“Your 15 Minutes: Making the most of your media moment” A Once fallen presentation

1. “Your 15 Minutes: Making the most of your media moment” A Once fallen presentation

2. Part 1: The media and you

3. “Visibility equals credibility” • “Visibility equals credibility.” – Michael Levine, Founder of Levine Communications Office, from “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” • So what is the most efficient way to become visible?

4. The media is the #1 source of information • 99% of Americans view at least one news story daily. 92% of Americans (92%) use multiple platforms to get news on a typical day, including national TV, local TV, the internet, local newspapers, radio, and national newspapers. • 46% of Americans say they get news from four to six media platforms on a typical day; 7% get their news from a single media platform on a typical day. • More than half of American adults (56%) say they follow the news “all or most of the time,” and another quarter (25%) follow the news at least “some of the time.” Source: Kristen Purcell, Lee Rainie, Amy Mitchell, Tom Rosensteil & Kenny Olmstead. “Understanding the participatory news consumer.” Pew Research Center, March 1, 2010. http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Understanding_the_Participatory_News_Consumer.pdf

5. The media is the #1 source of information • Which media is most popular? • 78% of Americans say they get news from a local TV station • 73% say they get news from a national networks or cable news [CNN, Fox] • 61% say they get some kind of news online • 54% say they listen to a radio news program at home or in the car • 50% say they read news in a local newspaper • 17% say they read news in a national newspaper [NYTimes, USA Today] Source: Kristen Purcell, Lee Rainie, Amy Mitchell, Tom Rosensteil & Kenny Olmstead. “Understanding the participatory news consumer.” Pew Research Center, March 1, 2010. http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Understanding_the_Participatory_News_Consumer.pdf

6. The media is the #1 source of information • Where do legislators get their information? Take a wild guess. • “Misinformation and a lack of information often shapes sex offender policy…Most of the legislators in [a study by Lisa Sample of U. of Nebraska- Omaha] said their primary source of information was the news media.” • In most cases, lawmakers didn’t read studies/ reports relevant to legislation they supported. • L. Sample: Most sex offender legislation follows the abduction and murder of a child, and the resulting public outrage • In Minnesota, a panel of experts recently completed a comprehensive report to serve as a guide for sex offender policy in the state. One of the report’s authors says the biggest challenge is just getting lawmakers to read it. Dan Gunderson, “A Better Approach to Sex Offender Policy.” Minnesota Public Radio, June 18th, 2007. See also: Lisa L. Sample and Colleen Kadleck, “Sex Offender Laws: Legislators' Accounts of the Need for Policy.” Criminal Justice Policy Review 2008; 19; 40

7. Media fact and fiction Superhero? Or Super villain?

8. Media fact and fiction • Fiction: The media must report both sides of a story. • The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced. The FCC decided to eliminate the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine. • The Fairness Doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. The main agenda for the doctrine was to ensure that viewers were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints.

9. Media fact and fiction • FACT: The media can have an agenda and can influence the people to accept this agenda. • Agenda-setting theory describes the "ability [of the news media] to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda." That is, if a news item is covered frequently and prominently the audience will regard the issue as more important. • Agenda-setting is the creation of public awareness and concern of salient issues by the news media. Two basic assumptions underlie most research on agenda-setting: • The press and the media do not reflect reality; they filter and shape it; • Media concentration on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues. • One of the most critical aspects in the concept of an agenda-setting role of mass communication is the time frame for this phenomenon. In addition, different media have different agenda-setting potential.

10. Media fact and fiction • FACT: The media can have an agenda and can influence the people to accept this agenda. • Propaganda vs. Persuasion • “Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist”; purpose is to further the goals of the propagandist; lecture, teaching • “Persuasion as a subset of communication is usually defined as a communicative process to influence others. A persuasive message has a point of view or desired behavior for the recipient to adopt in a voluntary fashion”; Purpose is to reach a common goal that satisfies all parties; Dialogue, Compromise • Mass media can be both persuasive and propagandistic. Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell. Propaganda and Persuasion. [Fourth Edition] Thousand Oaks CA, Sage Publications. 2006.

