ChapterHandbookPublicRelations

NSS Chapter Handbook, Section 6: Public Relations

Section 6 of the NationalSpaceSocietyChapterHandbook.

Version dated March 2005

  1. NSS Chapter Handbook, Section 6: Public Relations
    1. How to Deal with the Media
    2. Strategy
      1. Is It News?
    3. How to Write a Great Pitch Letter
      1. What is it?
      2. How is it used?
      3. What's it look like?
      4. What should I put in my pitch letter?
    4. Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
    5. News Releases
    6. How to Write a Killer News Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks
      1. How To Seduce The Media
    7. Interviews
    8. Letters to the Editor
      1. When Should You Write a Letter?
      2. HOW TO BEGIN
      3. HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING PUBLISHED
      4. FORMAT
    9. Community Involvement
    10. Handling the Big Event
    11. Publicity on the Job
    12. Bootstrapping Public Relations
    13. Misrepresentation
    14. Practical Publicity
    15. Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing A Plan That Works
      1. Why You Need A Crisis Communications Plan
      2. The Two Elements Of A Crisis Plan

How to Deal with the Media

by Loretta McKibben and Nancy Kolb Moore

The reputation and relationship a group establishes with the media will determine, for the rest of that group’s working life, the organization’s appearance to the public. Inept dealings with the media can ruin a chapter’s influence, reputation and leverage. The public-at-large will get an incorrect idea of what a group is doing, making subsequent efforts and events less effective.

When we first organized the Oklahoma Space Alliance/L5, we were fortunate to have radio and television newspersons in our co-founding core group. Their help has been invaluable, for most of us would not have known how to approach the media. There are definite methods for dealing with them--all logical--which can establish a good working relationship between your group and the radio, television and print media.

Pro-space groups risk being portrayed as “Kooks” if they aren’t careful. Why? Because your average Joe/Jane doesn’t have the slightest idea of WHY we should go into space, WHAT it has done for him and his family, WHERE those huge amounts of his tax money are going and WHEN he will begin to see some benefits from space.

The news media cater to Joe and Jane Six-pack, to keep their ratings up. The slant of the stories about your organization can go in your favor, and provide useful information to Joe/Jane, et. al., or can go against you and cause your chapter to be a short “clip” of amusement on the evening news. (“Look, Maw, at them spacey people!”) It’s up to you.

There are some basic guidelines to follow to build a good relationship with the press:

1. SET YOURSELVES UP AS THE LOCAL EXPERTS ON NASA AND SPACE PROJECTS: Pick several of your best members, i.e., those who can study the facts and present them to the media in an accurate, positive manner. Then, do your homework. If a Shuttle launch is coming up, know when it’s taking off, when it’s landing and where, what the mission will involve as to experiments, important new technology and so forth. Send out press releases, then hold a press conference to discuss the event locally. The media LOVE the “local slant”: local people who can give information in a concise, understandable manner.

2. SET UP A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL SCIENCE MUSEUMS AND/OR UNIVERSITIES: Here in Oklahoma, we have worked with both the University of Oklahoma in Norman and the Omniplex Science Museum in Oklahoma City. The Omniplex, in particular, has provided us with financial help, advice and space for exhibits. Once you set up a working relationship with a respected institution in your area, potential members and financial contributors are more likely to take you seriously.

3. TIPS FOR THOSE IN RURAL AREAS: Newspapers and radio stations usually cooperate with organizations but may not have reporters to go out and cover stories. Many would welcome stories you have written (and pictures you have taken, in the case of newspapers). Check with your newspaper editor or radio station program director to see what his/her paper or station can and will use. A regular column, telling of your group’s activities and recent NASA news, would be perfect.

  1. TIPS FOR THOSE IN URBAN AREAS: It is VITAL that you become familiar with reporters in your area; they are more amenable to someone familiar to them. Get to know the reporters through social events if possible. An alternative is to call an editor or station’s news director and ask that they send a designated reporter to one of your meetings (be sure to choose a meeting that you know will be interesting). FREE FOOD is always a good incentive; invite a reporter to lunch, or alternatively, offer coffee and doughnuts or wine and cheese, etc., at a meeting the reporter attends.

5. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CORRESPONDENCE AND PRESS RELEASES LOOK PROFESSIONAL: Press releases, letters, flyers, etc., should all be done well. Using letterhead stationery is a good idea, especially when soliciting funds. Get a good bond paper, and MAKE SURE THAT THE RELEASE/LETTER IS TYPED WELL. Sloppy typing and cheap paper are big turnoffs. Most releases, once a clean original is made, may be photocopied, as with flyers. If you can’t type, or your typewriter is ancient, with crooked letters, etc., HIRE A TYPIST. Most typing services charge only a couple of dollars a page, which is well worth it.

6. MAKE SURE YOU LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND DRESS FOR SUCCESS: Though jeans are certainly the most comfortable clothes, they don’t impress the media. In fact, they can have a negative effect. Whether you hold a press conference, have a speaker covered by the media, or contact the business community to request money for events, it is IMPERATIVE the you LOOK YOUR BEST. This means business suits for both men and women, i.e., sharp, CONSERVATIVE, professional-looking clothes; you simply won’t be taken seriously otherwise. If you’re really serious about the pro-space movement and want to work for it, invest in at least one set of good clothes that fit well and in which you feel comfortable. Like it or not, grooming often determines how others think of you, especially those in the business community and the media.

