A class for government employees to learn how to deal with the media.

1. WHY IS THERE A REPORTER
IN THE LOBBY?
Media Relations for
Employees of Palm Beach County

2. MEDIA RELATIONS 101
 Media Relations
 County Policies
 The Ten Commandments
 The Interview

3. MEDIA RELATIONS DEFINED
How we as individuals and collectively as a
County interact with the media. Our daily
actions are accountable to the public. It is this
accountability the media pursue when
reporting our activities.

4. GOOD MEDIA RELATIONS IS
GOOD BUSINESS
One responsibility of government is to
communicate with residents about city
services and issues that may affect their lives.
One of the best ways to communicate is
through the media; therefore, an important
role of government is to establish working
relationships with the media that make
communication more efficient and effective.
We see media relations as a partnership.

5. MEDIA RELATIONS…HOT!!!
Keep it HOT!!!
Honest
Open
Timely

6. WHY WE NEED THE MEDIA
in times of crisis
Inform
awareness of County services
Increase
new residents/businesses
Attract
understanding of County policy
Provide
proactive image of the County
Convey

7. MEDIA GUIDELINES
at liberty to speak with media
Employees
Those who do speak represent the County,
not themselves
Information should reflect policy
Keep personal views personal
Follow up with email to staff and/or Public
Affairs and your supervisor

8. COUNTY POLICY
County PPM CW-0-011
Purpose of County’s media relations policies and program:
Ensure the accuracy of the information released

Assure no preferential treatment is given to

one reporter
Avoid dissemination of conflicting information

Minimize the adverse effects of rumors


9. MEDIA RELATIONS PHILOSOPHY
 We are responsive; we talk to the media
 We are an open book
 We tell the truth
 We are polite
 We correct mistakes
 We do not “blacklist”
 We do not go “off the record”

10. MEDIA RELATIONS PHILOSOPHY
 We recognize the media is just one way to
talk to our community
 We understand the value of free publicity
 We can’t be perfect
 What we give to one, we give to all

11. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
THOU SHALL NOT…
I Mislead
II Lie
III Misrepresent
IV Break the confidence of the reporter
V Clutter the media with useless info

12. THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
THOU SHALL NOT…
VI Write or speak evasively
VII Give inaccurate information
VIII Hide when news is bad
IX Pester the media with your story
X Repeat the negative

13. WHAT IS NEWS?
Informative
Educational
Timely
Significant
Unique
Interesting
human interest
Of
Whatever you can convince a reporter it is

14. MEDIA TOOLS
Press Release
– factual information
Photo Opportunity
– notification of visual event
Media Advisory
– notify the media of an immediate event

15. MEDIA TOOLS
Fact sheet
– attached to news release;
helpful when there are a lot of statistics
or complicated information.
News conference
– to announce significant or breaking news.
List speakers. Record questions that need
to be answered at a later time.

16. WRITING A NEWS RELEASE
 Use a descriptive headline
-make your release stand out
-action oriented headline
-avoid over capitalization
 Most important information first
-Who, What, Where (including
address),When, Why, How?

17. WRITING A NEWS RELEASE
 Anticipate reporters’ questions
 Minimize use of jargon
-attribute acronyms in first reference
 When possible add a quote
 Two pages or less

18. WRITING A NEWS RELEASE
 Includecontact information
-should be familiar with the release
and ready to answer questions
 Proofread
- A.P. Stylebook (abbreviation,
punctuation, capitalization)
- verify spelling of names and verify
correct titles

19. WRITING A NEWS RELEASE
 Timely,timely, timely
- for planned events, send a couple of
days before
- send the news the day it happens
 Number pages, mark the end (###)
 Marketing vs. News Release

20. UNIQUENESS OF NEWS
a new product every single day
Publish
by deadlines; relentless scramble
Driven
against the clock
time to research and check all the facts
Little
to represent all sides to a story
Tough
of news hole varies daily, advertising
Size
dependant

21. THE NEWS RELEASE
is the FIRST word in the term news release
“News”
of releases received daily – most discarded
Volume
of releases – accuracy, simplicity and clarity
Quality
listed information contacts
Have
will not necessarily appear exactly as written
It

22. PUBLIC PERCEPTION VS PUBLIC REALITIES
overstaffed and underworked
County
paid with 4 billion dollar budget
Well
new working facilities
Nice,
more than 40 hour work week
No
a good job or just meeting expectations
Doing

23. PUBLIC PERCEPTION VS REPORTERS
are even more:
Reporters
Cynical
Suspicious
to have watchdog role
Likely
to hold government accountable
Likely

24. THE INTERVIEW
•Preparation
•Tips

25. WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW?
An interview is not a simple conversation

Fact finding exercise to collect information,

insight, interesting viewpoint not commonly
known
Casual approach used to disarm…who?

