1 / 38

How to Work with the News Media to Tell Your Story

How to Work with the News Media to Tell Your Story What We’ll Cover Why get coverage? The basics: The “Golden Rules” of generating coverage Determining what is newsworthy Types of media What We’ll Cover continued The art of the pitch Tools of the trade Building campaigns

oshin
Download Presentation

How to Work with the News Media to Tell Your Story

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. How to Work with the News Media to Tell Your Story

  2. What We’ll Cover • Why get coverage? • The basics: The “Golden Rules” of generating coverage • Determining what is newsworthy • Types of media

  3. What We’ll Cover continued • The art of the pitch • Tools of the trade • Building campaigns • Coordinating with the MIT News Office

  4. What We’ll Cover continued • Working with science journals • The view from Sloan • A journalist’s perspective • Q&A

  5. Why Get Coverage? • Visibility is crucial • Universities are more competitive • Validation: the value of buzz • Funding • Media awareness is an expectation in any communications position

  6. 10 Golden Rules for Coverage • Know what’s going on in the world. • Start with passion and conviction. • Be clear, concise and compelling. • Be above board. • Be accessible. • Keep it personal (no blast faxes)

  7. 10 Golden Rules for Coverage • Don’t waste people’s time. • Know the publication. • Keep great lists of contacts. • The value of MIT: we’re at the forefront of the science and technology revolution.

  8. What is Newsworthy? • Must have a hook! • New discovery • Release of a major study or report • Anniversary • Symposium

  9. What is Newsworthy? continued • Famous name • Major gift and/or new center • Big speaker • Offers an “insider’s view”

  10. What is Newsworthy? continued • Meets one of more of these qualities: • Changing the world • Solving real world problems • Unprecedented • Topical: ties into the national discourse • Makes a complex technology understandable

  11. What is Newsworthy? continued • Quirky • Can you regionalize it? • Does it have a Boston angle? • What do YOU think is cool?

  12. What is NOT Newsworthy? • Something that already happened. • “Kids doing interesting stuff”. • Routine promotions. • Most gifts. • Most awards. • Small, niche conferences/events.

  13. Who Do You Want to Reach? • What kind of news is it? • Who is the audience? • Who are your spokespeople? • When is it happening? • What’s on your own wish list?

  14. About the Media • Thousands of potential outlets • Immerse yourself in the media • Understand timing and deadlines • Constantly changing: keep current lists

  15. Newspapers • Print is not dead • Most influential: Globe, New York Times, Wall Street Journal • Reporters vs. editors • Beat reporters, features, op-ed, columnists • City desks for breaking news

  16. Magazines • There are over 13,000 magazines in the U.S. • General interest consumer • Specialized consumer • Business • Trade

  17. Magazines • MIT focus: science, technology, business, but trying to broaden • Special sections and editorial calendars • Timing/Lead Times • 3-4 months for monthlies • 3-4 weeks for weeklies

  18. Television • Primary news source for 69% of Americans (source: TVA) • News broadcasts (local and national) • News shows • Talk shows • Science/Technology-specific shows • Documentaries

  19. Television continued • Live vs. taped • Visual components required • Charismatic, telegenic spokesperson • 3 minutes total; 15 second speaking points • Documentary film requests: rarely worth it

  20. Radio • NPR before Grand Rapids radio • Somewhat effortless: Often taped or live by office phone • Easier exposure for “experts”

  21. Online • Tools are new but old rules apply. • Wide exposure; fleeting vs. major impact • Mega news sites: CNN, MSNBC, NYTimes.com • Internet-only: Salon, Slate, CNET • Blogs

  22. Newswires • AP and Reuters stories syndicate to hundreds of papers/day. • Get one, they all call. • Real news wires vs. for-pay wires. • Must be big news.

  23. The Art of the Pitch • Distill it to its essence: What are the 3 most important points? • Remember: • What is the news? • Who does it impact? • Why should a journalists and his/her readers care?

  24. The Art of the Pitch continued • LCS 35th Anniversary: • On April 12, the MIT Lab for Computer Science will celebrate 35 years at a 2-day conference called “LCS 35”. Featured guests include Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, architect Frank Gehry, WWW inventor Tim Berners-Lee, and emcee Bob Metcalfe.

  25. The Art of the Pitch continued • Project Oxygen press briefing: • Press briefing on Project Oxygen, an ambitious research program involving 250 researchers from the MIT LCS. • Project Oxygen goal: to develop a new breed of human-centered computers that will enable people to do more by doing less. • Oxygen will forge a new computing metaphor that will mark a radical shift in today’s desktop computing systems.

  26. The Art of the Pitch continued • MIT New Building Project: • MIT has embarked on one of the most ambitious building programs in American higher education. • The $1 billion effort will utilize the talents of some of the world’s finest architects and planners, including 3 Pritzker prize winners, and will involve more than a dozen major building projects and renovations.

  27. The Art of the Pitch continued • The end result of this bold effort will be a campus whose look and feel will be considerably transformed.

  28. Tools of the Trade • Tools: • News releases • Media alerts • Methods: • Email pitches • Voicemails

  29. Tools of the Trade • News release format: • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE • Contact info • Headline • Dateline • Lead paragraph (sometimes 2) • (Quote) • Supporting text • Boiler plate

  30. Tools of the Trade • Media alert format: • What • When • Where (include maps) • RSVP • About • Contact • Other Important Details

  31. Tools of the Trade • Use the tools to support proactive efforts • Voicemails • Email pitches

  32. Building a Campaign • Broader mission than news • Multiple news, targets, types of awareness • Based on solid institute priorities

  33. Building a Campaign • What is important long term? • How do we want to be considered/identified? • Who do we want to reach? • Where will we have long term impact? • Where do we need awareness to support our goals?

  34. Building a Campaign continued • Current campaigns: • Biotech • Admissions • Cambridge Relations • Building Project

  35. Building a Campaign continued • Audiences • New News • Spokespeople

  36. Building a Campaign continued • Determine news • Look for broader topics or events • Create a timeline that maps both • News • Events • Outside events/happenings • Timely trends

  37. Building a Campaign continued • Determine targets and wish list • Pick a focus (too broad will be too hard) • Legitimize • Think strategically

  38. Building a Campaign continued • Explore other kids of coverage/awareness • Op-eds & bylined articles • Photo ops & event listings • Speaking/conferences • Return to – and always add to – the timeline • Aim for one external awareness “hit” per month

More Related