7. TIPS FOR NEWS RELEASES AND STORIES: Realize that the media will not use everything you send them. Do not take it personally if a story is not accepted. It is your job to offer the story; it is the reporter’s job to determine whether he/she can use it. Also, do not feel disappointed if your news release is not used verbatim; most professional news people automatically rewrite them.

a. KEEP YOUR NEWS RELEASES SHORT -- NO MORE THAN ONE PAGE EXCEPT ON VERY RARE OCCASIONS: Most reporters are very busy and cannot afford to read tons of material. Most long news releases will wind up filed in the waste basket, unread.

b. BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER ON ALL RELEASES: Be sure that the person mentioned is available for questions. Newspersons file names and addresses they receive for future reference, too. Often they will call you back later for the local slant on other space events, many times just to have someone explain, in plain English that Joe/Jane can understand, a space-related story.

8. BE OPEN AND HONEST: If you can not answer a question because you don’t have the information, or because it is information not being released, say so. Then as soon as you do obtain or decide to release the information, get back to the reporter. Establish a policy of discussing the negative as well as the positive. You can frequently give what appears to be a negative story a positive slant--if nothing else, than by saying, “We are aware of that problem and are concerned about it.” Not commenting on a story will NOT make it go away.

  1. WHEN YOU HAVE A SPEAKER, EXPERT, OR CELEBRITY AT A MEETING OR EVENT, MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE “EXPERT” OR GUEST SPEAKER TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE MEDIA: Whoever is the focal point of the story is the person the media will want to quote, NOT you. Your job here is to POINT OUT, not to be the point! Schedule different times for each reporter to meet with the guest speaker INDIVIDUALLY, in a quiet office or room away from the hubbub. Also, make certain that the visual media (TV) and the newspaper photographers get extra time to take posed pictures and to get the camera angles they want.

For your Space Week Guest of Honor, for example, or any other newsworthy event, HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON THE SAME DAY AS THE EVENT. Invite all the media--TV, radio and print--at least a week ahead of time, and hold the conference in a room that will look good on camera. There is a good reason to have your press conference several hours before the event--the television reporters will then have time enough to cover the press conference, edit the material and get it ready for that evening’s news. Have your press conferences EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PRESS. They want their share of time with your keynote speaker.

The reporters covering your event will probably not be well acquainted with the issues-of-the-day as far as the space program goes. Therefore, pick one of your members to “emcee” the press conference, i.e., TO COME PREPARED TO ASK THE GUESTS/EXPERTS QUESTIONS ON ISSUES THAT ARE NEWSWORTHY. If you don’t do this, your press conference will very likely be a “dud”; the expert/guest will become bored with the non-informed questions, and the media will not get the full story. Your group will probably have to direct the news conference, asking occasional key questions to encourage the reporters and the guest/expert to discuss key issues. We do NOT mean for your M.C. to dominate, but rather to be able to pick up the lulls in the action with a few well-pointed questions at the guest/expert.

10. WHEN DEALING WITH THE MEDIA, ALWAYS BE PUNCTUAL! No matter what! If your press conference or meeting is set for 1 p.m., be there EARLY to answer questions. As we said before, newspersons are heavily scheduled, and cannot afford to wait around for you. Usually, if you are late, they will just leave, and your organization will lose both media exposure and good will.

11. NOTIFY THE MEDIA OF EVENTS WELL IN ADVANCE! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. Allow at least one week, so that the station or newspaper can schedule you in with other stories. For big events such as Spaceweek, allow ONE TO TWO MONTHS, and keep sending regular updates on scheduled events. In many cases, they will give you advance publicity, which means more contributed money, more people participating in your event, and a better Space Week. If they don’t give you advance publicity, they will at least be well informed on your group’s activities. Sooner or later, your persistence will pay off.

12. AVOID USING TOO MUCH TECHNICAL LANGUAGE -- SAY IT IN PLAIN ENGLISH: The average person has had little or no exposure to the technical terms used by most people in the pro-space movement. Terms such as “solid rocket booster,” “reentry,” “SRB” and “MECO” (main engine cutoff) will only irritate Joe/Jane, not educate. If one of your group is on a radio talk show, for example, and he/she uses one of these terms, BE SURE it is explained in terms that are understandable.

Barraging the public with space lingo will not help the pro-space movement. Most people, when the benefits of the space program and space science are explained to them in terms they can understand, are all for space spending!

For example, when explaining planetary science, a speaker would receive a positive response with, “By studying the Earth’s sister planets, such as Mars and Venus, which are very similar to the Earth in size and composition, we will better understand our own planet.”

Forget giving them all the details -- give your address on the air for those who want more information. Keep the main points very simple and easy to understand. Also, it helps to point out that “every dollar spent on space projects has been returned to private industry’s profits at least four times,” generally in jobs and national wealth. As everyone knows, money talks.

