How to package your messages and improve media visibility

MEDIA, ADVOCACYAND COMMUNICATIONS

In April 2014 SEE Change Net organized a media/advocacy/communication workshop for members of CSOs who are a part of SEE SEP (South East Europe Sustainable Energy Policy) network.

CSOs have developed the art of protest communication, aimed mainly at institutions, using conventional media sources and standard website posting.

However, in terms of the aim to “go beyond protest” and present “fact based policy alternatives”, CSOs find this approach new and challenging, both in terms of their approach to conventional media, and other utilization and lack of understanding of the impact of new forms of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

The SEE SEP network engages with policy makers at all levels in its work, and simultaneously reaches out to media.

To maximize the success of our advocacy activities, we need to create messages which can be digestible for ordinary consumers and relate to quite complex and abstract issues – implementation of new energy policies, climate change, divesting from coal…

Because of that, an advanced media/advocacy/communication workshop was designed to empower the already established CSO leaders in the art of how to think about becoming persuaders rather then objectors.

This was achieved through a 3-day set of learning activities led by media and communication experts.

The workshop gathered 18 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Poland, with lecturers from Great Britain, Montenegro and Albania who provided useful knowledge and insight on the way the media works and how CSOs can improve their media presence and relations with media professionals.

The overall goal was to strengthen and protect freedom of information and encourage professional media rep orting on energy and environmental issues and rights through an improved CSO and media dialogue and cooperation.

In other words, we learned how to give the media what they need in order to improve the media visibility for our campaigns and messages.

THIS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH 2 THINGS:

1. Understanding how media works and learning

how to apply that in advocacy strategies; How the

stories get “picked up”, who chooses or decides which

stories get att ention, how do the “insiders” provide

information to the media, how to pitch stories, etc.

2. Learning how to make messages newsworthy,

and “package” them into att ractive, digestible,

understandable and creative forms; Transform

messages that are mostly unatt ractive, but still

important, into interesting and informative,

arresting content that everyone will want to know

about.

The training covered interviews, press releases

and pitching (“I’ve got a story for you”), related to

two messages connected directly with campaign

activities.

Message 1: Links between corruption, energy and

fi nance in the energy sector in South East Europe

Message 2: High Level Conference on energy

policies in South East Europe

Participants also took part in short interviews –

2 minutes Q&A, and in a panel discussion with fi ve

people, which included role playing as on live TV

shows – 2 campaigners, 1 community activist, 1

member of government and 1 businessman.

On the last day, all videos were reviewed and honestly

criticized.

At the end, you will fi nd a cheat sheet which you can

print and use, as well as a small card with reminders

you can bring with you and remind yourself what

is most important before, during and aft er your

interviews and media appearances.

We hope the diff erent strategies and advices

given in this manual will be of benefi t to

you, your organizations and your advocacy

campaigns and wish you the best of luck in

trying them out in the future!

NO

TC

UD

Lead Facilitator:

GEORGE MARSHALL,

Director of Projects, Climate Outreach

Information Network,

United Kingdom

Lecturers:

MIHAILO JOVOVIĆ, Editor-in-Chief

of daily Montenegro newspaper Vijesti

BESAR LIKMETA, editor and media

trainer for Balkan Investigative

Reporting Network (BIRN) in Albania

SANKHA GUHA, journalist and TV

presenter from United Kingdom

Media, advocacy and communication workshop for CSO members of SEE SEP network, April 2014.

“IF WE DON’T FIND A MESSAGE THAT THE MEDIA CAN USE, WE ARE ALREADY DEAD”

GEORGE MARSHALL, COIN

Why do the campaigners fail to get their messages into the media?

What can we do to have a stronger voice?

Communication should be built around something that brings people together!

What do you need help with? What do you do well? What to do you do poorly? What needs to change?

“Renewable energy can bring people together as a nation” “Pollution doesn’t recognize borders”

Main questions to pay attention to when the message fails to get across are:

FOR EXAMPLE:

We don’t have time to change values, but we have time to change what people can do with their values.

WHAT/WHO MAKES THE CHANGE?WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

THINK ABOUT

BUT Keep it technical just

enough for credibility.

Maintain a message

regarding technical details

and policy details.

Expose things and

challenge them.

If you’re working with

specialized media, provide

them with technical details

if needed.

DON’T THINK IN THIS WAY

This is not a message for conservative Christians

This is not a message for people without university education

AUDIENCE Who are you talking to?

MESSAGE What do you say to them?

MESSENGER Who is saying it?

MEDIUM How is it said?

ACTION What do you want them to do?

Communicating climate change / coal / sustainable energy policies

IS NOT like selling a product. We can’t aff ord to alienate anyone.

