Dealing with journalists Specifically, the mainstream media…. Teuila Fuatai

Journalists have 99 problems….

Pretend to read my press releases Ask me to explain what’s in my press releases Often miss the mark when it comes to labour issues Make wholly unrealistic requests

Getting a journalist’s attention is often difficult, especially when it comes to labour issues Pick me.

Standing out Think like a reporter Who is going to be affected by this How is it relevant How will I get my audience to understand

The next step: presentation Press releases Phone conversations, s, contact meetings Dedicating time and help Understanding of a story

Putting it into practise

TPPA!!!

“Monstrosity” of an issue Huge, complicated, multiple angles The Auto Industry and Unifor

Great resources What the autoindustry means to Canada Number of Canadians that depend on the auto-industry for work Monetary amount showing how much the industry is worth to the country Cites sources for information Easy to slot into a story/bullet points Recreated for seven other regions

Stories: TPPA + Unifor CBC CTV Canadian Press Toronto Star

All great stories, but…. All factually correct stories which outline problems with TPPA More diversification in the coverage Go back to your pitch of the story 1)Different from what is already out there 2)Illustrates labour’s message

Working backwards Three stories on the TPPA Hypothetical situation Why they’re good for the mainstream media How you’d emphasize these points in a pitch

Inside the newsroom Journalist is either assigned the story or pitches it to senior staff Underlying reason is the same in both scenarios: “The TPP is hugely problematic. The trade deals that result will affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians and their families,and it deserves more comprehensive coverage than what’s already out there”

Narrow down the issue Who is going to be affected by this How is it relevant How will I get my audience to understand “Let's focus in on Windsor - it's the heart of the auto-industry, a city already battling high unemployment, and a place where the TPPA will cause more devastation for the local community.”

Story one: the young father 27-year-old dad, wife, two kids One of the workers temporarily laid off during Chrysler Plant upgrade Been back working three months, but things were really tough while he was unemployed Speak to him about how they managed on a single income, and his worries around the TPPA Interview an economist to put this into perspective

Story two: TPPA + the local economy Interview a senior worker (50s) at one of the plants about their job, how it and their workplace has changed over the years, what kinds of discussions have been going on about the TPPA among workers Also interview the union local president

Story three: take the city’s temperature Canvas the city about what they think of the TPPA, especially given the number of people and families involved with the auto-industry Interviews: –Mayor –Local business owner whose business has suffered because people haven't been spending as much money –Anti-poverty advocacy group about what they think it will mean for the residents they see (food bank??)

Role reversal: working from the outside Assumption: there’s no real relationship with the reporter Story one: the Story two: phone/in person pitch Story three: harder - because at face- value this story does not have a direct link to Unifor

Problems you’ll run into Reluctant interview participants Pitching the idea to your executive Losing control of the story

At the end. Think of alternative angles Cover basics like prepping your interview subjects Have information ready, with sources, which show how relevant your issue is Don’t discount a reporter if they don’t respond immediately A good contact will last a lifetime