Making the News Business Work for You Glen T. Cameron, Ph.D. Gregory Chair in Journalism Research Missouri School of Journalism

It’s Not Just You!

News Coverage: Who wants it? Who needs it? Both questions are moot Because, to adapt a popular, sarcastic saying: COVERAGE HAPPENS!

Try to Shape that Coverage! You are managers, not media relations specialists Will not focus on Tactics release formats style, etc relevant to getting favorable coverage, but more the purview of media relations specialists One tactical precept: It is Media RELATIONS Simple advice: develop relationship with media and learn from them directly what they want

Strategic Emphasis Our focus today will be on strategy on how you position yourself on how media decide what is newsworthy

Three Key Strategic Points Localization Works Conflict is Pervasive in News Mobilization must be explicit

Localization Stories with a local angle get more play By contrast, Chemical Bank promotion in NJ should not show up as a release in Round Rock Texas! Even national stories may have local angle – that’s STRATEGY

Possible differences: From Black newspaper From mainstream newspaper Possible differences: Personal/community mobilization (Black) vs. new science (mainstream) Celebrity/personal angle (Black) vs. discovery (mainstream)

Cameron’s Contingency Theory focuses on strategic conflict management Improves on basic public information models if we just tell our story media will cover it – the way we want. Not! more realistic view News pegs drive news Conflict frames dominate news pegs Take advantage of inherent news values

Mobilization Many news stories do not offer solutions Not included in episodic coverage Even cut from stories to avoid advocacy Public health model Problem Origins Manifestation Solutions

NCI-Funded Project Ozioma. (Good news. ) http://oziomanews. missouri Douglas Luke, PhD (PI) Glen T. Cameron, PhD (Co-PI) Charlene Caburnay, MPH (Project Manager) Jon Stemmle (Communication Specialist)

Major Aim To build a computer-based system that generates locally relevant, race-specific cancer stories for Black newspapers that include good news about what to do.

Innovation First study to collect data on national sample of Black newspapers Will develop and test intervention that will deliver localized cancer stories to papers Will evaluate strategic management of conflict as tool to enhance coverage and health measures

Combining Localization And Conflict Frames Proposal And Project Focus On Tailoring Increased Interest In Strategic Conflict Management – Contingency Theory of PR Intentional Management Of Conflict To Gain Coverage And Motivate “Dosage” Question – Is Disparity Topic Curvilinear in Effects? Relationship Of Localization To Conflict Frame – Interaction Effects? Design suggestions for intervention?

Rationale Millions of African Americans are suffering from cancer (American Cancer Society 1998, 2000). Strategic conflict management can be used as a health advocacy tool to reduce health disparities among African Americans.

Strategic Communication Management Conflict factors could provide a way to strategically present cancer-related information to Blacks via Black newspapers. The examination of conflict factors may determine not only what is present on the media agenda of African Americans with regard to cancer information, but what is absent.

Percentage of Health Disparities in Black vs. Mainstream Newspapers Our Evidence Percentage of Health Disparities in Black vs. Mainstream Newspapers Black Mainstream Age 3% 40% Ethnicity 71% 20% Gender 26% 20% Socio-economic status 0% 20% ___ ___ TOTAL: 100% 100%

Our Process NCI Primary Source Then Localization When possible, disparity (conflict) as news peg Good news (mobilization) angle in response to conflict frame

One Example Then Let’s Talk!

NCI Release

Ozioma release

Coverage

You can tackle these easier than we can! Our Challenges Finding local angle Finding local data and contacts Appropriate use of conflict frame Tension BUT NOT TOO MUCH TENSION You can tackle these easier than we can!

Your thoughts?