Do not hesitate to point out to reporters, in a very friendly way, of course, that what happens in the space program concerns everyone. Also, a great deal of public money is perceived as being spent on the space program, and people have a right to know how their money is spent. Invariably, on every radio talk show our group has done, an “outraged taxpayer” calls up and shouts about how he/she doesn’t want his/her money spent on “all that wild space stuff.”

Generally, we’ve found these hostiles to be greatly ignorant about how much the space program has influenced their lives. By pointing out the innumerable spin-offs, one can always find SOMETHING that this person uses, to great benefit, in their daily lives: Emergency Medical Services (Paramedics), Medical breakthroughs such as MRIs and robotic-assisted surgery, water purification, weather forecasting, communication satellites, etc. These people stimulate good debates, and handling them gracefully says a lot about your group to the public.

In summary, don’t contact the media without the “five W’s”: Who, What, Where, When, Why (and How). Look your best and go prepared. Always be gracious and considerate to the media, even though they may not always return it (they’re human, too). Be the news media’s source of information for space-related stories, giving concise, understandable, accurate information and you’ll always be their friend.

After all, the news media are probably the most powerful tools for pro-space groups to use. With them, we educate; without them, many of our most valued goals are lost,

[Editor’s Note: LORETTA MCKIBBEN is a senior in astrophysics at the University of Oklahoma and is currently participating in research on the Ursa Major star cluster. She also teaches Space Exploration/Model Rocketry classes to children ages five and up at the Omniplex Science Museum. NANCY KOLB MOORE is a Public Relations Analyst for the Norman, Oklahoma School Board with many years of experience in radio broadcasting and reporting. Ms. Moore has worked for the Oklahoma News Network, KNOR radio station in Norman, and KVLH radio station in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.]

Strategy

Personal experience has occasionally shown that what TV news covers (in some markets) is dictated by ratings, not importance, and sensational claims get better ratings than straightforward, mundane information, even if the latter is more valuable to the viewing audience.

Without a well-planned strategy your publicity efforts will be hit-and-miss. A plan will allow you to build on previous efforts to develop a community awareness of both space development and your group. Take a careful look at your chapter and its programs. Which events and programs must be publicized to be successful, and which, in turn, can provide publicity for your chapter and its goals?

What are your PR goals? Do you want to establish a public identity, attract new members, volunteers, financial or political support, publicize a specific program or event, or interest and educate the public?

You may want to pick out one or more reporters to work with. Ask newspapers if they have a science and technology reporter. Call radio and TV stations to get the names of talk show producers. Read or listen to their work. You can feed relevant information to the writers of columns about television, business, health and medicine, the environment, women, minorities, education, computers, and editorial boards. Address press releases to specific people, but be aware that if they are out of town a lot, your release could sit in a mailbox. Send another copy of a time-sensitive release to the City Editor or community calendar editor, just in case.

It is important to regularly step back and try to assess the impact of your public relations efforts -- not always an easy thing to do. Keep a clipping book of all your media coverage, and make audio and videotapes of interviews. Your members can help gather these, as well letting you know if the people they meet have heard about your chapter, NSS, or a publicized event.

Use these things to decide if your investments of time and money are producing results. Why did something work -- or not work? How can they be improved? Be aware, however, that like a classroom teacher, you can never know which “lesson” might have a major, lasting effect on one of your media pupils’. The best rewards you can get are to attend a press conference and hear a reporter that you have worked with ask a real NSS question about space development or to see one use information you gave them in another article or report.

Is It News?

What can you publicize? You can send out press releases or media packets about the founding of your chapter or its affiliation with a local museum or planetarium, programs, speakers, classes and youth projects, exhibits, Spaceweek and other special events.

You can also publicize awards you give or get, national events and issues (especially if you can present a local tie-in), new officers, a member who is elected or appointed to an important position (Regional NSS Director), major donations or business support (check with them first!), the results of a survey, and replies to negative or false reports.

Some of these are obvious, others are closer to “manufactured” news. For example, if Headquarters is supplied with a black and white photo and a press release about newly elected Regional Organizers, it can be sent to their local papers.

The purpose is not to glorify the individual, but to increase local awareness of the chapter and add to its credibility. While not all of these are Big News, they are all legitimate news given the proper media target. Some should be directed at the major media in your area, others to smaller, local ones.

How to Write a Great Pitch Letter

by Bill Stoller

What is it?

A brief letter, almost never longer than one page, written to accompany press releases, media advisories or full press kits.

How is it used?

Pitch letters serve one purpose -- to pique the journalist's interest in your story. They needn't tell the whole story. Rather, they are "teasers" for the meat of your story angle.

What's it look like?

Regular business letter formatting is fine:

What should I put in my pitch letter?

The best way to learn how to write great pitch letters is to look at some. In this section, I'll excerpt some letters we used at Stoller & Bard to pitch various stories. Before long, you'll get the feel for the kind of style needed to write successful pitch letters.

Start off with your best shot. In the first sentence, try to give the reporter something that will make him say either "Gee, I never knew that" or "That's an interesting angle for a story." Or better yet, try to get him to say both things! Don't mess around with formalities, and don't bury your angle in hype. Here's an example of a pitch letter we used to promote "the world's largest game of Pictionary":

Dear Joe:

On November 19, during halftime of the California-Stanford game, 80,000 people will make history.

