Presentation on Surviving Media Interviews

1. Promoting Your Legislative
Agenda through the Media
West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition
Spring Advocacy Training 2015

2. 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.

3. 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?

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

5. 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)

8. The average 12-oz can of soda contains about 10
teaspoons of refined sugar.

10. 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

11. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

21. Never lie. A reporter never forgets.

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

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

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

25. 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.

26. 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.

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

28. Relax. Don’t get paranoid.

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

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

31. 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.

32. Top Secret

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

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

38. 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...

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

40. Practice
Bridging

41. Reporter Traps
The
Negator

42. Reporter Traps
The
Paraphraser

43. Reporter Traps
The
Silent Lamb

44. Reporter Traps
The
Intruder

45. Reporter Traps
The
Phantom

46. 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.

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

48. 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 _____ [whatever food-related term they
use] what does that mean exactly?”
•Other questions?

49. Jim McKay
TEAM for WV Children
jim@teamwv.org
304-617-0099
http://number1question.org
http://www.preventchildabusewv.org
http://slideshare.net/pcawv
Contact Info