Content provided by presentation of George Marshall (Climate Outreach Information Network), presented at Media, advocacy and communication workshop for CSO members of SEE SEP network

THE MESSAGEThe message should contain: Values, Rewards, Threats, Positive Story

ValuesValues are the most important part of the message – does it speak to the

values of the people we are speaking to? If you speak strongly to one side,

you undermine the other. Values present an answer to the question what

makes you proud of who you are.

When creating a message, think: Is it a message that causes problems with one of the groups I want to talk with?

USE TESTING, AND FIND OUT: what people care about

what people think of us

what messages will work with them

which messages will alienate them

AUDIENCE AND VALUES

EXAMPLE Campaigns for coal

frequently don’t include

coal miners, or are missing

the image or presence of

people who are actually

doing the work. This

refl ects the absence of

communication that

refl ects our values.

Who are you speaking to?A clearly defi ned audience generates an eff ective narrative.

Every group has its own values and identity markers. These are

expressed in the narratives and the words or images they use.

To be eff ective we need to understand the values, narratives and

words of our audiences and speak to them.

STRONG COMMUNICATIONS speak to

people’s values, with the primary reward

being validating and reinforcing people’s

identity and sense of belonging.

WEAK COMMUNICATIONS do not speak to people’s

values – and if they do, they speak mostly to left

wing/green/campaigner values – not those of the

people we are talking to most of the time.

Do your communications consider their impact on all these audiences? Or do they just look at one audience and ignore the rest?

POLICY: responsibility,

rules, reliability

ACTIVIST: empathy,

wellbeing of the

environment, will

for change

BUSINESS: ambition,

profi t, reputation

TRADITIONALIST:

religion, tradition,

moral values

WORKER: family,

responsibility, hard work,

community

How do you fi nd out? TEST IT!

When you meet people, talk to

them and ask about their past

and what they care about. Testing

messages is critical and it alerts us

to potential disasters.

THE ACTION

THE MEDIUM

THE MESSENGER

PEER NETWORKS CAN BE:

• political parties

• trade unions

• religious communities

• activist groups

• women’s groups

• schools

• sport groups

… and many others

People’s views are formed by the people they know and trust – their peers.

Who do you trust?

EXAMPLE – REPORT Is a report the

best medium?

Will anyone read

it?

What is it hoping

to achieve?

Could this be

done a diff erent

way?

And fi nally, depending on your message:

What are you asking these people to do?

RewardThis is who YOU are. Other people like YOU agree with this. When you do this you become MORE part of your group.

Belonging is the primary reward – to belong bett er to the group and to the values of the group, to validate and reinforce people’s identity.

A powerful story has a beginning and an end, a struggle and heroes.Positive story

To get into a serious conversation with people, be careful to use language which builds

bridges. Don’t play into an enemy role. Rather then saying STOP THIS!, say Do this!

The typical storyline:

A terrifying future is coming. Whatever we do will

be a disaster. You must immediately give things up

to prevent it from being even worse. And even then

it may be too late.

A diff erent version

Big changes are already happening. We are resilient,

creative and proud of who we are. We can work together

to prepare and protect ourselves. When we do, we can

make the future cleaner, fairer and happier.

• Violence• Familiar enemy• Intention to harm• Threat to values, security,

loved ones / community…

EXAMPLE – THREATS REGARDING COAL INDUSTRY: Here, now Visible Enemy Harm to people we care about

The only people who are motivated by facts and fi gures are the people who understand them. That is why you use a diff erent language when you speak to

policy makers then the one you use when you speak to ordinary

people.

MANY PEOPLE DISTRUST ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS. You should be careful with words that are

identity markers for environmentalists:

green eco save stop defend protect

STORIES VS. DATA People are motivated by

socially held stories, not by

data.

People are motivated by how

things feel, not by how they

are.

People are motivated by what

people they know say, not by

the objective scientifi c truth.

Threats

Does your communications strategy decide on the best medium for your audience? Or does your medium determine the audience and lead the strategy? Examine the possibilities!

Mediums for channeling messages can be diff erent: radio, TV, internet, newspapers, reports, word of mouth, presentations…

HOW TO WIN JOURNALISTS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLEGet to know and analyze your media to fi nd allies on all sides.GET TO KNOW JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS

Journalists are brave, dedicated, workaholics,

curious, interested, but can also be

lazy, underpaid, underrated, overworked,

disinterested.

Pay att ention to their vanity.

Get to know the editors of the newspaper

sections you want your news to be

published in.

BUILD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS – BUT NOT TOO PERSONAL!

Approach and get to know journalists/editors

who are writing about your topics.

Call them on the phone and off er stories.

Let them know what is going on/share

information on anything that might be of

interest to them: facts, events, rumors...

