Effective Media Management

1. Effective Media Management click to continue

2. Television: the “Engine” of Media Culture • TV is the most powerful of all media. • It encompasses and influences news, music, movies, magazines, radio, newspapers, videos, the Internet. • The average Canadian watches over 20 hours of TV per week!

3. TV Viewing in Canada

4. TVs per Household

5. What TV Stations Really Sell • TV stations sell an audience. • The bigger the audience, the more clients will pay for advertising time. • Prime time viewing hours and major events attract the largest audiences, thus advertising time is more expensive. • In 2010 a 30 second Super Bowl ad will cost USD $3 million or $100,000 per second!

6. Rating and Rates • Ratings measure the size of the audience. • The bigger the audience the higher the ratings. • Advertising rates are set according to “ratings points.” • TV programs live and die by their ratings • TV.com lists “Lost” as the all-time top rated TV show.

7. Established Buying Patterns • Most advertising is aimed at people under the age of 55. • Older people are more likely to shop in familiar places and buy the same goods and services year after year. • Younger people don’t have these “Established Buying Patterns.” • This makes them more susceptible to an advertiser’s suggestion.

8. Lowest Common Denominator • TV caters to the majority demand for sensational programming. • TV news and most programs are intentionally written at a grade six level. • TV exploits base human motivators: fear, greed, lust. • Tests show the human brain is more active when sleeping than watching television.

9. The One Thing You Rarely See on TV • TV programs often portray characters in real life settings doing real life things. • This helps you identify with the people you are watching. • What’s the one everyday thing you rarely see people on TV doing? • Watching TV!

10. The Changing Nature of Television • Independent TV stations are disappearing as large media corporations buy and merge stations, facilities and networks. • As such, the tremendous influence of modern television has become highly concentrated. • Working together, a small number of major media corporations exert enormous influence over cultural, commercial, social, and political institutions around the world.

11. The Changing Nature of Television In Canada these major American and Canadian networks are most popular and commonly accessible. Their owners, and other major international conglomerates, include: National Amusements, Viacom, CBS Corporation, Time Warner, News Corp, Sony, General Electric, Vivendi SA, Hearst Corporation, Bertelsmann AG, Organizações Globo Lagardère Group

12. The Changing Nature of TV News • TV news has become more entertainment oriented. • Sensational video takes precedence. • Image has become as important as substance. • News items are carefully selected and/or omitted to satisfy the largest audience. • They are also vetted to ensure adherence to legal, cultural and political considerations.

13. Why Big Networks Like Local News • A network is a chain of TV stations. • Affiliate stations share programs and commercials but local news is unique to each. • Local stations encourage audiences to identify closely with their top news personalities – anchors and hosts. • This “hi neighbor” relationship helps bind viewers to the network.

14. How News Stories Get Selected • Assignment editors develop lists of topical story ideas from a variety of sources. • Managers, editors, producers, anchors and reporters meet to establish potential stories and priorities. • Subsequent line-up meetings review the progress of each story and where it fits in as the daily news run evolves. • Frequent last minute changes for “breaking news” are a leading cause of early retirement from the control room.

15. Why Stories Get Selected • Stories are selected on the basis of their audience appeal, news value, good visual prospects, sensational elements and ease of access. • Not every story has all those qualities but those that do are featured more prominently. • Some stories fit into a daily “franchise” such as medical, consumer or entertainment news.

16. Media Coverage - when you want it Contacting the Media • Don’t be afraid to contact the media directly. • Ask for the “city editor” if your calling a newspaper, or the “assignment desk” if you’re calling a radio or TV station. • Make a contacts list of your favourite editors and reporters. • Make sure you get the right spelling and pronunciation.

17. Media Coverage - when you want it Pick Your Topic & Spin • Once you’ve decided the product, service or person you want to publicize, choose the angle or “spin” you wish to highlight. • Media coverage requires your subject be consequential. What consequence does it carry for the average viewer? • For example, if your company makes water purifiers focus on health and safety not selection, price or colour.

18. Media Coverage - when you want it Know These Positions • News anchors read from behind a desk. • Reporters & photographers work in the field. • Producers coordinate editorial and production elements. • Assignment editors collect & assign stories. • Production directors work in the control room. • A news director manages the newsroom. • The CEO of News & Current Affairs oversees policy & budgets.

19. Media Coverage - when you want it Know These Terms • A wrap or package is a pre-produced report by and with a reporter: runs 1:30 - 2:00. • A voice-over is video with a script read by the news anchor: runs about :30. • A voice-over-bite is an anchor script with video and a brief interview comment: runs about :45. • A live hit is live from the scene with a reporter on camera and often includes pre-recorded video and interview clips.

