When the Headline Is You E-Book

Jeff Ansell

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: International Association of Business Communities
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 312

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Proven strategies for managing all types of media encounters! Award-winning journalist and Fortune 500 consultant Jeff Ansell provides a how-to guide for leaders, executives, and other professionals whose high-visibility requires frequent contact with the media. Drawing on nearly four decades of media experience, Ansell presents tested techniques for responding to challenging questions and delivering effective messages. In addition, he reveals lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid by referencing recent news events from around the world. Valuable features include: * A behind-the-scenes look at how news is made * Complete guidelines to creating compelling messages * Specific messaging formulae for building trust when the news is bad * Step-by-step strategies for managing hostile or relentless questions * Insider tips on how to identify and handle misleading questions An essential resource for navigating both traditional and online media, this book prepares readers for even the most challenging media events.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 - WHAT IS NEWS?

If It Bleeds, It Leads

Social Media Raises the Stakes

Much Can Go Wrong

Biojax Part 1: The Dynamics of an Interview

Telling Your Story

The Public Is Losing Trust

The Media Training Model Is Broken

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 2 - YOU ARE THE STORY

When Reporters Make Contact

Image Consciousness

Building Trust

The Value Compass

Biojax Part 2: The Value Compass in Practice

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 3 - HOW TO ADMIT BAD NEWS

Bad News Basics

Providing Reasons to Trust

The Problem Solution Formula

Biojax Part 3: The Problem Solution Formula in Practice

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 4 - CRAFTING COMPELLING MESSAGES

Messaging Maxims

Media Message Types

The Compelling Message Creator

Biojax Part 4: The Compelling Message Creator in Practice

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 5 - DELIVERING YOUR MESSAGE

Slow Your Racing Brain

Body Language Speaks

Vocal Motion

Optimizing Message Delivery

Messages as Mantra

Message Delivery Development

Biojax Part 5: Message Delivery Skills in Practice

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 6 - WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

Surprise Encounters

When the Problem Is Bigger Than You

When You Say Something Stupid

Be Prepared to Sincerely Apologize

Biojax Part 6: An Interview Done Correctly

Chapter Talking Points

Chapter 7 - TWENTY WHAT-IFS

You Don’t Know What to Say

You Shouldn’t Answer at All

You Have to Be Careful When Answering

It’s a Trick Question

Quotus Interruptus

Sign Off

Appendix: Media Messaging Toolkit

Notes

Acknowledgments

The Authors

Index

More Praise forWhen the Headline Is You

“When the Headline Is You is the best book I’ve read on how to ensure every press interaction results in fair and balanced coverage for you and your company.”

—Greg Pruett, senior vice president, Corporate Affairs, PG&E Corporation

“After more than 30 years as a journalist and then a communications practitioner, everything in When the Headline Is You rings true to me. Jeff Ansell’s strategies work.”

—Roy Thomas, continuing education instructor in Journalism, Ryerson University

“Each page has stories and each story has lessons. It is not a book to read only once. Soon your copy of When the Headline Is You will be just as dog-eared as mine and will always be a part of your briefing binders.”

—Jean-Michel Halfon, president and general manager, Emerging Markets Business Unit, Pfizer

“When the Headline Is You is a must-read for anyone in front of or behind the news camera.”

—Ian Mitroff, crisis management expert and university professor

“Jeff Ansell was one of the most focused, energetic, and unrelenting reporters I’ve ever known. He’s always known how to dig into a story and tell it well.”

—Thalia Assuras, former CBS News anchor

Copyright © 2010 by Jeff Ansell. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ansell, Jeff, 1955-

When the headline is you : an insider’s guide to handling the media / Jeff Ansell with Jeffrey Leeson.

p. cm.—(J-B international association of business communicators ; 10)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-54394-8 (hardback)

1. Public relations. 2. Publicity. 3. Interviewing in mass media. I. Leeson, Jeffrey, 1969-II. Title.

HM1221.A57 2010

659.2—dc22

2010024702

For my mother and father

Foreword

During my two decades in corporate communications, I have not seen the financial and business community facing as skeptical a public as we are today. The world of news and information is fast-moving—no sooner done than said, in fact. As the executive who heads global external and internal communications and public relations activities for the Ford Motor Company, I see a press corps more probing than ever. Jeff Ansell’s new book When the Headline Is You is a timely and invaluable must-read not only for public relations and communications professionals but for anyone in business, government, or the nonprofit sector dealing with a roused public and emboldened media—both “old” and “new.”

No one argues more forcefully than Jeff Ansell that the skills required to cope with the current environment often are subtle and have a great deal to do with appropriate language—those make-or-break words and phrases that are essential. For most people, these skills do not come naturally. They have to be taught, learned, and practiced, which is why this instructive volume is so on-target. Unlike some who offer such counsel, Jeff approaches the task from both sides of the divide, having racked up impressive credentials as a journalist before launching a notably successful career as a public relations practitioner and business educator.

When the Headline Is You has unique power and value thanks to the numerous real-life examples and case histories literally torn from today’s headlines. Jeff frequently and effectively cites them to illustrate how the wrong or right responses can make a critical, game-changing difference. These insights are what make this a how-to book that provides virtually everything a communicator needs to know from someone who really knows.

