Deep Dive Breakout 2: Mic Check: Advocates Engaging with the Media

Learn how to prepare advocates (and yourself!) to deliver your message effectively in front of a camera. We will talk through experiences of improvised interviews, how to build effective talking points, and what to keep in mind when preparing statements. Media is not just engagement with the press anymore – how can we talk about the media landscape with advocates in a way that is helpful for them?

Notes:

• Panelists
  • Katherine Merullo – ADA (moderator)
  • Alisa Mairone – BAYADA
  • Audrey Woods – DISCUS
  • Stacey Chappell – AONL
• Discussion
  • Establishing strategies to prepare advocates for media engagements
    • Know your advocates
    • Ease their worries
      • They are the perfect person to share their perspective
  • Build an informed and engaged community
    • Take a holistic approach
    • Involve advocates in the content through social media, newsletters, webinars, trainings, etc.
    • Connect with advocates outside of specific media opportunities
    • Establish yourself as a leader and resource for them within the industry
  • Programs and strategies
    • Grasstops programs
  • Share resources you share with advocates to get them prepped on policy issues
    • Advocates do not need to be experts on policy issues; they need to provide the human story
      • Talking points should be centered on their story
      • Advocates are for showing not telling
    • Feed the report the harder content/ policy info via script/ background information outside of the advocate interview
      • This should include supporting data and legislative information
• Prepping advocates
  • Give them the 411 on the reporter/ publication (research the last 5 stories from the reporter)
  • Find out the media format
  • Talking points should be clear and encourage personal examples
• Case studies of successful media campaigns involving advocates
  • BAYADA nurse and mom duo story – the mom served just as the human interest piece, and the nurse was the workforce piece. Note that they did not speak about policy.
  • Advocate possibilities – make sure to train your advocates in the following areas:
    • Matching facial expressions to content
    • Losing composure
• Cover a maximizing a media hit, how do you share it, who do you involve internally, and what is th timeline
  • Maximize the coverage
    • Tailor your pitch to different media outlets
  • Share the wins
    • Internal team, committees, advocates, social media, newsletters
• Managing expectations around media placements
  • The goal is not widespread public exposure as much as legislative pressure in target areas
    • Hyperlocal news hits may be more effective
    • advocates/ lobbyists should share the media hits with their networks
  • Things to think about:
    • Intended audience?
    • What resonates with media?
      • Earned media runs a risk – you cannot fully control the narrative
    • Opinion pieces and letters to the editor
    • Local vs. national 
    • Tone and content covered
    • Don’t underestimate the power of niche holidays to capitalize on
      • This applies to trends too
• How do you close the loop and thank advocates
  • Thank your advocates
  • Share the clip/ article
  • Provide positive feedback
  • Share your wins with other advocates
  • Come back and have them do it again
  • Reuse/ repurpose media assets
• Q/A
  • Letter to the editor- are you still pitching the story as you write the letter? Or then follow up
    • This is most effective when they have an existing relationship or familiarity with the topic
  • Use the same advocate across markets with different pitches
  • How often are you sharing press releases on social?
    • They are not sharing them, instead, they are translating them into graphics and linking to the newsletter