11. Media fact and fiction • FICTION: The media will fact-check and give you the objective truth. • “Many in the media are scientifically clueless, and will scare you to death. We don't do it on purpose. We just want to give you facts. But the people who bring us story ideas are alarmed. Then we get alarmed, and eager to rush that news to you. We know that the scarier and more bizarre the story, the more likely it is that our bosses will give us more air time or a front-page slot. The scary story, justified or not, will get higher ratings and sell more papers. Fear sells. That's the reason for the insiders' joke about local newscasts: "If it bleeds, it leads.“ Also, raising alarms makes us feel important. If we bothered to keep digging until we found the better scientific experts, rather than the ones who send out press releases, we'd get the real story. But reporters rarely know whom to call. And if we did, many real scientists don't want to be bothered. Why get involved in a messy debate?” • John Stossel, “'Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity.‘ 2006.

12. Media fact and fiction • FACT: The news media is receptive to story ideas • Write an editorial or a letter to the editor (see the video “Steven Yoder: Writing Op-Eds and Letters To The Editor” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyaFbBKbbFE) • Write the reporter directly and ask if that reporter will be doing a follow-up story or would consider one. • Comment on the story and discuss your activism • Be proactive: Contact a journalist or a show with your idea

13. Media fact and fiction • FACT: The media can debunk myths as well as create them • “While a major focus of this book is here mongering by journalists and others, throughout the chapters that follow I take note as well of reporters who bring to light serious dangers about which the public hears little from politicians, corporations, and most of the media. Indeed, again and again I find that it is reporters, rather than government oversight organizations, academics, or other professional truth seekers, who debunked silly or exaggerated scares that other journalists irresponsibly promulgate. Unfortunately, however, these correctives often occur long after whole sectors of the populace have been scared senseless.” Barry Glassner, “Culture of Fear” (10th Anniversary Edition), p. xvi

14. Media fact and fiction • FICTION: Being in the media guarantees you will be an instant celebrity • The media, and its consumers, tend to have short-term memories (Think “50 First Dates”). However, constant exposure to our message is having an impact on the media. The more we get out there, the better. • You may see a boost in site visitors but will go away in a day or two. If you run your own site, perhaps you can make a message welcoming people coming in from the show and directing them to what they need to see most. • The good news: It increases your credibility as an expert. “Derek Logue is a nationally recognized expert on sex offender laws, with over two dozen media appearances including CNN and HLN.”

15. Types of media

16. Types of media Each medium – radio, TV and print – have specific requirements you should understand before the interview. • Radio: The main feature of radio is that it is a personal medium. Radio gives the illusion of a one-to-one relationship, which means that you should adopt an appropriate style when you go on radio programs. You should adopt a friendly approach in interviews on programs such as talkback. In radio you are talking to or with people, not at them. • The radio message is a fleeting moment of sound. It is not the medium for complex explanations or lists of facts and statistics. The listeners have to be able to grasp your point at one pass of the information, as there is no visual reinforcement and no hard copy to check back for verifications Catriona Pollard . “How to deal with different types of media interviews.” Monday, April 06, 2009 http://www.cpcommunications.com.au/_blog/pr_social_media_update/post/how-to-deal-with-different-types-of-media-interviews

17. Types of media • The Radio Interview Experience • Very few “shock jocks” cover news stories of importance, so you will likely speak with a news reporter with a soft spoken voice and a casual environment. • Radio Interviews are typically over the phone (call-in). • There is no note-taking, and you are generally allowed to speak freely with minimal direction, and is a good opportunity to promote yourself • Since people won’t be taking notes, it is better to use anecdotes and stories rather than spend a lot of time giving hard facts. Share a couple of basic facts and follow up with shocking stories (“Did you know Texas lists 10 year old kids on the registry”?)

