WORKING WITH THE MEDIA  

The Different Types of Media

daily newspapers

The 1600-plus daily newspapers - "dailies" - in the United States provide an estimated 113 million individuals with their primary source of news every day. Dailies appear in morning and/or evening editions seven days a week.

Daily newspapers cover national, state, and local education initiatives; elementary and secondary school education; and other related topics from many different angles - from writing a profile on a state education leader to covering a local school board meeting.

The better you understand the various ways dailies can cover a story, the more successful you will be as a spokesperson and the more likely you will be to generate solid media and community attention to your program. To take full advantage of the print medium, it is important to identify the right person to contact on any given story and know when and how to approach him or her.

Who to Contact: The editorial board determines and writes the paper's official position on various issues. Each weekday, these commentaries are found on the editorial page. In major papers, a special section of the Sunday paper is often devoted entirely to editorial commentary.

Op-ed/opinion page editors determine which opinion editorials will be published in the paper. Op-eds usually run on the page opposite the editorials. They are approximately 400‑800 words long. Some smaller dailies have one person who serves as both op-ed and editorial page editor.

weekly newspapers

Weekly newspapers (or "weeklies") are usually either suburban papers found in close proximity to large cities or rural papers that provide isolated areas with a link to the nearest town or county seat. They may be offered for sale at newsstands, by subscription, or distributed free of charge.

Weeklies primarily focus on events and issues that are directly tied to the communities they serve. Most week­lies also offer a calendar of area events. Contact the calendar editor about upcoming community meetings or other events.

Many weeklies are understaffed and have a limited ability to leave the news room to cover events, so often the reporters will write stories from press releases or interviews.

Who to Contact: Although the larger weeklies may have a reporter assigned to cover education issues, most assignments are made by the paper's editor or publisher.

Weekly Newspaper Deadlines: Deadlines vary depending on the size of the paper. Most are two to three days (or more) before publication.

wire services

Wire services, such as the Associated Press (AP) or Reuters, are national or international news organizations that provide print and broadcast media around the country with up-to-the-minute news. The information is transmitted directly into the news room through telephone lines, microwave signals, or other electronic means of delivery.

Wire stories, especially those concerning out-of-town news, are frequently picked up and run verbatim by print and broadcast outlets. Mid-size and smaller news organizations rely heavily on the wires for coverage outside of their areas. Every large news organization subscribes to at least one wire service to keep abreast of news and to back up its own operations. For that reason, it is critical to be included in wire story coverage. In addition to breaking news, wires also run general news articles, special features on human interest stories, and columns by well-known reporters. Here are some tips on how wire services work:

• Wire service bureaus are typically located in larger cities, but they frequently use "stringers" (local reporters) to cover news in other areas.
• All publicity materials should go to the nearest wire service bureaus and/or their local "stringer."
• Associated Press has radio bureaus that transmit stories to stations regionally and nationally. Many states have radio networks, too. Consult a local media directory to determine the names of local news services and the issues they cover.
• Wire services, like other types of media, work under deadlines. Larger bureaus are staffed 24 hours a day and have continual deadlines. Week‑days during regular business hours, however, are best for reaching reporters who cover specific beats.

magazines

Magazines generally offer more comprehensive, in‑depth coverage of a subject than newspapers. Consequently, they also demand longer lead‑times. Getting covered in a magazine usually requires advance planning and a proactive media strategy.

Many magazines have editorial calendars, which provide information about special issues or features planned for the year. To find out what a magazine has planned, request an editorial calendar from the magazine's advertising department at the beginning of each year.

Become familiar with the regular features that appear in every issue and think about where and how a story about your community college's efforts to provide a quality education for all students might fit into their format. The editors are always looking for information that will be newsworthy when the magazine is published.

Who to Contact: At smaller magazines, the editor‑in-chief makes most of the assignment decisions. Larger magazines usually have different reporters assigned to cover specific beats (e.g., politics, national news, education, business). Be sure to include in your list of magazines those local and regional publications most often read by tourists and residents.

Magazine Deadlines: News magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) usually have deadlines a week in advance for weeklies and a month in advance for monthlies. Other magazines (consumer, fashion, trade, etc.) have longer deadlines, approximately three to six weeks in advance for weeklies and two to three months in advance for monthlies.

television

Think "pictures" when you think of television news. Television is different from all other media in that it demands visual presentation of your message. To succeed in generating TV coverage for stories related to the Centennial and community colleges at large, you must be able to differentiate between print and TV stories. For example, the image of parents and teachers staging a demonstration in a classroom or students working with innovative technology is more likely to attract a TV crew than "talking heads" announcing the Centennial at a news conference.

Beyond simply identifying which of your events will be appropriate for TV coverage, try to devise creative ways to enrich the visual aspects of the story you are trying to tell. Stage visually appealing events and highlight opportunities for television reporters to show people in action - teachers and students engaged in creative and engaging lessons, students volunteering in the community or business leaders mentoring students on your campus. To maximize your use of television, remember that this medium provides a dual route for conveying your message - through the spoken word and through images. Consider the backdrop at a news conference. Encourage participants at your events to wear your college t-shirts and buttons or carry banners or signs to increase visibility and recognition.

Although air time on TV newscasts is limited, local stations usually have at least three scheduled news broadcasts a day where you can seek coverage - one at noon, another in the late afternoon or early evening (between 4:00‑6:00 p.m.), and a final report around 10:00-11:00 p.m. Generally, noon and late afternoon broadcasts report "lighter" news - special segments and human interest stories - while the early evening broad­casts serve as the station's primary newscasts. The late news is usually a final update of the day's events.

