Media training 101

[Cerridwen]

1. There is NO SUCH THING as off-the-record.

Any time you speak with a member of the press, KNOW they are on-the-record at all times. Always! I don't know what kind of "reporter" timmy russert thinks he is with a default setting of off-the-record, but I'm sure as hell not gonna trust him when he says he is.

Example:

Reporter: Hey, Cerridwen! How's it goin' today?

Cerridwen: Hey, Reporter. Not too great. Got a sick dog at home. Wish I had more time in my day. But, you know, it was important I be here for this rally/press conference/event today because we need to get the message of current-issue across to your readers.

Tomorrow's story: "Cerridwen, representative of such-a-ma-thingy organization more concerned about her dog than current-issue. Although she acknowledged the importance of current-issue, her thoughts were still on her sick dog at home." (no, this didn't really happen to me.)


2. Stay on message.

Any reporter will try to get you to say what s/he thinks is best for their story or, and sometimes especially, something which will be even more titillating. They will try to get you to say or do something which fits the message they want to put out. See previous example. Which message got out? Cerridwen's or the reporter's? Stay on message.

3. Never concede their premise. Never concede their point. Make them do their own work. If they spin it, you can point to the spin, if you concede, they don't need to spin.

An example, if your message is pro-choice (one of the easier to see examples)

"Although I would never have an abortion myself..." #1: they are on-the-record, #2: you just changed your message to "I think abortion is bad" #3: you've just conceded any debate and done their work for them. Your message has just become, on-the-record, in tomorrow's report "Cerridwen agrees abortion is bad but supports others' choice to make a decision to do a bad thing." Your message is gone.

4. Answer the question you want to answer.

A reporter will attempt to re-frame the same question in various ways in order to get you to answer in such a way they can divert your message or create their story - see #2 and example in #1 and #3. Stay on message. State your message. Repeat your message. They want another story? They gotta do it themselves. Your job is to...stay on message.

Another example using choice:

Reporter: So, I understand Cerridwen that you think abortion is bad?
Cerridwen: Every woman and her family has the right to make that decision themselves.
Reporter: But, you would never have an abortion, right?
Cerridwen: I am pro-choice.
Reporter: So how do you feel, personally, about abortion, Cerridwen?
Cerridwen: Well, Reporter, I personally would never have an abortion, but...

Tomorrow's headlines and/or report? Do I really need to type it out again? I forgot #1, #2, #3 and didn't do #4. (And, no, this is not something I've done; it's what I've seen happen time and again.)

Another example:

Reporter: So, Cerridwen, you think gays should be allowed to marry?
Cerridwen: Why, of course I do. I think we should all have the same rights.
Reporter: So, you think gays should have special rights?
Cerridwen: I think we should all have the same rights.
Reporter: So, are you gay, Cerridwen?
Cerridwen: What does that have to do with anything? I think we should all have the same rights.
Reporter: So, you're a lesbian?
Cerridwen: No, I'm not a lesbian. This isn't a gay versus straight issue. I think we should all have the same rights.
Reporter: So, you think being a lesbian is a bad thing?

Tomorrow's headlines? "Cerridwen, representative of such-a-ma-thingy organization, who herself thinks homosexuals are bad..." You got the rest of that, right? (and, no, I didn't get caught with that one, either because, I wouldn't respond with "no, I'm not a lesbian/gay" nor did I reply "well, I'm straight, but...".)

Let's review what I learned in my media training class (yep, that part really happened) and which I've shared with you here, today.

1. There is NO SUCH THING as off-the-record.
2. Stay on message.
3. Never concede their premise. Make them do their own work. Stay on message.
4. Answer the question you want to answer. Stay on message.

These rules apply to all interviews, press conferences, rallies and protests. If pro-choice people show up at a peace rally, which message gets out? Both, maybe. Which message is diluted? Both, definitely. Who benefited? The people who reported and whose work you just did.

In case you didn't catch what I said before...

STAY ON MESSAGE!

[Cerridwen]

1. Guess I'll kick this up myself.

I probably should have put more 'umph' in the title...Maybe I should have mentioned Code Pink in the title?

Damn, when will I learn? It's hyperbole, hyperbole, Cerridwen!

:kick:

[jimshoes]

2. Good advice

Here's a kick for you.

[Cerridwen]

4. Thank you.

Much appreciated.

[omega minimo]

3. K&R Brilliant. Thank you for posting this.

:kick:

[Cerridwen]

11. Thanks!

Did you get the earworm from my post in your thread?

:evilgrin:

It just reminds me that we keep doing and doing and saying and doing the same things on and on...

*sigh*

[omega minimo]

17. .

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Flashback to media training 101

for the time I was assigned as PAO for the Red Cross in TJ.

Thanks for the reminder

I wlll add one thing

Always know when to scratch the media's back... it may be helpful some day (and indeed it was)

[Cerridwen]

8. Ah, yes

Make friends with the media but don't be friends with anyone in the media.

Dang, and I meant to put that in there. Thanks for the reminder and the good additional point.

:hi:

[femmedem]

6. Happy to give this its 5th R.

Thanks for putting together this post. So important for activists and candidates.