18. Types of media • Print: Press interviews have similar requirements as electronic media in terms of news value and brevity. The apparent relaxed nature of press interviews should not lull you into a false sense of security. • Ensure you get your key messages in early, be careful of rambling and place tonal emphasis on key messages. • A trick for press interviews over the phone is to stand up while doing the interview - it will give you a lot more confidence. Catriona Pollard . “How to deal with different types of media interviews.” Monday, April 06, 2009 http://www.cpcommunications.com.au/_blog/pr_social_media_update/post/how-to-deal-with-different-types-of-media-interviews

19. Types of media • The Press Media Experience • You will most likely be talking with someone one-on-one, either by phone or in person (the reporter sometimes comes to your house) • These types of interviews tend to be relaxed and open, allowing you to offer a lot of knowledge and stories about the topic. • Watch for pauses and, if in person, the reporter is jotting something down, because he or she thinks that is important. Be sure to be clear on key points. Reporters rarely record conversations, they go by their notes. • Expect to only see a few lines of quotes in a news story. TV Interviews sometimes have a corresponding print version of the story on their news websites.

20. Types of media • TV: Television is demanding in the sense that the audience can see you as well as hear you. Your body language, dress, background and movement all contribute to communication with the audience. To appear credible on television, you must sound and look credible. • Sit rather than stand, as you need controlled movement and remember to use slow, controlled gestures. • Review your appearance before the interview, ensuring your dress, hair and facial expression come across credible. • The power of television is its visual impact; you must be brief, to the point and get the key message across in a limited time. Allow yourself time to think, look away and think about the question (look down to the floor not to the ceiling). Use silence instead of filler words such as ‘um’ while thinking. Catriona Pollard . “How to deal with different types of media interviews.” Monday, April 06, 2009 http://www.cpcommunications.com.au/_blog/pr_social_media_update/post/how-to-deal-with-different-types-of-media-interviews

21. Types of media • The TV News Experience: • Local media: • Most likely a one-on-one interview, highly edited. Interviews can be up to an hour long, and edited down to a two or three minute segment. • National Media: • Can be a one-on-one edited segment but more likely a short, live segment of 3 to 6 minutes; expect to only get a couple of minutes tops to stress a point. • May be on a panel discussion; thus, you will be sharing time with someone who has a conflicting, often extreme opinion and highly confrontational • On a syndicated network show, expect a pre-appearance interview or two from the producers; they want to ensure you can give clear answers and be entertaining

22. Media genres Some forms include: • Advocacy journalism – Writing to advocate particular viewpoints or influence the opinions of the audience. (THAT’S US!) • Broadcast journalism – Written or spoken journalism for radio or television. • Investigative journalism – The use of investigation on a subject matter while uncovering news events. • Gonzo journalism – Characterized by its punchy style, rough language, and ostensible disregard for conventional journalistic writing forms and customs(Many Cable TV shows like N. Grace) • Tabloid journalism – Writing that is light-hearted and entertaining. • Sensationalism (“Yellow Journalism”) – A type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership or readership numbers.. Sensationalism may include reporting about generally insignificant matters and events that don't influence overall society and biased presentations of newsworthy topics in a trivial or tabloid manner • Parachute journalism – The practice of thrusting journalists into an area to report on a story in which the reporter has little knowledge or experience. (MOST journalists fall into this category regarding sex offender issues).

23. Part 2: The media interview

24. Types of media interviews • Newsgathering Interview - To collect facts or history about a subject, either for a story or in preparation for another interview. • Confirmation Interview - To check the validity of a report or a rumor or to get a second source on an important piece of information. • Reaction Interview - To gather reaction or responses to breaking news. • Person-on-the-street Interview - To seek input from diverse members of a community. • Experts Interview - To add the expertise of a knowledgeable source to your story. • Balance Interview - To show the many facets of a story by getting multiple viewpoints. • Q & A Interview - To present the info in a question and answer format. • Advance Interview - To gather info and write about an upcoming event/person • In-depth Interview - To engage in a long form, conversation for a profile feature story or an enterprise story. • Gotcha Interview - To confront a subject, often with incriminating or embarrassing information. Source: Knight Community News Network. http://www.kcnn.org/interviewing/chapter2

25. The “big but” • The “Big BUT” is the point of the story a journalist adds a conflicting opinion that tends to damper a good article, generally with the word “but” as the beginning of the reBUTtal (pun intended) • “John says the sex offender registry harms his family. BUT Jane of Save the Kids, Inc. says the registry saves kids.” • Not much you can do but give the best interview you can give and try not to worry about the “other side of the issue.”

