|
|
|
Credit union trade press contacts - NEW Public Advocacy Materials - NEW History of Credit Unions - NEW Contacting the media - who and how Media Kit/Press Packet: Making an Impact Graphic file types - What are they? - NEW How to explain the credit union difference Robbery Prevention & Preparation - NEW Rules when speaking to the media Television interview checklist What to do when a reporter calls When trying to get media coverage
|
Tactics of the media |
|
|
Many reporters see interviews as verbal sparring matches. It's not that they’re evil or want to do you harm, but because reporters see their jobs as getting people to tell the truth and/or defend the position they’re advocating. And that often means getting people to say things they won’t volunteer on their own. If you’re not anxious to share information, reporters will generally take that as a challenge to get you to “spill the beans.” If you’re advocating a position, reporters will counter with questions posing another point of view to see if you can defend your position.
So beware of the following media tactics The Contrarian’s View – No matter what you say or do, the reporter asks why you didn’t do it another way. If you go left, the question is why didn’t you go right. If you go right, why didn’t you go left. Contrarian’s questions often sound hostile and people make the mistake of believing the reporter didn’t hear the message or heard it and disagrees. You feel pressure to change what you’re saying or to justify it by adding a lot of details you haven’t thought out adequately, opening doors that help reporters rummage around in areas best left alone. If a reporter takes the Contrarian’s view, they almost certainly have heard your message and thought about it enough to come up with an alternative. They’re simply asking you to defend your assertions by posing another side. What should you do? Stick to your message. Respond, if necessary, to legitimate concerns or objections. But don’t get into a debate over small details. Keep the discussion focused on the impact of what you’re saying. And keep saying it.
The Double Bind – The reporter poses an “either-or” question, with two negative alternatives: “Was it incompetence or stupidity?” What should you do? Don’t accept the box the reporter built for you. Answer the question with your alternative: “Neither. It was a case of good people making difficult choices under trying circumstances.”
Remember, you are in charge of what you say. |
|
The Ohio Credit Union League is a state trade
association whose mission is to foster
e-mail the Ohio Credit
Union System |