They'll be helping to establish a New World Record by participating in the largest participatory game in -- a monumental round of Pictionary, led by the Stanford Marching Band.

The band will use formations to create pictures of words and phrases. The crowd will then have the chance to guess the word, by cheering at the appropriate choice read aloud by the public address announcer.

Rob Angel, the man who began the Pictionary craze, will be in town for the record-setting attempt. In just five years, Rob's risen from waiter to millionaire. One of the most successful game inventors in history, he's now a celebrity in his own right (he was recently featured on the cover of USA Weekend as part of their "Young Millionaires" issue).

Rob will be available to discuss the "Mega-Pictionary" game, and his role as inventor of America's favorite game on Thursday, November 17 or Friday, November 18.

I'll be in touch soon to discuss a possible interview. Look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

Straight to point and no nonsense. Just the way a reporter wants it.

Here's another example -- one that fits the "Gee, I didn't know that" category. It's to promote the national winner of a contest sponsored by one of our clients:

April 27, 2004

Dear Joe:

A miracle has bloomed and is now being harvested in the heart of the South Bronx.

What used to be a trash-filled vacant lot covered with used hypodermic needles and crack vials is now a spectacular 2 1/2-acre working farm. Every day, under the watchful eye of Garden Director and seasoned gardener Jack O'Connor, dozens of neighborhood youngsters come to tend their garden plots, sing songs, hear poetry and learn about nature. Jack has only one rule of thumb: Before the fun starts, the day's schoolwork must be completed. And so, in a corner of the garden, under the colored leaves of autumn, the children diligently complete their homework before caring for Taqwa as the growing season comes to a close.

The Taqwa Community Farm is a place of beauty and joy, powered by the hard work, dedication and vision of the people of the Highbridge section of the Bronx. For their remarkable achievement, Jack O'Connor and the young people of the South Bronx who have helped build The Taqwa Community Farm have been honored as the 1998 National Winners of the John Deere Kids Seeds of Hope Award. A program created to recognize young people who are bringing nature's beauty to urban landscapes, John Deere Kids Seeds of Hope has honored 25 community gardens across the nation as 1998 Regional Winners.

Even if you have only one version of a press release, you can still target your pitch to a particular media outlet by crafting a specific pitch letter. The purpose of the pitch letter in this case -- to frame the story in a way that makes it clear to the journalist that it fits in with that media outlet's approach. Here's a letter we wrote to The Paul Harvey Show to pitch the story behind one of our clients, a board game company called The Games Gang. It resulted in a story on Mr. Harvey's show -- one of the biggest publicity hits you can get.

Notice that it's written in a structure and style similar to what you might hear on The Paul Harvey Show. We also played up the "senior" status of the Games Gang members, as senior citizens make up a significant portion of their listenership.

Here's the letter:

April 27, 2004

Dear George,

In June, 1986, a group of veteran toy sales people (average age: 60) were told there was no more room for them at the company they'd served for more than 30 years.

They didn't slip quietly into retirement, however. Instead, they set out to prove the toy industry wrong -- to show that experience and common sense are the keys to success.

They've done it.

The company they formed, The Games Gang, has taken the games industry by storm. They've beaten the odds by creating one of the most successful games in American history -- Pictionary -- and following it up with another hit, Balderdash. Today, 10 million games later, the "Over The Hill Gang" is at the top of the game heap, having surpassed their larger -- and younger -- rivals.

We think your listeners and readers, especially those who feel as if their best days are behind them, will find the story of The Games Gang a real inspiration. We hope you agree.

I'll be in touch soon.

Sincerely,

Bill Stoller

Show how your story relates to the reporter's audience

Did you catch this line in the Paul Harvey pitch letter?

We think your listeners and readers, especially those who feel as if their best days are behind them, will find the story of The Games Gang a real inspiration.

That's the line that probably put the story over the top. We took what was essentially a corporate story and demonstrated that it could have meaning to a wide group of listeners -- even those who don't play board games or care about entrepreneurs.

Try to find a bigger theme in your story, especially one that fits with the mission of the media outlet you're pitching.

Follow up your phone or e-mail pitches with a strong letter

A good use of a pitch letter is to remind a reporter of a conversation you may have already had. Let's say you call up or e-mail a journalist, pitch your story and she says "Send up some information." That's pretty typical. Most people would then send the press release, perhaps with a little note attached that says something like "As you requested."

But Publicity Insiders aren't most people. Savvy publicists craft a pitch letter that reminds the reporter of your previous contact and strongly re-phrases the pitch. Reporters are busy, and chances are, she's already forgotten the previous conversation. You're doing her a huge favor by resetting the story -- and you're taking yet another opportunity to push your chances of getting a hit over the top. Here's an example of a pitch letter that was sent to a radio producer:

April 27, 2004

Dear Joe:

It was good speaking with you on Tuesday. As we briefly discussed, Pictionary inventor Rob Angel has just completed a national promotion in which he asked consumers to send him an artifact associated with the 1980’s. Their reward: a copy of the new version of the classic board game which includes many new “90’s” words and deletes many outdated “80’s” words and phrases.

The response has been tremendous, and now Rob is available to discuss, in a lighthearted way, the “significance” of his findings. The enclosed release will tell you a bit more about the type of 80’s items he received, and about the one item that, based on sheer volume, simply must be declared “The Ultimate Symbol of the 80’s”.