26. Interviewer personalities • The Rapid Fire or Machine Gunner Questioner: This type of interviewer asks several questions quickly and all at once. The best way to deal with this kind of interview is to answer the question you want to with a key message. • The Paraphrasing Parrot: The interviewer paraphrases what you have said. This can be dangerous. You must listen carefully and correct immediately any information that strays from the original statements made. • The Disrupter: The interviewer asks another question or interrupts before you are finished. In this kind of situation you can ask the interviewer, “please let me finish my answer…” If your key messages can be conveyed in 10 seconds or less you should not have a problem. You can also continue answering the question despite interruptions. • Negative Leader: This type of interview will pin negative labels on you. Correct the negatives with the positives. Program Training and Consultation Centre, The Media Network | Challenging Types of Media Interviews. https://www.ptcc-cfc.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=104867

27. Interviewer personalities • The Bully: Make sure to answer their key question only and don’t get mad. You can ask them to repeat the question and use pauses. It’s also fine to re-phrase the question in your own words before you answer it. Always be polite. Don’t be intimidated, remain calm, avoid confrontation and stick to key messages. • The overly friendly interviewer: Either they enjoy meeting you or enjoy disarming you, especially in the pre-interview and then go ‘in for the kill’ while recording. Be cautious, but not cold. • The ‘last minute’ interviewer: This is an opportunity for you to take control of the interview. This reporter has probably been assigned the story last minute without having time to do all the background research. Be prepared for ill-informed questions. Program Training and Consultation Centre, The Media Network | Challenging Types of Media Interviews. https://www.ptcc-cfc.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=104867

28. Interviewer personalities Note: If the journalist asks the same question repeatedly in different ways, the interviewer is probably fishing for a specific answer to fit his or her agenda • Example: Derek Logue’s Cincinnati Enquirer interview, July 2007. • Reporter asks if I moved to Ohio because the laws were more lax, I said no, I moved to Ohio because one program in Florida that accepted me reneged on the offer, and the Ohio move was last minute. He asked if Ohio is more lax than Florida, I responded the residency restrictions were not as tough (Ohio’s restrictions was 1000 feet from schools only, while Florida has restrictions as high as 2500 feet) • Gregory Korte, “Housing, programs provide a magnet.” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 29, 2007. “Some, like Logue, say sex offender laws are more lenient than in other states. ‘I was supposed to go to Florida, but Florida was too tough on sex offenders,’ he says. Korte then discusses how Florida registers people for life (not all registrants) while Ohio only registers some registrants for 20 years.” • The agenda was a belief that Cincinnati was a “Mecca for sex offenders.”

29. Preparing for the interview A few keys to prepare for the interview • Do your research. Read up on the topic at hand • Choose your words wisely: Key points tend to be remembered when they are short, sweet, and to the point. Most media interviews rely on one or two key points to “sell” the story; Develop “catchphrases”; understand semantics. • “Know thy enemy:” Research the reporter (and any panelists, if in a panel discussion). Watch the show or read the articles the reporter writes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the interview format. • Practice makes Perfect! Practice an interviewwith a fellow activist, and ask for feedback. • Don’t be afraid to set a couple of guidelines – No “P” Words (Pervert, pedophile, predator). Develop “thick skin” for the things you can’t control. • Time yourself: Use a clock with a second hand or a stopwatch as a visual aid to time your answers. Aim to answer in 15-30 seconds in most circumstances

30. Preparing for the interview “Radio Role Play,” aka “Verbal Assertiveness Training” Test your mettle against virtual talk-show host Bill Blathers (played by Tom Madison of Oregon Action Committee). “Bill Blathers is a radio personality who loves to blather about controversial topics, so much so, in fact, he legally changed his name to “Blathers” as an insult became a symbol of pride. Blathers believes in strict social justice and hard time for those who break society’s laws. He is especially tough on sex offenders, calling them “Predophiles, Chili-Mo’s and Rape-O’s.” Bill even calls his sex offender discussions “Molester Mondays” just to piss you off. Blathers love to cut you off in mid-sentence, bully you, and label you. Don’t fall for his tricks and his logical fallacies, because Bill Blathers only has a nominal knowledge of the facts.” The Bill Blathers Show Presents “Molester Mondays”

