NCABR.ORG : ORGANIZATIONS : MEDIA RELATIONS

I. Working with Your PR/Communications Department to
Foster Positive Media Relations
When a significant research development occurs, tell your organization’s PR/Communications staff as soon as it's ready for public consumption! A newsworthy item can generate a news release and subsequent media attention, which in turn, can prompt public support. Be sure the release identifies your funding source, especially if it is a tax-supported group like the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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II. What You Can Do to Foster Positive Media Relations

Media Interviews*
The reporter is your conduit for speaking to your audience — the public at large, community leaders and elected officials. The reporter, like your audience, may not be an expert in medical research, so you will want to develop a well-crafted, easy to understand message. Preparation is as important as performance.

Before the Interview:

If you have been called for an interview, always ask what the story is about. You may not be the appropriate person to interview. If you are and the reporters asks to interview you immediately, ask if you can put him/her on hold to pull data that could be useful and to collect your thoughts. Or, ask if you can call him/her back in 5 minutes. Some reporters, however, will need to speak with you immediately to meet a deadline, so be prepared for this response.

If you schedule another time to meet or talk, do your homework. Prepare numbers and real life examples. Be prepared for any and all possible questions. If possible, run through a "mock" interview for practice. Above all, return the reporter’s call as quickly as possible.

Select three or four key points that you will continue to focus on throughout the interview. This will keep the story more focused.

During the Interview:

State your key points first. Be concise and get to the point.

To increase your chances of being quoted, use bold, short, catchy statements. Cite human interest examples.

Don’t assume that the reporter is an expert in your specific line of work. Restate key points when needed and speak in non-scientific terms. Don’t use unfamiliar terms without defining them (e.g., NIH).

Never restate a negative question or controversial word used by a reporter when answering a question. Do not repeat a "buzz word" when providing an answer. Always acknowledge the question and answer in your language, then "bridge" quickly to your major point(s). Turn a negative into a positive.

Honesty is the best policy. Be candid. If you don’t know an answer, say so, but offer to find out for the reporter. Evasive responses will make the reporter suspicious.

Volunteer important information. Reporters appreciate information that adds to the story and leads to further questions.

If you told the reporter something that is wrong, call the reporter back as soon as possible.

Don’t be intimidated by a reporter’s silence. Once you make your point, stop talking.

Additional Tips for a Successful Interview**

There is no such thing as "off the record." If you don’t want to hear it on the evening news, don’t say it.

Correct your own mistakes and clarify confusing statements. If you make a mistake in an interview, or if you stray seriously from a question, simply stop and correct the mistake, or ask if you can give another response.

For radio or television interviews, be aware of your surroundings. Avoid noisy places. For TV interviews, wear simple, solid-colored clothing, and choose an interview location with an interesting background. Look at the interviewer, not the camera. Pause briefly before answering questions.

Assume the microphone or tape recorder is always on. Don’t let down your guard at the end of an interview.

After the Interview**

Ask questions. Make sure the reporter has all the facts straight. For complex or controversial statements, ask the reporter to read quotes back to you for accuracy. Reporters, however, seldom allow sources to approve a full story.
Inquire about the final product. It’s okay to ask when the story will run, but remember that most reporters may not know because the decision is made by their editors.

Give feedback. Newspapers and magazines run corrections or major mistakes and omissions. If a mistake is minor, it is best to let it go. Serious problems should be brought to the reporter’s attention. If a story is well done, compliment the reporter.

Editorial Board Meetings*
Editorial boards meet to discuss current issues and to decide on the "issue" portion for the editorial page. The board is comprised of editorial writers, an editorial page editor and the publisher, who usually serves as its chairman. Input from experts is welcome to get differing points of view on widely debated issues. Editorial boards represent the opinion of the paper and are distinct from news departments, which cover news.

What You Can Do:

Ask colleagues, department chairs, trustees and CEO’s if they know the local editor or publisher. If they do, use their name when you call to set up a meeting.

Recruit 2-3 colleagues willing to go with you to the meeting.

A team of diverse individuals is impressive, such as a volunteer/patient, a business leader and a scientist.

Tell them all they have to talk about is "themselves" — the role medical research plays in their respective lives/jobs and how it affects other aspects of the community.

