World Sight Day >>Wsd-06 Media Guidelines

TARGETING THE MEDIA
CONTACTING THE MEDIA
GENERAL TIPS

PLANNING
Refer to the International Media Strategy document for the global objectives, strategies and messages, but remember to ask yourself the following when planning your own local/national media event:

Objectives

• What are you aiming to achieve from the involvement of the media?

Strategy

• How will you attract the interest of the media?

Who are your general media targets?

Media Message

What is the core message of the media initiative?  (This should be reflected in your press releases, other media materials and by your spokespeople)

Target Media

Which media will you be targeting? 

• What is the lead-time?
• What is your timetable for sending out media materials and making follow-up calls?

Spokespeople

• Who are your spokespeople?
• Do they need a formal media training session or a simple briefing on the facts?
• When are they available for interviews?
• Are other spokespeople available if you primary person/people is/are unavailable?
• Do you have their contact details for emergencies?

Media Materials you may need:

Basic National/Regional/Local Press Pack Material

• National Press Release – members should either use their own or the template provided in the implementation packs (N.B.  If the event involves the launch of a country/regional VISION 2020 Plan on World Sight Day the main elements to the Plan should be outlined)
• International Press Release
• What is World Sight Day?
• Local VISION 2020 Fact Sheet
• Global VISION 2020 Fact Sheet
• Global Declaration of Support
• VISION 2020 Leaflet
• VISION 2020 Photograph/s (which can be obtained from communications@v2020.org) or locally produced photograph/s
• VISION 2020 Video footage for use with TV – a VISION 2020 video is being updated for the regions and will be made available from the Communications Manager by August 2006.
• For members only - VISION 2020 logos – ensure you have logos in the correct format and resolution (refer to Visual Identity CD – please ask the Communications Manager for a copy)

The press packs can be presented in a wallet (clear plastic or white card) and the VISION 2020 sticker (supplied to all Member HQs) can be placed on the front.

Please contact communications@v2020.org to request materials.

VISION 2020 / local organisation representative – prior to Media Event

• Brief spokespeople for interviews and check their availability
• Provide briefing and visual props for photo-calls
• Supply spokespeople with press packs and any other materials as needed/available (photographs, audio news releases, video news release and logos)
• Provide a list of media expected to attend
• Ask them to switch on their mobile phones on in the morning so that you can phone with an update on media attendance (many journalists do not make a decision until the morning of the event)

VISION 2020 / Local Organisation Representative – Day of the Event

• Ask them to make a note of:
• The name, contact details and organisations of journalists attending the event
• The date (and time) on which the coverage will appear
• Ask them to phone you as soon as the event is over, to notify you of media attendance etc.

Running order for Media events

• Media photographs
• TV and radio interviews
• Own photographs

Miscellaneous items for an event

• Business cards
• Mobile phone and charger
• Own camera
• Stamps, envelopes, captions (in case of urgent photo requests)
• Petty cash
• Tape recorder and blank tapes (to tape radio coverage)

Staff briefing

• Brief all relevant members of staff on your WSD and media event.

TARGETING THE MEDIA

Monitor the Local Press, TV and Radio regularly before any event that you have planned

• Try to find out specific contact names so that you can ask for them directly when making initial approaches

Contact your Regional / National / HQ Media Officer prior to contacting the media

• Your media officer may be planning to target the same media, contact them first in order to avoid overlapping efforts
• The media officer can offer experience and advice on how to get the best possible results

Timing: what is the target media’s lead time?

• You must be careful to not target media too early or too late
• Monthly magazines usually have a three-month lead time
• Ascertain copy and photograph deadlines for local newspapers – they may not ‘carry over’ stories if the event misses the copy deadline, and alternative (i.e. press release) coverage may need to be arranged.
• Likewise, arrange photo calls for the morning to avoid missing evening news deadlines

Make sure you have the correct contact name

• Try to avoid addressing press releases to the news desk.  You can address the news release to the Editor, however with the volume of press releases received every day Editors may miss yours.  Do you have a contact from a previous event? 

Telephone to ensure the event has been diarised by both the news desk and picture desk. Encourage attendance and offer interviews, photographs etc

• Try and get photographers to attend the event, even if you are arranging your own photographs
• When you offer interviews, make sure you have someone who is willing and able to do interviews
• If you are planning to do them yourself, make sure that you are well-prepared

At World Sight Day events, make sure the VISION 2020 logo is visible and that it appears in photographs wherever possible.  Have press packs on hand.