31. Preparing for the interview Work on your Body Language • Our body influences our mind, our mind influences our behavior, and our behavior influences our outcomes • Powerful people “make themselves big” or expand; powerless people slump, wrap up, and shrink • We compliment the non-verbal actions of those we converse with– when the other is powerful, we shrink, and when we are powerful, the other shrinks. • Truly powerful people have high dominance (testosterone) coupled with low stress (cortisol) • “Fake it until you makebecome it!” Practice power posing before and use them during interviews. “Tiny tweaks” lead to “big changes.” Amy Cuddy, “Your body language shapes who you are.” TED Talks, Oct. 1, 2012. http://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc

32. Preparing for the interview It is all about the “Presence”– Passionate, Enthusiastic, Captivating, Comfortable, Authentic, Confident

33. Preparing for the interview • The “Two Minute Drill” • Pick a ‘Power Pose” and hold it for two minutes • Before a speech or important telephone call, allow your voice to relax into its optimal pitch by keeping your lips together and making the sounds “um hum, um hum, um hum.” And if you are a female, watch that your voice doesn’t rise at the ends of sentences as if you are asking a question or seeking approval. Instead, when stating your opinion, use the authoritative arc, in which your voice starts on one note, rises in pitch through the sentence and drops back down at the end. • Right before you enter the meeting room, take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth. (If you are unobserved, make a soft “ahh” sound.) Doing so releases the tension in your neck, shoulders and jaw that can make you look rigid or aggressive. From: Carol Kinsey Goman, “10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2012.” Forbes.com, Jan. 3, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2012/01/03/10-simple-and-powerful-body-language-tips-for-2012/and Carol Kinsey Goman, “10 Simple And Powerful Body Language Tips For 2014.” Forbes.com, Jan. 2, 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2014/01/02/10-simple-and-powerful-body-language-tips-for-2014/

34. Preparing for the interview Remember: We are on the unpopular side of the sex offender law debate. The other side may grant us a voice, but expect biased opinions, personal insults, and unequal debates. Stick to your guns and develop thick skin! Registered citizen Family member of registrant

35. Preparing for the interview • To tell or not to tell? That is the question. Should you ever discuss your personal story? Choose the path you are most comfortable doing. • If you do, be honest and choose your words carefully. The competition likely knows your story anyways. • If you choose not to, then state you do not wish to discuss the case. “I’m not here to discuss my own past.” See also RSOL 2013: “Telling Your Story to the Media.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPqaLRSssIQ#t=104

36. 10 tips for answering media questions • Answer clearly using key messages • Say “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll get back to you.” (print reporters only) • Say “I don’t know, but what I can tell you is...” (for radio and television) • Say “I’m not going to answer that question, and I’ll tell you why.” • Side step and bridge to a key message. “That’s not really the issue here. The issue is…” • Take the time you need to formulate answers • Quotes are 20-25 words on average • You are the expert • Smile • If you don’t understand a question, you can ask for it to be repeated Program Training and Consultation Centre, The Media Network | Challenging Types of Media Interviews. https://www.ptcc-cfc.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=104867

37. Take charge!!! • Controlling Interviews • Either you or the reporter controls the interview – so take the lead. • Tips on leading: • Hooking: not completing an answer or throwing out a “hook” • Bridging: transitioning to your agenda after answering a question • Flagging: break up your answer into a number of important points and say so Program Training and Consultation Centre, The Media Network | Challenging Types of Media Interviews. https://www.ptcc-cfc.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=104867

38. After the interview • Follow up with the reporter / other guests if you can. • Don’t be hard on yourself. No one is perfect. Try not to fall into the “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” and similar thinking traps. • Every media interview, no matter how you feel about the interview, is exposure for our cause (“street cred”). The only bad exposure is no exposure. • Our “15 minutes” is generally about a day or two. The media has short term memory, as will the audience, especially in the national TV/ radio media. So don’t beat yourself up over a “bad interview” and don’t listen to the haters.