Call the editor of the editorial pages to arrange for the meeting. Point out the timeliness of the topic. It may be some time before a meeting can be arranged. If, however, your issue is current, you will likely get an appointment.

Expect a half-hour meeting with the editorial board; prepare no more than 10 concise minutes of opening information and then be ready for questions.

Remember to localize the issue.

Leave background materials for the board’s review and thank them for their interest.

Follow-up with the editorial page editor for results of the meeting.

Letters to the Editor*
The most effective strategy to ensure getting a letter published is to be a regular reader of the paper and to respond quickly to a specific story.

What You Can Do:

Next time you read your local paper, look for any story to which you can draw a link to medical research.

Include a few passionate sentences about why you agree or disagree with the article. Be sure at least one sentence:

Mentions the article or newsworthy issue to which you are responding;

Refers to a local figure, company, hospital or university.

Make sure it is less than 250 words.

By looking on the editorial pages, calling the paper’s main number or checking the paper’s Web site, find out what delivery methods (fax, e-mail or mail) you can use to submit the letter.

Address it to "Letter to the Editor" at the address of the paper’s main office, unless the directions on the editorial pages or on the paper’s Web site indicate otherwise.

Be sure to include your name, address, home and business phone numbers and sign the letter.

Watch the paper for approximately 2-3 weeks to see if your letter gets printed.

Don’t be discouraged if it isn’t printed. Your efforts pay off just by the fact that the editor saw a letter on the issue of medical research and his or her awareness was increased. If you write letters often enough, one will be printed. If you don’t write any, none will.

Suggestions:

If you ghostwrite a letter to the editor and a prominent research, business leader or community figure signs it, your changes of the piece being run may increase.

Get others to respond to the same article. The more a paper hears from people on an issue, the more likely it is to print a response.

Opinion and Editorial Pieces*
Op-eds, like letters to the editor, are an opportunity for you to get your opinion printed in the paper. Op-eds, standing for "opposite editorial," are 750-1,000 word articles that appear adjacent to the editorial page. They vary on topics, but most relate to issues currently being discussed somewhere in the paper.

Here’s how:

Make sure the topic of your op-ed is an issue that is currently being discussed in your community, and mention local figures and institutions to bring your message home to readers in your area.

Send the piece, with a cover letter, to the publication of your choice. However, send it to only one paper; you can send it to another if the paper decides not to run it. If competing papers run the same op-ed piece, it will substantially decrease the likelihood of having anything else printed in your name in either paper.

Suggestions:

If you ghostwrite an op-ed and a prominent researcher, business leader or community figure signs it, your chances of the piece being run may increase.

If a larger paper doesn’t run your op-ed, try a weekly newspaper or specialized publication (newsletter, community paper, alumni magazine, etc.).

* Source: "Keys to Advocacy: Working with the Media and Building Strong Partnerships," Research!America, 1999.

** Source: "What to Do When A Reporter Calls … ," North Carolina State University News Services, 2002.

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III. Journalism 101: What Makes a Story Newsworthy?

What Makes A Strong News Story?

Original Research Findings — Ideally, these need to have practical applications, are tied to "hot" newsworthy topics or have just been revealed in a paper or at a meeting.
Unique or Unusual Programs — a significant step towards a solution to a national problem
Expert Commentary — interpretations of current events or new or controversial points of view
Interesting or Unusual Personalities

What Makes A Weak News Story?

Faculty/staff appointments
Awards/activities that fall outside "strong" news
Programs/events that are similar to others elsewhere

News Pegs:

Anniversary peg: Can this story be associated with a local, national or topical event?

Breakthrough: What is new or different about this story?

Celebrity: Is there a celebrity willing to lend his or her name to the issue?

Controversy: Are there adversaries or other tensions to the story?

Injustice: Are there basic inequities or unfair circumstances?

Irony: What is ironic, unusual or inconsistent?

Local peg: Why is the story important or meaningful to local residents?

Milestone: Is this story an important historical marker?

Personal Angle: Who is the victim in this story? Who has the authentic voice on this issue?

Seasonal Peg: Can this story be attached to a holiday or seasonal event?

For additional information on working with the media, check out NCABR’s online resource: "Highlights from Controversies in Science: A Symposium for Journalists."

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