Rob can also discuss his remarkable experiences in creating Pictionary. As you may or may not be aware, he was a struggling 24 year old waiter when he first came up with the idea for the game and began selling it out of his trunk. Today, Pictionary is one of America’s all-time favorite games.

I’m certain your listeners will thoroughly enjoy Rob. He’s funny, quick and an experienced interview subject.

I’ll be in touch again soon to discuss a possible interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Bill Stoller

Oh yeah, we used another trick of the trade in that letter. Did you catch it?

We made a big deal about the one item that was the Ultimate Symbol of the 80's...but we didn't tell what it was in the letter. For that, the producer had to read the enclosed press release! Pretty sneaky, eh? (By the way, it was, of course, the once-ubiquitous Yellow Power Tie.)

Pitch letters are wonderful and often underused tools. Just keep them short, get to the point, try to show how your story can appeal to a wide audience and, where appropriate, have a little fun, and you'll be pitching like a pro!

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

by Allen Ward

[Editor’s Note: This is an insider’s view about a method that your chapter, as a non-profit group, can use to get FREE radio publicity]

I can assure you that PSAs are a long standing tradition in radio. The Determining Factor as to how much a particular PSA is to be aired is how WELL it is written (readability, length, etc.) Substance comes second.

Another factor is station prejudice about the nature of the organization. As long as we physically and verbally present ourselves in a positive light, this prejudice should work in our favor. Most of the people I know in media, management included, are very much in favor of the exploration of space.

How to write a PSA? First of all, have everything completed at least 2 weeks beforehand. Stations need LEAD TIME.

Now here’s your formula:

The local chapter of the National Space Society (NSS) is having a meeting on (date). Speaker/presentation will be (name). The meeting will be held at (address) and LOCATION (Example: corner of Springfield and Sproul Road).

I cannot emphasize location enough! Then tag it, twice if possible, with a phone number for further information. Make sure it’s a phone that is going to be covered day and night by an informed person.

Your PSAs should be timed out to 10 and 30 seconds, no longer. Test how it will sound by reading it out loud. Type it in capital letters and triple spaced. It’s little things like this that help get on the air. You might then type it out on a small index card, also. You can mail these (make sure you have everyone’s correct, up-to-date address, you can call to ask), or you can deliver them to the station in person.

Personally, I recommend hand delivery. Look and act your best, even if the front office secretary isn’t very receptive. People make judgments on clothing, so look sharp. Ask that the written materials be forwarded to the person in charge of PSAs. Ask for both the news director and public affairs director. Chances are, one or both might talk to you right then. If not, arrange an exchange of phone numbers and names. Something should come of it.

Remember that mass communication is not so much a magnifying glass as a massive prism, multiplying an act of communication hundreds of thousands of times. In closing, I must stress that your publicity campaign must be done right or not at all.

News Releases

How are you going to grab the attention of the media? One way is the news release.

The ABCs of news releases are:

a) Identify your group in the upper left-hand corner or use your letterhead.

b) In the upper right corner give the date, with the time at which the news is to be released below it. (Most press releases say “For Immediate Release”.)

c) Use wide margins and double spacing.

d) Include all the facts and be accurate. Check and double check times, dates and the spelling of names. Be brief: if you can’t fit all the material on one page it’s probably too long.

e) At the end, give a Contact: name and number where more information can be obtained. Make certain that phone is covered at all times.

f) Timing is important. Learn when the deadlines for your local media are and get the news releases to them well in advance. For best results, deliver them in person. Appearances count: look sharp, and be extra polite. Learn the names of all the people who handle your news and address news releases to them personally, or ask for them when you hand deliver it.

g) When you do get coverage, always thank the reporters responsible, even if you feel they did a poor job. Remember, no matter how bad the publicity is, they can always do worse. Fortunately, nearly all reporters seem to be biased in favor of our work.

How to Write a Killer News Release That Stops Reporters in Their Tracks

How To Seduce The Media

You've heard of teasing the media with a clever subject line on an email pitch, or an enticing story idea.

Joan Stewart and publicity expert Paul Hartunian suggest you not only tease, but seduce them.

Here's how Paul does it. He wrote the book "How to Find the Love of Your Life in 90 Days or Less." The news release he wrote included several bullet points about what's in the book. One bullet point read, "The worst place to go on a first date -- go here and you'll probably never get a second date."

So what do you think the reporter is saying to himself while he's reading the news release? He's saying, "Where the heck is the place? Aren't you going to tell me? Am I supposed to guess? Do you want me to risk taking a woman to this place on the first date and making a mess of everything? For crying out loud, do I have to pick up the phone and call you to find out???"

Seconds later, the reporter is dialing Paul's number.

Bingo. He forced the reporter to call.

You can too. When writing news releases, don't try to tell the entire story. Hold something back for later, something that will seduce them into picking up the phone.

Interviews

If your chapter is unique in your area, it is likely that sooner or later a reporter will call you for an interview, sometimes immediately after getting your press release, sometimes much later if they filed information about your chapter in their “tickler file.” It could be a reporter from a newspaper, radio or TV station or a free-lance (self-employed) writer.

Your chapter may be the only subject, or they may be looking for additional information for an article or report. In that case you may only be mentioned or quoted briefly. However, you have the opportunity to make and educate a media contact. You can ask to be on a talk show. Contact the show’s producer, not the host. Tell them what topic(s) you can discuss, and send some information about NSS, your chapter and your spokesperson. Allow enough lead time if you hope to publicize a specific event. Take the kind of media into account when making your plans: try to pick people with pleasant, easy-to-understand voices for radio, and consider their appearance and manner for TV.

Remember that print reporters will also be influenced by appearance, and they are very likely to include a description what you look like in an article (how “normal” you do -- or don’t -- look!), or bring a photographer. A male-female team is usually best, if you have one. Their voices will contrast nicely on radio and TV and it makes a clear statement that space is of interest to women as well as men.

When the reporter comes to you, consider the location. If part of your spokesperson’s message is their professional or scientific credentials, a business, office or laboratory is a good choice. If you are stressing that you are a grass-roots, community group, having coffee and brownies around the table may set the mood. If you are publicizing an event or activity at a school or museum, meet there. Like your appearance, your surroundings are likely to be described in an article.

A reporter may bring a photographer, or arrange for one later. Try to find an interesting location and subject for them. Avoid having too many people standing woodenly in front of a cluttered background. A chapter member launching a model rocket with kids is good.

Always think “visually.” Three-dimensional models make better props than do pictures. Think black and white and simple for newspapers; color and motion and maybe sound for TV. Large crowds of people who seem to be enjoying themselves are great. You can offer your own black and white pictures, especially to smaller papers. They could be photos of last years event, stock photos of an officer or award recipient or a pre-staging of an event, for example, a few of your members and their children looking at an exhibit or holding a Space Shuttle model.

Being interviewed can be an unnerving experience. Don’t be surprised if the reporter sets a tape recorder in front of you. It can also be frustrating. You may talk for an hour or more, especially since most reporters have general interest in space, even if they know little about it. However, only a small part of what you say will ever reach the public. How can you improve the odds that it will be something you want them to know?

Face the fact that you can not begin to cover the entire field of space development. You may even hopelessly bog down an inexperienced writer with an information overload (especially college reporters). Give the reporter a chapter newsletter, an Ad Astra and brochure, or some background sheets about NSS, your chapter and space development. If you have enough time, send them before the interview. Then decide exactly what points you want to make. If you want to get people to attend a program or take a class, don’t spend most of the time talking about asteroid resources. It doesn’t hurt to have a few quotable comments ready, for example, “the space station will not only be a money-maker and a jobs-maker, but an Industry Maker” or phrases like “hopeful future”. Also be prepared for stock questions: how or when did you get interested in space, would you like to go?

Most reporters become genuinely interested in the subject as you talk, but you may run into one who wants to portray you as a “crazy”. A radio host may keep trying to steer the discussion to UFOs and Space Aliens for example (Call-in shows can be especially unpredictable). The best you can do is to say that NSS is not interested in them and return to your subject.

If you are pressed to state your personal position about a controversial topic, like Ballistic Missile Defense, you can point out that on this and many other important space issues, there is great diversity of opinion within NSS, that we have taken no official stand on it and act as a very useful forum about it. If you do state an opinion, make it clear that it is a personal opinion and not that of your chapter or NSS. The message you want to get across to the audience is that there are many important space issues that will affect them personally, and they should take an interest in them.

Letters to the Editor

This is a good PR project for the entire membership. Therefore, keep your eyes open for opportunities to comment on articles and editorials about space issues that appear in your national, regional and local newspapers.

Be sure to write when something wrong or misleading is printed, but you do not always have to be negative. You can compliment a paper on its coverage of space news. Or you can do both: ( “That was an informative article about the space station, but it gave the misleading impression that next year’s funding was assured. In reality, . . .etc.” ) Keep it short and to the point, and they will be less likely to cut it down. Send your letter as quickly as possible. The more people who write, the better.

A letter to the editor can be an effective way for individuals and/or organizations to deliver important information to the public. The "letters" section in newspapers, and radio and television stations that have a listener/viewer feed-back system, exist to provide a forum for public comment or debate. The "letters" section is also widely read.

Whether you are writing a letter to respond to "bad press" or to reinforce "good press", there are a number of important points to keep in mind. The following guidelines have been developed to help in writing effective letters to the editor. THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PUTTING PEN TO PAPER:

The Purpose of a Letter to the Editor is:

to correct or clarify information or perceptions; to provide additional information; to express an opinion or point of view, and; to introduce or reinforce a message.

When Should You Write a Letter?

A letter to the editor is generally written in response to a specific news story, editorial or letter. Publications also allow for general letters of comment on timely issues or events not reported by the publication. It is always appropriate to compliment the media when they provide balanced and accurate coverage of an issue.

A letter to the editor is only one of several ways to respond to or address media reports and issues we know and care about. Other options include contacting the journalist directly, submitting a professionally written opinion piece/editorial, or, in the case of an ongoing concern, requesting a meeting with the editor or editorial board.

Some Key points to remember:

HOW TO BEGIN

Become familiar with various publications, since each one will differ in their policies on letters. Spend a few days carefully reading the "letters" section in your newspaper(s). What sort of letters get printed? Do they have to be very short? (Most are typically 250 words or less). Should the tone be "conservative", or does the editor prefer a "bite." Does the publication prefer to run letters from local individuals or organizations? Does the publication reserve the right to edit letters? Most publications outline their specific policies in the letters section or on their mastheads.

Begin by collecting your thoughts on paper. What are the main points you want to make? Keep them to three or less. List them by priority and use this as an "outline." Remember you do not have to answer every error in the story or letter, only the most significant ones. Often it is better to use one or two errors or perceptions as examples to make your point.

Decide on the "approach" of your letter. What is the best way to make your point? Should it be forceful or gentle? Can criticisms be delivered in a helpful way? Can you raise questions or options for the reader to consider? Should it be serious or could you use a catchy phrase or thoughtful wit? Would relaying personal experience or expertise strengthen your message?

Always approach your subject with an intelligent argument. Do not just voice your sentiments. Avoid whining or complaining.

Address the message or perception -- not the details. Avoid setting yourself up for rebuttal letters by making absolute statement, or by using facts and figures that can be disputed.

Your letter should stand on its own. Your readers may not have seen the original report. Once the letter is written, read it over. Are your ideas clear? Is there repetition? Can the letter be simplified? (Even professional writers revise their work several times). Get a second opinion from someone you trust, preferably who didn’t see the original item you are writing about.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING PUBLISHED

FORMAT

Community Involvement

Sometimes even a well-established, active chapter can be dismayed to discover that their existence is a surprise to many in their community. Community involvement projects are one way to increase the visibility of your chapter. They can be relatively easy if you pick things that your members are doing or want to do anyway.

Are any former Scouts or families currently involved in Scouting? Organize them, pick a project and make sure that your chapter gets credit at the event and in the district publication.

Does your local Public Broadcasting have regular fund-raisers? You can take a group to answer phones or work at an auction. Too few members? Organize some teens or others under your leadership.

Don’t forget to blow your own horn! Usually groups over a certain size will be mentioned on the air or in the monthly program guides. They may display a chapter sign or banner if you bring a group.

Handling the Big Event

by Ken Poe

Once in a while you will have the opportunity to make use of a Big Event, as was the case with President Bush’s expected space exploration announcement. When you know of such a news story in advance, make sure the media knows that you know IN ADVANCE.

Preorganization is a must. Line up local speakers who you can then “market” to local media for a local perspective on the news. If NSS members are the best qualified people on space, which they often are, market them!

Have as many press releases, letters to the editor, TV editorials, etc. prewritten as possible. Preferably, have them on word processors for last-minute changes. Pounce on any misleading or negative news stories, etc. Use them to get your foot in the door to get your side to the public.

Publicity on the Job

by Ken Poe

This writer continually spreads the word on how simple it is to obtain publicity. It seems that these lectures are not often believed, so perhaps an example will serve better: I spent less than one-half hour gathering a small packet of NSS materials and writing a short explanatory note, which I then sent off to the editor of my employer’s in-house magazine.

Less than two weeks later I received a call from the editor which turned into an hour-long interview. As a result, the June “Kemper Insurance Magazine” should include a two-thirds to full-page NSS article to a captive audience of more than 8500. This idea was suggested by member Bill Nay, who is currently in the process of using the same method to start a chapter at Lawrence Livermore Lab.

Many organizations have in-house newsletters or magazines featuring “Profiles”. Employers, unions, churches and any other organization that might even remotely consider publishing such materials should be a prime target for all chapters and active members. If they are not interested in interviewing you, then suggest someone else in NSS, either with or without name recognition value.

Bootstrapping Public Relations

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following advice is taken from Mary Mason’s Spacepac report in the September, 1982, L5 News. While directed at political action, it is relevant to general chapter publicity as well.]

When you are campaigning, your goal is to reach as many people as you can. You can do this either by gathering people into one place and then delivering your message, or you can go to where the people are gathered and try to reach them then and there. Suppose we know there are going to be 5,500 or half a million people gathered in one place; what can we do that is politically effective, inexpensive and good for our image?

For occasions like the Space Shuttle landings there is limited vehicular access, tightly controlled with checkpoints. There’s time to get to people in their cars, which is not as dangerous as it sounds. If you get permission, you can leaflet through windows, working 3 or 4 cars before the checkpoint. These should be very specially designed leaflets with survival information and propaganda.

In the case of a Shuttle landing, it is a sheet on one side of which is a map showing: you came in here, parking lots are going to be there, food booths are going to be here, ice is available there, etc. It also contains information about how we can promote the space program. At some time during the event, people are going to turn the page over. This gets your propaganda out on a piece of paper that usually will be saved from the trash can long enough to be read. (Editor’s note: If the event’s organizers can’t give you the necessary information until the last minute, you may have to get the space information printed or otherwise reproduced on one side of the leaflets ahead of time, then run off the other side just before the event.)

One of the most effective bits of propaganda available is the bread-and-butter issue: What jobs in your area are due to the space program? In Houston and on the Cape this may be obvious, but in Kansas it may need more research and explanation. Check if you have medical equipment, ceramics, modem lubricants and plastics, or optics manufactured in your area. If so, chances are their chief products are spin-offs of the space program. Find out if this is so, and what their monthly payroll is.

