Tips and suggestions for working with the media to advance your public policy goals. Presented as part of the Our Children, Our Future Campaign to End Child Poverty in West Virginia.

1. Media and Messaging Training

2. Presenters:
Jim McKay
TEAM for WV Children
Jake Lynch
WV Community Development Hub
Everyone who is here!

3. Some Questionable Beliefs
• The facts will set you free.
• The data speak for themselves.
• We need to educate everyone.
• We just need a catchier message/slogan.
• Those who don’t support us don’t make sense.

4. Developing strategy

6. Developing strategy
• What is the problem or issue?
• What is the solution or policy?
• Who has the power to make the necessary
change?
• Who is the opposition? What do they believe?
• Who can be mobilized to apply the necessary
pressure?
• What messages need to be developed for which
groups?

7. Developing story elements
• Identify authentic voices
• Use evocative symbols
• Use compelling visuals
• Develop media bites
• Calculate social math

8. Calculating social math
Social math is the process of translating large
numbers to be interesting to journalists and
meaningful to audiences.
Using familiar things, break down numbers by
• Time (# per year, month, week, day, hour)
• Place (enough people to fill classrooms, school
buses, a stadium, a specific city)
• Dollars (spent on ice cream, shoes, coffee)
• Ironic comparisons (highlights value by
comparing to less important things)

9. Social Math

10. Social Math

11. The average 12-oz can of soda contains about 10
teaspoons of refined sugar.
Social Math

12. Social Math

13. Developing media bites
• Keep it short 8 - 10 seconds
• Talk about what is important
• Avoid jargon
• Evoke a picture
• Present a solution
• Frame from the social/policy perspective rather
than individual/behavioral focus

14. Media bites
• Smoking a “safer” cigarette is like jumping out of a 10th
floor window rather than a 12th floor window.
• Having a no-smoking section in a restaurant is like having a
no-peeing section in a swimming pool.
• AMC Theater large popcorn has 1,030 calories and 57
grams of saturated fat. That's like eating a pound of baby
back ribs topped with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

15. Be Solution Oriented

19. Do your homework! Be prepared! Even
in your specialty a brush-up is needed.

20. The secret power of
POWER POSES
Our body language shapes
who we are.

21. Speak in 30 second quotes (or less).
Long answers are rarely used. Boil
down everything you want to say
before you say it.

22. Don’t go off the record when
talking to a reporter.

23. Lose your temper and you will
definitely be on the evening news.

24. Cry and you will definitely be on
the evening news.

25. Never lie. A reporter never forgets.

26. If it is appropriate, smile when
answering a reporter’s questions.

27. Be yourself. No technical jargon. Make
sure that someone with a 10th grade
education would understand what you
are saying.

28. Dress conservatively for television. No
bright colors. No thin stripes. If you are
on a set avoid wearing blue or green.

29. Don’t say, “no comment”, it makes you
sound guilty. Try, “I’ll find that out and get
back to you.” Then think of a good answer
and get back to them.

30. A simple yes or no to a question will keep
you from being quoted. Rephrase the
reporter’s question in the beginning of
your answer.

31. Do not repeat a negative. It
reinforces the opponent’s frame.

32. Relax. Don’t get paranoid.

33. A good interview offers information,
education and entertainment.

34. Read a newspaper (and Twitter) before your
interview.
List of WV reporters on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/WOWK13News/lists/wv-press

35. In a television or radio interview consider
every microphone, every camera to be on at
all times. Don’t say or do anything you
wouldn’t say or do in church.

36. Top Secret

38. Identify 3 talking points and
stick to them like glue!

41. Bridging can be used to
•Return to “islands of safety”
•Deal with difficult questions
•Stay on the subject

42. Common Bridges
•Again…
•The key point here is…
•Let’s take that a step further…
•Let me add…
•That’s important, but the real issue is…
•You should also know that...

43. What if you can’t avoid the
question?
Touch briefly on the topic
then BRIDGE.

44. Practice
Bridging

45. Reporter Traps
The
Negator

46. Reporter Traps
The
Paraphraser

47. Reporter Traps
The
Silent Lamb

48. Reporter Traps
The
Intruder

49. Reporter Traps
The
Phantom

50. Other Tips
•Know how your interview will be used.
•Don’t fight narrative with numbers.
•If they give you a portrait, bridge to a
landscape.
•Practice, practice, practice.
•Choose your messengers carefully.

51. Practice Questions
•Tell us about what you're working on. What's your idea?
•Do you think this policy has a chance at the legislature?
How's it going to fare this year during the session?
•How much is this going to cost?
•Is there really a need for this?
•When you say _____ what does that mean exactly?”
•Other questions?

52. Using the web and social
media to engage others
with your issue.

53. Homework
•Make a pitch to a member(s) of your local media outlet.
•Share your Policy Idea
•Highight elements of your policy story:
•What is the problem or issue?
•What is the policy solution to address that problem?
•Who has the power to make the necessary change?
•How are you working to enact your policy solution?
•Develop 3 media bites for your issue (and SHARE them!)
•Invite the media to the Policy Summit on Sept. 14-15

54. Media Contacts
List of WV reporters on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/WOWK13News/lists/wv-press
WV Media Guide
http://www.wvmediaguide.com/

55. Jim McKay
TEAM for WV Children
jim@teamwv.org
304-617-0099
Jake Lynch
WV Community
Development Hub
j.lynch@wvhub.org
202-718-4524
Contact Info
http://slideshare.net/pcawv