Reporter monitors everything said, unsaid

Observes gestures, tone of voice


26. INTERVIEW APPROACHES: FUNNEL
This is the most common of all question sequences

for all types of interviews.
In this sequence, the interviewer begins with

broad, open-ended questions and moves to more
narrow, closed-ended questions.
The interviewer may also begin with more general

questions and gradually ask more specific
questions.

27. INTERVIEW APPROACHES: INVERTED
FUNNEL
This question sequence is effective when an

interviewee needs help remembering something or
to motivate an interviewee to talk.
In this sequence, the interviewer begins with

narrow, closed-ended questions and moves to
more broad, open-ended questions.
The interviewer may also begin with more specific

questions and gradually ask more general
questions.

28. INTERVIEW APPROACHES: DIAMOND
The Diamond question sequence combines the

Funnel and Inverted Funnel sequences.
Used when dealing with topics interviewees may

find painful or difficult and therefore are reluctant to
discuss.
Begin with specific, closed-ended questions

about a situation similar to the interviewee's, then
ask general, open-ended questions about the
interview, and finally ask specific, closed-ended
questions.

29. INTERVIEW APPROACHES: TUNNEL
In this sequence, all questions have the same

degree of openness.
Also called the quot;string of beadsquot; questions

sequence, the Tunnel sequence allows for little
probing and variation in question structure.
It can be useful for simple, surface information

interviews, but not for in-depth interviews.

30. WHO SHOULD SPEAK?
Credibility index (average: 61.5)
Supreme Court Justice: 81.3

 Member of the Armed Forces: 73.0
 Ordinary citizen: 71.8
 Network TV news anchor: 66.8
 Local news reporter: 65.8
 Local elected official: 65.2 (PBC 40% ???)
 Head of a local department: 62.9
 Public relations specialist: 47.6
 TV or radio talk show host: 46.6

31. REPORTER TECHNIQUES
 Repeated question
 Either/or
 Hypothetical/What if…
 False facts
 Interruptions
 Silence
 Critics say…

32. TYPES OF INTERVIEW STORIES
 Straight news
 News feature
 Profile
 Investigative

33. THE INTERVIEW: PREPARATION
 What are the goals of the interview?
 What will the tone be?
 What are your key messages?
 Do your homework!
 Prepare background information
 Rehearse…call staff

34. THE INTERVIEW: TIPS
 Answer the question!
 Share your message early and often
 Avoid jargon
 Remember: you are talking to residents
 Be friendly & courteous
 Silence is golden

35. THE INTERVIEW: TIPS
 Keep your cool
 Bridging
 Don’t repeat the negative
 Never “off the record”
 Never “no comment”

36. THE INTERVIEW: TIPS
– hear the whole question.
 Listen
Understand it. Clarify if needed.
– Select key points. Keep eyes up.
 Pause
– Give direct answer first. Give
 Present
support explanation. Stop when
you’ve answered the question to your
satisfaction.

37. THE INTERVIEW: FAILURES
If you fail to:
 Take charge
 Anticipate questions
 Develop key messages
 Stick to the facts
 Keep calm
 Take the interview seriously

38. TV TIPS
 Assume the camera is always running
 Speak clearly, concisely
 Look at the reporter, not the camera
 Know your key messages
 Dress conservatively
 Avoid contrasts in color; no sunglasses

39. RADIO TIPS
 Ask if the interview will be live or on tape
 Use conversational tone
 Speak concisely
 Don’t ramble. Don’t try to fill “dead air”

40. TIPS FROM REPORTERS
 Use media as a communications tool
 Use media to “straighten the record”
 If County is open and helpful, stories will be
more positive
 If County is not open, stories will be more
negative
 Reporters want access to people and
information

41. WHAT REPORTERS WANT
 The elements of news
 Sometimes, just the facts
 What’s not said
 What you know right now
 To scoop the competition
 To get the story straight
 To feed the beast

42. TO CORRECT OR NOT CORRECT
 Isit important enough?
 How damaging is the error?
 Do nothing
 Ask for a clarification, correction, etc.
 Talk to the reporter
 Talk to a supervisor
 Go to the competition

43. TO CORRECT OR NOT CORRECT
Correction: Usually a factual error. Your goal is

to have the correct information printed or aired.
Clarification: Conflicting or confusing

information was originally presented and this
clears it up.
Omission: Something relevant to the story

(usually a fact or name) was left out and is
now included.
Retraction: To some media outlets, this is a legal

term. On advice of legal counsel, the outlet
admits an error and apologizes. This is usually done in
a large box marked “Retraction” placed where the
original was.

44. ALWAYS REMEMBER…
If the media doesn’t get the
facts from you, they will get the
“story” from someone else.

45. AND…
If you help the media when they
call you, they will help you when
you call them.

46. USEFUL PUBLICATIONS

47. USEFUL PUBLICATIONS

48. INTERESTING VIDEO
Anchor Hates Reporter


49. QUESTIONS