Ray DayVice President, CommunicationsFord Motor Company

Introduction

Answering questions from reporters is risky business. Though a media interview may feel like a straightforward conversation, it actually represents a contrived and manipulative dynamic. Knowing how to talk to reporters is like learning a new language, a language that bears little if any resemblance to everyday conversation. It is a mistake for anyone to believe otherwise. It may seem as if speaking the truth should be enough to build credibility and trust, but that’s rarely the case. Exposing oneself to media scrutiny requires more than simple candor. It requires knowledge, training, and a keen understanding of how reporters write the news.

In my nearly forty years of experience, I have yet to meet anyone for whom media skills come naturally. Answering tough questions from reporters is even difficult for reporters themselves. You would think being skilled in asking questions would provide insight into how best to answer them. I discovered otherwise, however, in a training session for famed Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein. In the training, my first question to Carl was whether he had a troubled relationship with his Watergate partner Bob Woodward. To my surprise, Carl put his foot in his mouth so deeply it came out the other end. I learned something important that day. Anyone can ask questions. The real skill is in answering them.

It should be of little surprise, then, that many executives, government leaders, and spokespeople are reluctant to engage the news media. Their concern is justified. People who talk to the media are only as good as their worst quote. Though someone answering a reporter’s questions may strike all the right notes for the majority of the interview, it takes only a single miscue to trigger disaster. One misstatement to a reporter can destroy long-held goodwill or cause a company’s share price to plummet. As legendary investor Warren Buffet said, “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”1

Historically, public relations professionals and media trainers have told clients to ignore questions they don’t like and instead repeat scripted messages. The end result is that many people who talk to reporters come across as evasive and unresponsive. This approach to communicating—or rather the lack of it—has led to record levels of skepticism and distrust among the general public. To be better media communicators, newsmakers and spokespeople must learn how to answer confrontational questions with integrity while still limiting their exposure to the sensationalism of today’s media environment. Using a values-based approach, When the Headline Is You provides a framework for addressing problematic issues in an open, forthright manner that eliminates both the possibility of misinterpretation and the risk of being taken out of context.

Offering strategies for navigating all types of media encounters, When the Headline Is You is intended to help everyone who interacts with journalists or reporters, including executives, spokespeople, PR representatives, and corporate communication professionals. The book will be equally helpful to the message makers behind the scenes: the public relations practitioners and communication consultants tasked with preparing media messages for challenging, newsworthy situations. In addition, academics and students in communication and journalism will find many of the real-world scenarios useful in developing a deeper understanding of how the media operates and building the core skills necessary to become persuasive communicators.

In providing a framework for creating meaningful messages, When the Headline Is You focuses on key principles and proven strategies for success in today’s media-saturated world. I’ve organized these principles and strategies into clearly defined steps that mirror the process of preparing for a media encounter. This structure offers readers both the fundamental knowledge and the practical tools necessary to manage image and reputation even under the most stressful circumstances.

I start in Chapter One by providing an overview of how news is made, reported, and interpreted. In Chapter Two, readers will learn how to manage the initial encounter with a journalist, avoid common interview traps, and align organizational image with positive values. Chapter Three explains the key principles for building trust and provides a simple yet powerful formula for crafting bad news messages. In Chapter Four, I examine many different types of media messages and discuss a template for creating a comprehensive range of compelling responses and statements. Chapter Five follows with an in-depth discussion of successful public speaking techniques that will help readers optimize message delivery. Chapter Six examines difficult situations like surprise encounters and provides step-by-step strategies for effectively managing these situations. Finally, in Chapter Seven, I present specific techniques for answering twenty of the most potentially damaging questions that spokespeople commonly encounter.

Throughout the book, I’ve incorporated a number of special features and practical tools, including:

• A complete Media Messaging Toolkit with reproducible templates and worksheets

• Actual news stories and interview transcripts that bring concepts to life and illustrate essential media communication lessons

• Sidebars that add context to salient ideas and provide additional practical strategies

• Proven public speaking tips and a six-step message-delivery exercise that’s guaranteed to improve your presentation skills

• A recurring, illustrative example that depicts the entire media messaging process and clearly demonstrates implementation techniques

• Chapter-ending “Talking Points” to help you review and reference critical concepts

When the Headline Is You is designed so you can easily navigate each chapter and locate specific topics and practical information. This means you can jump from chapter to chapter and pull out what you need, when you need it. But there’s also an advantage to reading the chapters in order. The chapters are clearly linked and the techniques presented build on each other to facilitate your skill development.

No matter how you choose to use the book, my hope is that everyone who picks it up discovers valuable strategies and messaging formulae to use in communicating with reporters. Whether delivering good news, not-so-good news, or dealing with a full-blown media crisis, When the Headline Is You provides a process for crafting responsive messages that present your organization in a proactive, positive manner.

1

WHAT IS NEWS?

“News is what I say it is.”

—David Brinkley, former network anchor

Julius Caesar created the world’s first newspaper in the year 59 BC. The Acta Diurna, or Daily Doings, was posted on walls across Rome. Its purpose was to keep the Roman senate under scrutiny. We’ve gone from walls to Web logs, but reporters still hold people accountable, only now they do it through TV, magazines, newspapers, satellite radio, and the Internet. Today, anyone anywhere can generate news and share information. This convenience comes at a price, however. Research on the run only gets it right some of the time, and truth and perspective become casualties of reporting. “The newspaper that drops on your door-step is a partial, hasty, incomplete, inevitably somewhat flawed, and inaccurate rendering of some of the things we heard about in the past twenty-four hours,” wrote Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Broder. Avoiding becoming a victim of these discrepancies and inconsistencies begins with a clear understanding of how the press operates. This chapter will give you a peek behind the media curtain to see how news is made, reported, and ultimately interpreted.