When you are trying to pitch your research, the media wants to know just one thing: Is it newsworthy? Of course it is, you just have to know how to get your story out.

And it is all about time. In the broadcast medium, a typical 30-minute news cast – minus weather, sports and commercials – is 12 to 16 minutes of news. The stories given the most weight are narrated by a reporter and include sound bites or comments from the newsmaker. The average sound bite runs 10 seconds, the typical story a minute and a half. That’s not much time to sums things up. Other stories read by anchors run about 15 seconds. Many factors contribute to whether a story will air, including the day, time of year, what else is happening in the world and whether there is a specific national or international tie in to the story.

Generally, the following criteria factor into what makes the NEWS:

Proximity – Is it local? Television needs sound and pictures. Travel time is a big consideration.

Prominence – Does the story involve a well-known person, place or organization?

Timeliness – Is it happening now? Is it new? Yesterday’s news is not worth repeating unless it can muster a second day story lead.

Impact – How does the story affect the local community, the world?

Conflict and controversy – Are there at lease two opposing sides? Is there an element of suspense?

Human interest – It may not be the biggest story but perhaps it is the most unusual.

 

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The Media Interview

A typical interview runs through 10 stages:

 1.      Define the purpose of the interview.
 2.      Conduct background research.
 3.      Request an interview appointment.
 4.      Plan the interview.
 5.      Meet the reporter; break the ice.
 6.      Ask your first questions about interview.
 7.      Establish an easy rapport.
 8.      Be prepared for potentially sensitive questions.
 9.      Recover from the sensitive question.
10.     Politely end the interview.

Tips for the Interview

Learn to be a good listener:

1. Get ready to listen – words like home, mother or patriotism contain a certain amount of emotional content.
2. Avoid prejudicing people.
3. Listen for major points.
4. Listen to supporting evidence.
5. Evaluate what is being asked.
6. Listen for what is not said or asked.
7. Offer encouragement or direction.
8. Show that you are listening.
9. Be observant.
10. Do not  use your cell phone during an interview.

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The Art of the Interview

Use silence: Frequently reporters will first ask a direct question and then begin a waiting game of silence. The reporter is waiting for the respondent to put his or her answer into language the reporter can understand and ultimately use in print or for broadcast.

Think about the purpose of the interview: If the reporter is trying to gather facts, he or she will use objective questions. If the reporter is trying to elicit quotes, soundbites or opinions, then subjective questions usually work best.

Focus on one issue at a time:  If the reporter asks two questions, always choose to answer the easier question and avoid the hard question.

Open-ended questions: Open-ended questions can’t be answered with a “yes’’ or a “no.’’ Questions that stop interviews and conversations include “Do you deny…’’ and “Will you…’’

Keep answers short: Short answers produce focused responses. Long, rambling answers produce confusing replies.

Be naïve: A great interview response is, “No, really?’’ when someone tells you something surprising. It leads the reporter to tell you more about the interview and its ultimate direction.

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The Effective Letter to the Editor

The most read part of any newspaper is the letters to the editor page. A letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper can quickly educate people in your community and region about a particular issue. Please review these guidelines and then e-mail your letter to your local or regional paper.

Focus on a single topic: Most newspapers will not run letters to the editor that are longer than 200 or 250 words. That isn’t much space: only four to six paragraphs each approximately two sentences in length. State your position clearly. Give a short but informative background before tackling your main issue. And don’t get personal. It’s fine to express outrage but keep your letter focused on specific policies.

Build your lead. Start your letter with what journalists call a lead. This first sentence always contains elements of the who, what, when, where and why formula.

Find a local angle. Your letter will have better acceptance if it explains a local connection.

Submitting your letter. Most newspapers and magazines have guidelines for letter submission. Some require a typed letter, but many now prefer that you send it via email. Don’t shotgun your letter to different papers. Newspapers compete with one another and they hate to see the same letters turn up on the pages of their cross-town rivals.

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