Tips on Dealing with the Media
Some of your campaign spokespeople may be old pros at dealing with reporters, others may be less experienced. Here are some basic principles of dealing with the news media.
Stay on message.
Always know what you're going to say before talking to a reporter. This means knowing your campaign's messages and practicing them until you can say them easily and naturally. You should be comfortable with repeating the campaign's main messages.
If a reporter asks you a question that seems off-topic, or wants you to comment on something you're not ready to talk about, you don't have to answer their question directly. You can deflect it and get back to one of the main messages you want to get out. For example:
Question: Do you think some politicians have deliberately tried to undercount African Americans to reduce their political power?
Answer: I think there have been a lot of reasons and excuses for undercounts in the past. We're focused on making sure that there's no undercount in 2010. We're going to hold public officials responsible for doing their jobs, and together we're taking responsibility for getting the count right here in City. We want everyone to make themselves count.
Keep your sentences short and direct and stop when you've said what you want to say. Some reporters use silence to get you to ramble. Don't be afraid to stop and wait for them to ask the next question.
Reporters will often end an interview with a sort of wrap-up question such as, "Do you have anything else to say?" Don't ever pass up the chance to repeat your basic message as you'd like it to be used.
Always tell the truth. Never fake it.
If you give false information to a reporter, you and your campaign will have a hard time regaining your credibility.
If you're asked about anything that you don't know the answer to, don't make it up. Just say, "I'm not sure about that detail, but I'll find out and get back to you." And then be sure to follow up.
Help reporters do their jobs.
It's a tough time to be a journalist. The news industry is going through its own economic meltdown, and fewer reporters are being asked to do more work. Your goal is to establish a relationship that gets reporters to start thinking of you as a resource who can help them get their job done. You should:
- Provide them with useful information or help them find it;
- Return their phone calls or emails quickly;
- Find out what their deadlines are and do everything you can to meet them;
- Learn what kind of stories they write or produce, figure out angles that will work for them, pitch them on the idea, and put them in touch with people they need to talk to.
Be friendly, but be careful about being a reporter's friend.
You should assume that anything you say to a reporter could end up in print or on the air. Be careful about a reporter asking casual, "What do you really think?" kinds of questions after a formal interview seems over. You don't want to create an "interesting" story that would distract from your main message.
The same goes for communicating by email. Don't be lulled by informal communication and write something you'd be unhappy to see in a column or blog post.
If a reporter asks for information "on background" or "off the record" be sure you know exactly what he or she means by those ground rules. Background generally means the reporter can use the information without attributing it to you. Off the record means that you're giving information that can't be used in a story.
Most of the time, you should stay on record with a reporter. One exception might be to ask to speak on background if you want to be able to have a conversation and talk freely without making sure every sentence is put together well. You could suggest that the conversation be on background, and that at the end of the conversation you can give on the record quotes in answer to any particular question.
