Media Advisory 

Sample Press Release

Sample Press Release

 

Week of Action, Feb. '07 Press Materials

Media materials and stuff from the Week of Action, Feb. '07