Working with the media a presentation by Bruce Hugman Consultant to the Uppsala Monitoring Centre Pretoria September 2004

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 What are the principal purposes of almost all media? To make profits and survive To make profits and survive To provide entertainment and/or information To provide entertainment and/or information

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 The ideal, visionary purposes of the media? To discover and report the truth To discover and report the truth To expose injustice and corruption To expose injustice and corruption To inform and educate To inform and educate To empower To empower

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 What is truth? A comprehensive account of an event, including every fact, detail and perspective, from every possible angle and viewpoint A comprehensive account of an event, including every fact, detail and perspective, from every possible angle and viewpoint The illusion of ‘objectivity’ The illusion of ‘objectivity’

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 What is our everyday conception of the truth? An account of events which matches our view of the world; our preferences, biases, prejudices, or An account of events which matches our view of the world; our preferences, biases, prejudices, or Events or evidence which can be accommodated within our view of the world Events or evidence which can be accommodated within our view of the world The illusion of ‘objectivity’ The illusion of ‘objectivity’

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Everything is seen from a point of view Personal Personal –Emotional –Intellectual –Philosophical Social Social Educational Educational Political Political Economic Economic

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Those who don’t share our point of view are ‘the enemy’ Those who don’t share our point of view are ‘the enemy’BUT Those with whom we don’t actively share our point of view, cannot see the world as we see it and may become the enemy Those with whom we don’t actively share our point of view, cannot see the world as we see it and may become the enemy

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 The media owe us nothing We must earn our right to their attention We must earn our right to their attention What you do is of intense importance to society, but unless you promote its importance, it is invisible and mysterious

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Hierarchy of journalists Knowledgeable, dedicated, specialists Knowledgeable, dedicated, specialists Competent generalists Competent generalists Inexperienced, generalists (often juniors) Inexperienced, generalists (often juniors) Personal and professional agendas Personal and professional agendas Our world is absolutely mysterious, obscure to outsiders

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 The media are a fact of life Ignore Ignore –Court disaster Engage Engage –Court opportunity Moderate negativity/lack of knowledge Moderate negativity/lack of knowledge Encourage fairer and more comprehensive coverage Encourage fairer and more comprehensive coverage Spread the word Spread the word The media as allies, collaborators

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 The power of the media Print Print Radio Radio TV TV What percentage of the population never sees a newspaper, listens to the radio or watches TV?

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Develop an active media relations policy and strategy for all audiences Popular Popular ‘Serious’ generalist ‘Serious’ generalist Specialist Specialist Professional (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, etc) Professional (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, etc) International International Adult/youth/children Adult/youth/children

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Be clear about your messages What are the primary, key points you wish to communicate? What are the primary, key points you wish to communicate? What are the issues that matter to journalists and their audiences? What are the issues that matter to journalists and their audiences? What is the key background information needed to understand your messages? What is the key background information needed to understand your messages?

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Get to know key editors and journalists Meet and brief regularly Meet and brief regularly –Spread the word –Identify common agendas –Educate and inform Provide background and context Provide background and context –Have allies in crisis –Take risks: off the record Provide formal education and training Provide formal education and training

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Methods Cultivating relationships Cultivating relationships News releases News releases News conferences News conferences Sharing events and practice Sharing events and practice Features Features Availability for enquiry Availability for enquiry Education and training Education and training

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 News releases Clear, brief and effective message Clear, brief and effective message Lead with the message Lead with the message Write for the journalist Write for the journalist Provide technical detail and background in Notes to Editors Provide technical detail and background in Notes to Editors Include quotations or examples Include quotations or examples Include pictures or graphics Include pictures or graphics Provide for follow-up enquiries Provide for follow-up enquiries Seek feedback Seek feedback

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Interviews Be clear about the purpose of the interview Be clear about the purpose of the interview Be clear about your key points Be clear about your key points Use simple language Use simple language Remain calm, relaxed and friendly Remain calm, relaxed and friendly NEVER say ‘No comment’: explain problems with sensitive information NEVER say ‘No comment’: explain problems with sensitive information Take questions as prompts for your key points Take questions as prompts for your key points Convey concern and commitment Convey concern and commitment

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Events Conferences and briefings Conferences and briefings Launches Launches Field trips: clinics, hospitals, labs, courses Field trips: clinics, hospitals, labs, courses Meeting VIPs, patients, clinicians Meeting VIPs, patients, clinicians Training courses for journalists Training courses for journalists Regular informal contact Regular informal contact

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Critical failures Not having an active media relations strategy Not having an active media relations strategy Not engaging with journalists Not engaging with journalists Not taking initiatives Not taking initiatives Being defensive or evasive Being defensive or evasive Not being available Not being available Being invisible Being invisible Fear of debate or controversy Fear of debate or controversy

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 ‘Bad press’ results from: Bad decisions Bad decisions Dubious or corrupt behaviour Dubious or corrupt behaviour Unpopular decisions Unpopular decisions Apparently arbitrary decisions Apparently arbitrary decisions Unexplained decisions Unexplained decisions Decisions implying conspiracy Decisions implying conspiracy Complex messages Complex messages Lack of context, background Lack of context, background Secrecy, evasiveness, defensiveness Secrecy, evasiveness, defensiveness

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004 Key messages Develop a media relations strategy Develop a media relations strategy Select, educate and train your internal media contact people Select, educate and train your internal media contact people Get to know editors and journalists Get to know editors and journalists Establish open, collaborative relationships Establish open, collaborative relationships Keep in touch Keep in touch Spread the word; clear messages Spread the word; clear messages NEVER say ‘No comment’ NEVER say ‘No comment’

Bruce Hugman/UMC – Pretoria 2004