[Cerridwen]

9. Thank you, very much.

My s.o. keeps telling me I need to share my years of "wisdom" gained from, well, just about everywhere; people watching, reading, opposition research, political activism, trainings, etc. A human sponge, am I. :D

:hi:

[lyonn]

7. It happens all the time, even if the subject is about the weather

My husband, a retired attorney, from time to time was interviewed by the news people and it only took one interview to realize you just don't talk to them. They twist everything. He didn't recognize his so called quotes in the article. They have a story to write and usually a motive behind their slant on a story.

[Cerridwen]

10. Ain't it the truth?!

The first time I saw how the media can twist and distort was a report about an accident at the rodeo I'd been to the night before. I'm from Vegas, rodeos were a big deal to my family in my younger days and I hated them. So, when one of the riders in the bare-back competition was thrown, I focused intensely on what was happening hoping neither would be seriously injured. It turned out well and neither the rider nor the horse were terribly injured; sprained ankle for the rider and one relieved looking horse.

In the paper the next day, I exaggerate the reporter's report a little, the horse maliciously threw the rider, the rider cowered in a corner and with flames coming from his nostrils the horse charged and attacked the rider repeatedly. Okay, the reporter didn't mention flaming nostrils, but beyond that, that's pretty much what he wrote. It was surreal.

Anyway, that was years before I received my training but it sure stuck with me.

[Greyhound]

12. Perfect, a real life example of just what you're saying.

Faux news lead yesterday (while everyone else is covering the Waxman hearing), Anna Nichole's medicine cabinet.

Today's Faux lead, Code Pink, Godless communists, or just plain crazy?

This amateur bullshit is inexcusable after all these years.:grr:
:kick: & R

[Cerridwen]

13. Yeah, I guess I should have added a #5 and a #6

#5. Keep out of each other's way. We all have important messages which are part of the whole that need to be disseminated. I alluded to it at the end but perhaps I should have said it straight out. Get your own damned bullhorn! Exceptions must be agreed upon by both parties.

#6. A reminder from nadinbrzezinski up thread - make friends with the media but never with someone who works in the media. Sometimes we "play nice" if it's mutually beneficial. But don't trust 'em over lunch.

edit for poster's name

[Matariki]

14. you have a good understanding of how the press works. n/;t

[Cerridwen]

15. I learned from bitter experience and some fabulous activists

and trainers who had their bitter experiences to share.

Which reminds me, Bev, Barb, Patricia wherever you are right this second...thank you!

[Cerridwen]

16. I feel like kicking this so people can see #s 5 & 6.

:kick:

[rman]

18. 'how not to' doesn't necessarily explain 'how to'..

Taking the last question and response from the 2nd how-not-to example;

"Cerridwen: No, I'm not a lesbian. This isn't a gay versus straight issue. I think we should all have the same rights.
Reporter: So, you think being a lesbian is a bad thing?"


Seems to me one needs to anticipate the spin and the absurdity ('not being lesbian = thinking homosexuals are bad') in order to avoid it.
In order to avoid it one would have to not answer the question ("are you lesbian?"), and instead go right away to "being homosexual or not is irrelevant".

I guess what "staying on message" comes down to is instead of having a dialog, one should just take every opportunity (ie when your expected to answer a question) to repeat the message.

Now what if the reporter accuses you of evading the question (which you did)?

[Cerridwen]

19. That was the point I tried to make, apparently, not so successfully

:D

I've watched those type of interviews over and over and that; the part you pointed to; is the "turning point" in the interview; it's all down hill from there. Perhaps part b. of that should be don't start defending yourself or fall into the trap of defining yourself "as opposed" to something. Or, as you put it "anticipate the spin."

Exactly, "staying on message" is not about "having a dialog".

"Now what if the reporter accuses you of evading the question (which you did)?"

Since, as you've noted, this isn't a dialog, should the reporter come at me with "you evaded the question" I can respond with something along the lines of "the point of this interview is that <repeat the message>." Yep, keep evading and don't go into defense mode. Depending on how confrontational you want to be with said reporter, it can get lively or not. I could respond with, "you say evading the question as though it's a bad thing, I'm here to talk about <repeat the message>." Or I could say "you keep trying to change the topic, I'm here to talk about <repeat the message>". In short, repeat the message unapologetically and then repeat it again.

Part of this goes back to, don't accept their premise. In the case you described, the reporter is applying her/his premise that "evading the question" is a bad thing and that I should be "ashamed" for my "bad manners" or some such. Don't accept it; the same applies to the previous mention of "no, I'm not a lesbian" because in that example, I've just accepted their implied premise that "lesbian is bad, Cerridwen is lesbian, therefore Cerridwen is bad". By the way, one of the reasons I used that example was because during the early days of the women's movement, that tactic; calling women gay/dyke/lesbian/manly was an effective tool to put women on the defense and to separate the activists using their own homophobia/fear of being "different" to back them down and make them afraid of being associated with "women like that." Divide, conquer and silence. I still see the results of that when I hear women say "I'm not a feminist, but..."

Thank you for pointing out my oversight. You made an important point. I hope I cleared it up a bit.

:hi: