IAAP April 20 Notes

Helpful Media Tips, LaSaundra Brown, WBIR anchor/reporter

• If it's time-sensitive, contact the assignment editor (ideally before 1 p.m.)


• Otherwise, call your local contact or the assignment editor


• Better yet, e-mail or fax


• Get the various producers' e-mail addresses and know what sorts of stories they work on


• If you e-mail news releases, they must be well-written
  
  • Who, what, when, where, why, how
  
  
  • Short is better than long
  
  
  • It will be used to write the story
  
  
• Be aware of reporter deadlines / air times


• Aim correctly: if you want TV, do something visual; otherwise go with radio or print


• Be forthcoming and honest


• Return phone calls quickly


• You don't want to hear "a source tells us" if you could have told them and phrased it to your advantage (or anyway better)


• Be proactive with internal communication -- you don't want your people to hear it on the news before they hear it from you


• Use the media as a beneficial community awareness tool


• Don't say anything you don't want to hear on TV


• Keep your soundbites to 10-12 seconds


• Find the news hook


• Try for events on weekdays, not weekends when the stations are short-staffed


• Don't ever say anything like
  
  • That isn't a story
  
  
  • Come down here and do a commercial on us!
  
  
  • Thanks for the free advertising!
  
  
• Build relationships


• Think in terms of stories, not just events