When leaflets are prepared, put a figure at the top in bold type (e.g., $200,000 per month from Space Program for Lower East Flatbush, Kansas). Then explain that, were it not for the technology developed by the Space program, this money would not be coming into the local economy.

Misrepresentation

Be especially careful to avoid misrepresenting yourself to the media. You may tell a reporter that you are the president of your local chapter, but he may think you mean the president of NSS.

Never underestimate a person’s ability to get confused, even professionals.

Make it clear that your chapter is just one of many within the National Space Society and that you are representing your chapter (or yourself), not the entire National Space Society (unless you are authorized by the NSS Board of Directors to do so).

Look out for members who tend to exaggerate their importance. They may damage your chapter’s reputation. Even if the attempt is transparent and absurd, your group’s image can suffer by association.

Practical Publicity

[EDITOR’S NOTE: A book review by CHRISTINE PETERSON, of Practical Publicity by David Tedone, Harvard Conunon Press, 1983, 179 pp., $8.95]

Subtitled “How to Boost Any Cause”, this paperback is written for small, non-profit, local organizations attempting to bring their message to the public: that is, for groups like National Space Society chapters.

The book assumes that the reader is a part-time, volunteer publicist working for a worthy cause, someone needing a simple, straightforward manual on effective publicity. It focuses on gradually building a solid, well-organized program ON A LIMITED BUDGET.

First, Tedone discusses long-range strategy, an aspect of publicity often ignored by small groups. He attempts to give a complete system for developing and maintaining a practical campaign, and to a great extent he succeeds. Speakers bureaus, seminars, films, conferences, media interviews, public service announcements (PSAs), press releases, newsletters, publicity networks, mailing lists, displays, slide shows, media Handbooks, brochures, posters, speeches, editorials and letters to the editor--all are among the topics covered.

Many are considered in detail, with suggestions on cost-cutting measures. Detailed discussions cover dealing with the press, radio and TV, including interviews, as well as putting out press releases, designing letterhead and building displays.

In a sense, the book’s title is misleading -- it actually describes far more than what most of us think of as “publicity”. Rather, it attempts to sketch out much of “public education” as well.

Reading this brought bittersweet memories of semi-successful chapter events, and thoughts of “If only we’d known this back then!” If I could put only one book in the hands of each chapter right now, it would be this one. Chapter members should go to their local library or bookstore and get a copy.

Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing A Plan That Works

Why You Need A Crisis Communications Plan

Whether big or small, no organization or NSS chapter should be without a crisis communications plan. Crises happen all of the time: it could be a fire, it could be a robbery, it could be a high-profile sexual harassment case, or it could be a major safety issue with one of your products. Whatever it is, it’s highly likely that some kind of crisis is going to hit your company sometime in the next couple of years.

There are many aspects to being prepared for a crisis, many of which, frankly, are not worth preparing for in advance, either because of their low probability of occurrence (alien abduction of your entire management team), or the fact that many crises require more real-time attention that a crisis plan simply can’t prepare for in advance.

But almost all crises have a consistent element, which you can, and we believe, must plan for in advance – how your company will communicate with the media during and after the crisis.

Why? Because how well your company manages the media during a crisis could determine your whether your company gets hurt, or even sometimes, grows as a result. Many companies who do not handle these issues suffer the ultimate fate – the death or reorganization of the company.

Think about the rash of recent corporate scandals – Worldcom, Enron, Martha Stewart… and how those company’s bottom lines have been affected.

And while you’re at it, think of the ultimate example of excellent crisis management – the original poisoned Tylenol case, where J&J came out more strongly positioned with the public than they were before the crisis happened.

Another great example of how excellent crisis management can build, rather than destroy is the success that former New York Mayor Rudi Giulaini has enjoyed since his excellent handling of the press (and many other factors) during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Much of this success came as a result of their relationships with the press during the disaster.

The Two Elements Of A Crisis Plan

There are two key elements of any crisis plan:

1. The crisis plan itself (how your company will deal with the issue at hand, to minimize loss and downtime.)

2. The crisis communications plan (how you will communicate with the press and the public about the crisis that is occurring.)

Many companies prepare one without the other. Unfortunately, both are vitally important. Keep in mind that most company crises never get reported in the press. Sometimes that happens because the story was not newsworthy, but oftentimes is happens because the company handled the situation skillfully enough that it never became visible to the press.

Other times, a crisis may be significant enough that it is both newsworthy and gets attention in the press. But that attention either lasts for a very short period of time, or it is so well handled that the company grows as people see how well they handled the crisis.

A key element in making sure that this happens is the development of a crisis communication plan in your organization.

Even if you don’t elect to create a crisis plan (not recommended, but most companies don’t have one), it is vitally important that you put together a plan to effectively communicate with the press and the public when the inevitable crisis occurs.

In other words, an effective crisis communications plan may be the most important part of your crisis planning process.

This report is designed to help you create a plan that works.

Here is a list of crises that could happen that could be a viable part of a crisis plan:

last edited 2005-10-09 15:45:15 by ArthurSmith