Media Training 101
How to engage media to tell your story
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Agenda
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What Makes a Good Spokesperson
Key Messages
Preparing for an Interview
Working with the Media
Press Releases
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What Makes a Good Spokesperson
An industry expert or leader who possesses:
• The Three Cs
– Clear
– Concise
– Compelling
• The Three Rs
– Responsive
– Reliable
– Readily Available
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Key Messages
Why use key messages?
• You may only get this one brief chance to be heard
– make your point quickly.
• Keeps you on topic and focused on the end goal.
• Use them as an opportunity, a foot-in-the-door, to
get more time to talk about the issue.
• Broadcast media is quick. Interviews are brief,
narrowing your focus to the key messages will
ensure you reach your end goal.
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Key Messages
Writing your key messages
• True - Don’t make things up.
• Simple - Key messages are not mission statements.
Use language that would be appropriate for a friend
or neighbor who is not a health-care professional.
• Memorable - Any normal person should be able to
remember them.
• Persuasive - Your message should be able to
influence the audience. Use your personal story.
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Key Messages
Use AHA provided key messages for the issues
• Describe the issue of concern
• Take some of the key facts and make them your own
• Use your experience to tell the audience why the
issue is important and what they can do to help
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Preparing for an Interview
• Understand the background of the interview:
– What is the story about?
– Who else is being interviewed?
– What information will you be asked to provide?
– What is the deadline?
• Review your key messages
• Anticipate questions and practice answers
• Practice
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Preparing for an Interview
Handling Different Types of Questions
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Negative Questions
Multi-Part Questions
Words in Your Mouth
Hypothetical Questions
Either/Or Questions
Not Knowing the Answer
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Preparing for an Interview
Interview Dos
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Keep it short and simple
Expect strange questions
Ignore the reporter’s attitude and be pleasant
Avoid “No Comment” – Instead say “I can’t really
talk about that but what I can tell you is…”
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Preparing for an Interview
Interview Dos
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Use stories to make your points
Everything you say is on the record
Clarify questions you don’t understand
Use positive language
If you don’t know the answer, say so
Build “bridges”
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Preparing for an Interview
Interview Don’ts
• Repeat negative language
• Say “No Comment” or reveal confidential
information
• Say anything negative about your competition
• Argue with the reporter
• Lose your composure
• Speak “off the record” – there is no such thing
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Preparing for an Interview
Building Your Bridge
• What’s most important to know is…
• Let me also add…
• That is not my area of expertise, but what I can tell
you is…
• Another thing to remember is…
• It is also important to point out…
• What we are really concerned with…
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Working with the Media
Reporters need to know:
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• How
If you can answer these questions while conveying your
message points, you’ve helped the reporter and the AHA.
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with print media
• The more information, the better. Offer to provide
facts and figures in writing.
• Offer to respond to follow-up questions.
• Offer photos or graphics to enhance the story.
• Smile while you are talking.
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with print media
• During a phone interview you risk being misquoted.
Speak slowly and clearly.
• Turn off your cell phone, computer, blackberry –
they are distracting and can pull your focus away.
• It is OK to say you don’t know, just refer the reporter
back to the AHA staff or offer to look into the
question and get back to them by their deadline.
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with radio
• Talk to the reporter, not the microphone
• Talk in pictures – describe events, places, people,
situations
• Know the audience
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with radio
• Speak clearly and slowly.
• When doing a phone interview, stand up and smile!
• Direct listeners to a Web site and phone number for
more information, multiple times.
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with television
• Ignore the camera and production staff. This is a
conversation between you and the reporter.
• Talk to the reporter, not the camera.
• Minimize movement – don’t rock, sway, or use large
hand motions.
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Working with the Media
Interviewing with television
• Speak in sound bites. Typically, only about 10 to 15
seconds of your interview will be used.
• Assume the camera is always on.
• Smile.
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Press Releases – What’s the Process?
Step 1: Selecting the study
• AHA communications staff
– Reviews studies weekly and selects potential releases
– Confers with science staff
– Selects studies based on impact and interest
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Press Releases – What’s the Process?
Step 2: Writing the release
• AHA communications staff
– Assigns the release to a freelance writer
– Provides writer manuscript, abstract and notes from AHA
science staff
• Freelance writer
– Interviews author(s) of study
– Writes draft release and sends to AHA Communications staff
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Press Releases – What’s the Process?
Step 3: Review
• AHA Communications staff
– Completes edits for factual content
– Sends to Editorial Services for further editing
– Sends to lead author for approval
– Sends to AHA science staff for approval
– Works with multi-media staff to develop video interviews,
podcasts, photography and infographics
– Sends to Communications EVP for final approval
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Press Releases – What’s the Process?
Step 4: Publication and promotion
• AHA Communications staff
– Posts release in embargoed online newsroom
– Distributes embargoed release five days in advance of
confirmed publication
– Posts release online once manuscript is posted and embargo
lifts
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Writing a Great Release
What to say
• Focus on the primary finding or end point
• Headline should be one line-- compelling, but not overly
dramatic
• The lead should clearly state the single-most important
finding
• List results in first third of release and keep details of
study design later
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Writing a Great Release
How to say it
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Write at an 8th grade literacy level if possible
Define medical terms and use common language
Quotes should add meaning and significance
Avoid long sentences
Use bullets for lists, especially stats
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Questions?
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