Who to Contact: Typically, you will want to deal with the station's assignment editor or news desk. Larger stations usually have three assignment editors - one for the noon newscasts, one for both evening newscasts, and a weekend assignment editor. While few stations have a specialized education reporter, there are generally several correspondents who cover human-interest and feature news stories.

Television Deadlines: It is best to give TV stations several days to put together an education story. Do not call during or immediately before a broadcast unless you have major breaking news. And remember that TV reporters are busiest in the late afternoon before the evening newscasts. Because the news is constantly changing and television newscasts cover a limited number of stories in their half‑hour or hour time block, you will find that TV assignment editors are extremely selective. Breaking news often forces TV stations to change their schedule of news segments at the last minute.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT CABLE TELEVISION

Local cable television stations are an often over­looked but extremely effective means of reaching large audiences. Include cable TV in your media efforts whenever possible. And remember, public access stations have a legal obligation to carry a certain amount of locally originated program­ming. In addition to their regularly scheduled public affairs and discussion programs, many local cable operators will provide their facilities to help you produce news and entertainment programs on topics of community interest.

Because local cable television stations face a high­ly competitive market, the size of their audience is typically smaller. Be sure to publicize appear­ances with fliers, in newsletters, and by word of mouth.

tips for television interviews

Television news often utilizes interviews. Interviews can take a number of forms. You can be interviewed on a television program, be part of a call in talk show, or be caught by cameras as you step outside your office. In any case, the key to successfully getting your point across is to be prepared. By knowing the issue about which you are being interviewed, concentrating on two or three points and by refining your responses and having a concise, quotable statement ready in advance, you can control the process.

There are a few simple rules to follow when being interviewed on television by a reporter.

• Anticipate questions that will be asked, and practice brief, succinct responses. If you panic while on the air, pause to gather your thoughts. If you happen to make an erroneous statement, refute it immediately, and restate your case.
• Where possible, simplify the questions being posed and avoid complicated, confusing explanations. Do this by concentrating on two or three points about the topic you are discussing.
• Reinforce and repeat your side of the story. If you are stuck for a response, stall for time by answering a question with a question or ask the interviewer to rephrase the question. A simple, short answer can throw the interviewer off base.

Be wary of certain deadly questions. Often, they start with such phrases as , "Isn't it true that...," or, "How do you justify...," or, "So what you're really saying is..." When you hear reporters frame questions in this way, they may be trying to put quotes in your mouth.

Learn when a reporter is honestly seeking information and when he or she is trying to bait you. In the former instance, use the opportunity to educate the reporter; in the latter instance, stay calm and rephrase the question before answering. Some reporters will try to ask a series of questions at the same time. Don't panic, and don't try to deal with all of the questions at once.

Focus your answer on the question you wish to address. Often reporters will state an opinion or value judgment as a self-evident fact, and then ask a question on that "fact." If you answer entrapping questions, you may give credibility to the charge or premise on which the question was based. Rephrase the trap question and use it to lead to the points you want to emphasize.

"Off the record" comments can be dangerous. Never say anything to a reporter you do not want repeated.

When you appear on television, avoid white clothing that can cause a glare and also glasses, jewelry, and vibrating prints that are distracting.

radio

The influence of radio broadcasters in the daily lives of Americans is often grossly underestimated and occasionally altogether overlooked by even the most experienced media strategists. Radio is often described as the "captive electronic medium" because it reaches people while they are doing other things - in their cars, on the way to and from work, in their homes and offices, even while they exercise with a Walkman.

Radio programming offers a variety of formats for communicating to a number of distinct audiences. The most common radio-station formats and their primary/target audiences are:

• All-News: adults, heaviest listening during morning and afternoon rush hours;
• All-Talk: adults (over 40), heaviest listening mid‑day and evening;
• Easy Listening: adults (over 30);
• Middle of the Road (MOR): adults (over 30; slightly younger than easy listening);
• Classical: adults (usually higher‑income bracket);
• Country-Western: adults (over 30);
• Religious: adults (slightly older than MOR audience);
• Black: black adults (age varies depending on format within category);
• Top 40 Rock: youth (18‑35);
• Soul: black youth (teens to mid‑30's); and
• Urban: young adults (20+), contemporary music.

Each radio station offers regular and special programming combinations.

• News programs provide a vehicle for releasing important and breaking news. Radio newscasts usually air at least twice every hour, allowing your statement to be edited into many sound bites for repeated use throughout the day.
• Regularly scheduled programs (interviews, talk­shows, etc.) provide a public platform to discuss education reform and your community's efforts to achieve education goals in greater length and detail than in normal radio newscasts - which are generally very brief.
• Call-in shows often serve as the modern equivalent of the town meeting. The most common tend to focus on issues of controversy and community concern. Although call-in programs can be unpredictable, they are very popular with the general public in large and small markets, and extremely influential in determining public opinion.
• Public service and public affairs programs are regularly or specially scheduled programs that usually feature a recognizable host.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMMING

Public affairs programming on both radio and television takes several forms: interviews, documentaries, panel discussions, feature reports, and editorial comments. Since policies differ on public affairs programming, contact the public affairs director at each station to introduce yourself and find out what types of programs they offer viewers and listeners.

Use this information to:

• Work on program ideas that fit the available formats. Place community college allies on these programs to discuss important issues;
• Send a written proposal to the public affairs director outlining your ideas; and
• Follow up with a phone call to discuss them.