20. Media Coverage - when you want it Timing and Deadlines • Don’t announce your company’s innovative new product on Federal Budget day. • Newsrooms keep a day-file of upcoming events. Pick your date, then ask a friendly assignment editor if he knows of any major media events scheduled that day. • Good timing requires a little luck. You never know when something big will blow up, burn down, or fall over .. and disaster always comes first. • Schedule events and news conferences reasonably early to accommodate reporter deadlines. 10:00 a.m. is ideal.

21. Media Coverage - when you want it News Releases – How To Get Noticed • Keep a comprehensive contacts list of local, provincial, and national media. • News releases should be no more than one page of who, what, where, when and why plus contact information. • Provide more information with an attached fact sheet and a one-page backgrounder. • Send news conference invitations a week prior and again the day before the event. • Advertisements dressed up as "News Releases" get tossed real fast 19 times out of 20.

22. Media Coverage - when you want it Gimmicks: Good or Bad? • News editors often receive media releases or event invitations in clever theme packages. • PR agencies convince their clients that trendy or unusual packaging captures the media’s attention. • For example, an invitation to a new restaurant opening was sent stapled to a paper plate and shrink-wrapped. Not necessarily a good idea. • A simple, well-prepared news release will get the same attention and cost a lot less. • Hot food delivered right to the newsroom, however, never seems to hurt.

23. Media Coverage - when you want it Conducting a Successful “Newser” • Schedule news conferences between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. • Book a meeting room with a head table large enough to hold a number of microphone stands. Provide coffee and light snacks. • Locate the head table so TV cameras point away from windows. • Leave space for TV cameras at the front or on a riser at the back. • Feature large scale visuals: drawings, maps, logos, flags, etc. • No more than three or four people at the head table. • Identify each speaker with a table card. • Distribute a well-organized information package and professional quality DVD when possible. • Allow time for reporters to scan your material. • Introductions, speaker remarks, and reporter Q&A - in that order.

24. Media Coverage - when you want it The Number One Media Hook? • Good visuals! The more visually oriented you make your presentation the better. • If TV is there, radio and newspapers will follow. • The West Edmonton Mall once invited the media to witness the helicopter placement of a huge new piece of theatre equipment. Nobody missed it! • Instead of simply displaying a new product at a news conference, invite the media to your factory to video the manufacturing process. • Anything that includes action is a good draw.

25. Media Coverage - when you want it What Every Reporter Is Looking For • Every reporter is waiting for you to say something you hadn’t intended to say. • The oldest trick is the “pregnant” pause. After your reply, seasoned reporters may hesitate a few seconds waiting for you to nervously fill the silence. • After you’ve made a definitive statement simply wait for the next question. • Don’t expand in any way you haven’t carefully considered.

26. Media Coverage - when you want it The 1-on-1 Interview • Should be conducted in an environment where you’re comfortable and in control. • Arrange a time and place convenient to you. • A brief conversation with the reporter before the interview is a good idea. • Remember sound bites rarely run longer than 15 seconds on air. • During the interview speak conversationally with the reporter but be succinct and to the point. • Once the reporter leaves, don’t expect any “creative” control.

27. Media Coverage - when you want it Don’t Take the Mike • Don’t reach for the reporter’s microphone. He or she will hold it for you. • Reaching for the mike demonstrates a lack of experience as an interviewee. • Speak in a relaxed tone and maintain eye contact with the reporter, not the camera. • Keep arms down and hands away from your face. • If you perspire easily, a little translucent face powder prior to the interview is an excellent idea. • Maintaining good posture conveys an air of confidence.

28. Media Coverage - when you want it “Is This Thing On?” • Whatever else you do, understand the dynamics of the “live” interview. It happens in real time. You only get one “take.” • Don’t let this happen to you: a rodeo beauty queen got half way through a live TV interview when she suddenly stopped and said, “Oh damn, I screwed up. Can we start again?” • The answer, of course, was an embarrassing “No.”

29. Media Coverage - when you want it The “No Comment” No-No • If you’re involved in a controversial issue expect a question you’d rather not answer. • When it comes simply say, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can say about that right now.” • Avoid using the “no comment” cliché. It inevitably comes across as hostile. • If the reporter asks, “Why?” be sure to have a pre-considered response. The alternative is to abruptly terminate the interview. • Don’t be drawn into a verbal duel or endless probing questions. Either way you lose.

30. Media Coverage - when you want it Scrums - Why You Should and Shouldn’t • A scrum is one person surrounded by a large group of media. • Seasoned veterans can get a lot of media attention quickly. • The questions can be relentless and probing. • The inexperienced subject often feels nervous and pressured. • Scrums are mobile and can be difficult to walk away from. • If you’re unsure, avoid scrums completely.

31. Media Coverage - when you don’t want it Coming October 2009 Thank you!