I’m at the Association of Business Schools PR seminar in London. The delegates are mainly heads of PR and marketing from some of the UK’s leading business schools.
I did the first presentation on new PR and blogs.
Now it’s a session on dealing with the media, run by business journalists Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainier.
Tips included:
– start small, local radio before Newsnight
– have a strong story
– clear messages
– supporting evidence
Prepare by:
– call back, don’t comment off cuff
– background on journalist
– prepare at least three main messages
– have documents to hand
– what is deadline
– how will it be used
– who else are you talking to
– if broadcast is it live or taped
– set a time limit
– do a web search on the journalist
You do NOT have the right to:
– know the questions in advance
– see the story in advance
– change your quotes or edit the story
– expect only your views to be presented
TOOL #1: BBC
Block, Bridge and Communicate
Habit 2 – know what your message is
What’s the headline you want?
Habit 3 – Think audience
– remember you are not talking just to your peers
What’s in it for me? is the question so answer it.
SEXY SECRETS OF POISON PIE KILLER (The Sun)
– every bit is news (sex, drama, secret etc)
Know your audience and think about headlines used in different publications.
Sound bites are getting shorter.
Even complex messages can be distilled.
Habit 4 – Distill your message
Structure your message down to core essentials.
Put the message in context
TOOL #2: SCQA
– Situation
– Complication
– Question
– Answer
Or try Now, But, So What
