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Tools for Behavior Change Communication |
 
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| January 2008 Issue No. 16 |
The INFO Project • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health • Center for Communication Programs • 111 Market Place, Suite 310 • Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA • 410-659-6300 • 410-659-6266 (fax) • www.infoforhealth.org • infoproject@jhuccp.org | |
CHECKLIST
Working With the News Media
How to use this tool: This tool can help program managers work with the news media to reach the public. News coverage is often people’s first source of information. It increases the reach and credibility of a BCC program at minimal program cost. News coverage also influences opinion leaders and policy makers. Like other communication efforts, working with the news media works best when it is based on a strategy and follows a process.
STEP 1 : Conduct a Quick Assessment
Monitor coverage.
- Establish a systematic and continual means of monitoring news coverage (for example, clipping newspaper articles or regularly listening to news broadcasts).
- Identify media outlets that cover reproductive health, how, where, when, and, particularly, what generates coverage.
- Identify gaps in information that off er opportunities to help the media and inform the public.
Develop a media list.
- Develop and keep current a list of contacts in the news media.
- Identify reporters who cover reproductive health issues.
Assess media needs and constraints.
- Understand what news media want from a story.
- Become known as a good source among reporters.
STEP 2 : Develop a Strategy
Develop goals and media communication objectives.
- Establish what the goal and objectives are: For example, is the goal to inform and educate the public about a particular issue or to raise opinion leaders’ awareness?
Develop a written media communication plan.
- Include goals, staff roles, clear policies and procedures for interacting with the news media, the intended audience(s) and preferred media channels, available resources including budget and logistical support, timing of events, and contacts.
- Evaluate, revise, and update this plan regularly.
STEP 3 : Identify and Train the Media Communication Team
Establish the media communication team.
- Designate and train staff members to represent the program to the media, and the media to the program.
- Choose spokespersons who are at ease speaking with the media; knowledgeable about the issue; resourceful; and perceived as authoritative and credible by the media, stakeholders, and the public.
STEP 4 : Prepare and Deliver Messages
Use the SOCO (“single overriding communication objective”) approach.
- State the SOCO, that is, the essence of the message that needs to be conveyed, clearly and simply. The SOCO should reflect what the team would like to see as the lead paragraph in a news report and the message that the audience should take away.
Match the medium to the message.
- Choose a format for contact with the news media that best fits the program message and audience. Examples include interviews, press releases, briefings, public service announcements, and letters to the editor.
Pretest messages whenever possible.
- Review materials with experienced people to ensure that proposed formats, writing style, and tone are effective and that the content is newsworthy.
Deliver the message strategically.
- Capitalize on breaking news that is related to your issue, to get your program message out.
- Proactively engage the media to head off controversy, but also plan for negative publicity.
- Keep to your message. Decide whether or not it is strategic to respond to the news media’s point of view.
- Involve the media as a partner from the start by, for example, including them in program stakeholder meetings.
STEP 5 : Evaluate Messages and Performance
Monitor implementation of the media communication plan.
- Periodically review time schedules, expenditures, work performed, and outputs.
- Adjust the activities and schedule as necessary to meet goals and objectives.
Evaluate outcomes of media relations activities.
- Evaluate media coverage, using the monitoring system (see Step 1: Conduct a Quick Assessment).
- Track numbers of inquiries from the public.
- Compare accomplishments with objectives.
Provide continuity.
- Maintain frequent contact with journalists and other news media personnel. Thank those who provide good coverage.
- Foster a future generation of media partners by offering internships in your organization for journalism students.
Sources: Churchill 2003 (4), Covello 2003 (5), Howard 2000 (10), Hyer and Covello 2005 (11), National Cancer Institute 2001 (13), Robey and Stauffer 1995 (17), and U.S. CDC 2006 and 2007 (20, 22)