• Use the VISION 2020 logo as much as possible at World Sight Day events.  Encourage your colleagues to wear the VISION 2020 pin badges at WSD events.
• Make a note of which media attend and ask them when the coverage will appear/be broadcast

CONTACTING THE MEDIA

Below are some basic tips for calling the media, particularly when selling news stories:

Newspapers

Ask for news desks and picture desks

• Watch out! Some news or picture desks may service several newspapers OR some papers may not have separate news and picture desks.  To avoid mistakes, check with reception first
• Say what date and time your event is taking place and ask if it is diarised.  If your press release has gone missing, offer to send it through again
• Ask for the name of the person it should be sent to and their fax number/e-mail address.  If the recipient is not the person you are speaking to, ask for their name anyway, for future reference
• Ring back to make sure the fax/e-mail was received and that the event is in the diary.  Ask when they will decide if they are attending/covering the event
• Phone back when the decision is about to be made
• Always try and get the newspapers to attend the event.  If they cannot attend, offer one of your own photographs, check when their photograph deadline

Radio Stations

• Never call at bulletin times

Radio and TV stations

• Ask for the forward planning desk
• Say what date and time your event is taking place and ask if it is diarised.  If your press release has gone missing, offer to send it through again
• Ask for the name of the person it should be sent to and their fax number/e-mail address.  If the recipient is not the person you are speaking to, ask for their name anyway, for future reference
• Ring back to make sure the fax/e-mail was received and that the event is in the diary
• TV only: Offer to send them some video footage, so they have it on standby, in case they decide to carry the story
• Ask when they will decide if they are attending/covering the event
• Phone back when the decision is about to be made
• Remember to – from the very start – offer a spokesperson for an interview, either before or on the day of the event
• Ideally, radio stations should record something with your spokesperson the day before the event, so that the story can be carried on breakfast bulletins – push for this every time
• Be flexible!  Check your spokesperson’s availability first, but say that s/he can come into the main studio/a remote studio for an interview or they can do the interview from home if necessary
• Refer to interview checklist when you are arranging an interview
• Remember to give a contact number for your spokesperson to the radio station, and vice-versa, especially if it is a telephone interview
• After the interview, call the station, to make sure that the interview went OK
• Although radio stations often promise to send a copy of the interview, they often fail to do so, so make sure that someone tapes the interview as well
• The news desk secretary or press office from TV companies will often provide a copy of a feature, if it is requested within one month of the broadcast date, in writing.  However they do not generally provide copies of news bulletins.  There is usually an administration charge, but if you send a pre-addressed envelope, containing a blank VHS tape and say you are a charity and you provided free beta footage for the story, they will sometimes waive the fee.  Again it is always worth recording any coverage yourself.

General tips

• Press releases must carry the issue date and clearly state any embargo dates
• In general do not call between 1pm and 2pm
• Give only the essential information!  Talk briefly and succinctly.  Do not ramble
• On the morning of the event: Ring media again, one last time, to make absolutely sure that the event is being covered/attended
• Keep to your deadlines!  Send information on time, or you will lose coverage
• Return journalists’ calls immediately
• Put mobile phone numbers on press releases and have it switched on at all times
• If you speak to a journalist who is negative about covering your event it may be worth calling back later and speaking to someone else who might be more co-operative?

TIPS FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS

Refer to the Q & A sheet prepared for World Sight Day and VISION 2020 and remember:

• Brief and succinct answers are the aim.  Speak slowly and clearly
• Use answers that stand on their own and are about thirty seconds long.  (Sound bites)
• Have a maximum of three points you want to get across.  (These should answer as many of the five Ws as possible: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY?)
• To bring your interview alive and make the issues seem real, it is essential to paint a strong visual picture of VISION 2020’s work and the people it helps
• Avoid jargon and abbreviation – simplify complicated language.  For example:
• Never use technical names/medical terms for the things you are describing, for example onchocerciasis can be referred to as River Blindness
• Never use acronyms: WHO is always the World Health Organization and V2020 is always VISION 2020
• Never use figures that are too precise – always round up.  For example, ‘almost 30,000’ instead of ‘28, 456’
• Try and bring figures alive by using comparisons such as: ‘Eighteen million people, equivalent to the entire population of Australia, are infected with River Blindness.’
• Don’t overload your interview with too many statistics
• Mention VISION 2020 and World Sight Day wherever possible
• Be prepared for wider questions about VISION 2020’s work:
• How can listeners/viewers help VISION 2020?
• Ask for clarification if unsure about a question, or to give you more thinking time
• Don’t let the interviewer lead you away from what you want to say.  Sidestep questions in order to say what you want to say.  Use the subject of the questions to make the points you want to make. For example:
• “Yes, I am glad that you asked me that, but did you know the real achievement is…”
• “Before I can answer that, can I tell you about the real benefit of…”
• Be prepared for the interviewer to get it wrong and ask you questions based on inaccurate information!  Journalists can make misinformed assumptions
• Stop when you have said all you need to say.  Don’t feel you have to fill gaps of silence – this is the interviewer’s job

The pre-recorded interview

• Be accurate but don’t get flustered if you make a mistake.  Ask to do that part again, or just do it again.  If you correct yourself, start a new, full sentence so the wrong answer can be easily edited out.
• Don’t be afraid to repeat, repeat and repeat your main points – remember that your interview will be cut. 

The television interview

• Dress appropriately and, where possible, include the logo, e.g. wear the VISION 2020 pin badge
• Look at the interviewer, not the cameraman
• Avoid playing with pens, jewellery etc which draw the viewers attention away from what you are saying