Media Relations According to John, Paul, George and Ringo

I have an extensive library of materials I use to prepare for my frequent presentations on media relations. The video clip from the Daily Show with John Stewart works great when I’m presenting to a class at the University of Iowa, but not so much when I presented to a group of mayors and selectmen in Connecticut a few years ago. For them, I pulled out some of my 60 Minutes or Dateline NBC stuff. Point is I like to customize my presentation so that the takeaway messages might be better…well…taken away.

I’ve toyed with the idea, mostly while listening to Beatle Brunch on Sunday mornings, of using words comprised by the Fab Four to bring home a point. To some, they are a jumble of poetic lyrics, awesome harmony and an amazing display of musical talent. To me, however, we can also learn some pretty basic media relations/communication practice. For example……….

“I will only say the words I know that you’ll understand…” 

From the ballad “Michelle,” John and Paul remind us to keep it simple. It’s so easy to get caught up in technical jargon when doing a media interview. Whether they’re talking about public health or the latest fluctuations from Wall Street, people (our subject matter experts or SME’s) tend to drop in words or phrases that barely register in the brains of our audience before skipping off into that corner of our cranium reserved for big words never heard before…or since.

Remember, this isn’t the day of Andy and Opie where everyone sat around the Philco TV and absorbed every word being delivered by Uncle Walter or Huntley-Brinkley. People are cooking dinner, eating dinner, driving in the car, listening to the kids whine about school when the evening news is on, and a new unfamiliar big word isn’t going to help you grab ahold of that audience and cause them to stop and think…”Hey, this is something important.”   

“I heard the news today, oh boy…”

While the classic “A Day in the Life,” told us how many holes there were in Blackburn, Lancashire, it also gives us a key message for developing relationships with the media community.

If you want to media to pay attention to your issue, then pay attention to the media. That means reading your local daily paper and catching the top of the hour national and local radio newscasts. Check a web site or two. That way, when you call a local reporter to pitch a story, you can say..”I see they’re doing some amazing research in California on issue X. Did you know that research could have a big impact on how we teach math here at Riverdale High?” That “hook” is the way you make the same story you’ve pitched all semester seem relevant and current today.

Enough Beatlemania for today. I feel like cranking up my Let It Be album on the stereo. Don’t worry, there are plenty more nuggets from the boys from Liverpool I’ll drop in later posts…..

KT