Keep promises, don’t lie and you will establish

mutual trust.

Keep in touch! Invite them for a coff ee/

lunch, even when you don’t have something

important to say.

Listen to them.

If you had coff ee with a journalist/editor, don’t

expect to have your press release published

just because of that.

KNOW YOUR MESSAGE! Write it as if your grandmother needs to

understand it: short, simple and interesting.

There should always be a ‘hook’ in your story,

something people will read fi rst that will make

them read the rest.

Think about how it aff ects an ordinary citizen/

group/company.

Give concrete examples/people or help the

journalists fi nd them.

Use facts and diff erent angles.

PRE-PACKAGE YOUR MESSAGE! Make your own photos/video/infographics for

TV, print and digital media.

You should know your strategy, tacticts and

timing. Start planning your campaigns right

now!

Decide what and when to off er to whom.

MIHAILO JOVOVIĆ

PUBLISHING/BROADCASTING/POSTING YOUR MESSAGE

Tailor your package to the type of media/

individual outlets/platforms.

Inform journalists/editors in person well in

advance about what’s going on and what you’re

planning to do. Explain the whole picture, then

feed them on litt le bits of it.

Talk to journalists/editors on the record, about

the background of your message, to explain

what’s behind it, but also off the record, since

you have the best knowledge of the topic.

Most journalists are lazy. You should really

try to do their work for them. It makes a good

journalist go even further.

Prepare well for interviews and questions from

journalists.

Make experts/documents/facts available.

Carefully negotiate space they will give to your

story, but also agree on the timing.

Make sure your story is going to be published

on the needed day, but be fl exible if something

changes: don’t hold it against them if the story

doesn’t get published because they might not

be the ones to blame.

Balance the exclusivity – make sure you

respect the deal if you promise the story to

someone exclusively.

AFTER PARTY Aft er the story gets published, call them, and

tell them what you honestly think about it.

Give them a 70% positive and 30% negative

critique.

Share your objections.

Remind them what is to follow.

SMALL TRICKS AND NOT TO DO’S Weekends are slow days for the media. If

you want to make sure your message gets

published, do your press conferences on

weekends, but make sure somebody appears.

Read the newspapers and watch TV – you

should know what’s going on in the media if

you want to place your message.

Check if something is happening on the day of

your event. Call the journalists and ask them

what are they doing that day.

Use phrases like: “I think I have a front page

story for you!” or “You know, competition is

running a story on...” to catch their att ention.

“DON’T OFFER THE JOURNALISTS ‘VEGETARIAN’ MATERIAL. THEY WANT ‘MEAT’!”

JOURNALISTS SHAPE THE PUBLIC DEBATE

PRIMARY FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE NEWSWORTHINESS OF A STORY ARE:• Impact

• Timeliness

• Prominence

• Proximity

• The Bizarre

• Confl ict

• Currency

• Human Interest

FRAME YOUR MESSAGE FOR MEDIA ACCESS BY USING:• Confl ict, injustice, controversy

• Broad interest

• Importance or signifi cance

• Timing

• Breakthrough

• Local peg

• Visual aspect

• Irony

• Milestone

FRAME YOUR MESSAGE FOR CONTENT BY:• Translating an individual

problem to a social issue

• Assigning primary

responsibility

• Presenting a solution

• Developing story elements

(images, multimedia, available

sources)

BESAR LIKMETA

WHEN TALKING TO JOURNALISTS, REMEMBER:• A reporter is not your

friend, pal or enemy, but a

professional trying to do

his/her job.

• An interview is not a

conversation.

• Consider everything you

say to be on the record or

don’t say it.

• Know your opposition’s

arguments as well as your

own.

• Never compromise your

credibility.

• Keep your statements

short.

• Stay focused on your

subject.

• Keep stressing the policy

solution.

• Avoid jargon and slang.

• Use relevant facts if you

can.

MULTIMEDIA ACTIVISM• Use social media, like

Facebook, YouTube or

Twitt er.

• Organize activities and

promote your message

through social media.

• Use the real time coverage

possibilities that social

media provides.

• Use social media to bring

down the editorial barrier

and sideline gatekeepers.

“A KILLER QUOTE IS A SENTENCE THAT TELLS

YOU PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.”

Be careful to distinguish between advocacy and public relations.

PUBLIC RELATIONS MEDIA ADVOCACY

PurposeNurture the professional and social environments that support the organization’s mission.

Put pressure on policy makers and reframe public debate.

Focus Promote the organization.Set the agenda and shape the story to include policy solutions in news coverage.

Target Donors, supporters and the public.Policy makers, other advocates, community members.

TactictsDevelop media relationships, generate press releases and fact sheets, get in the news.

News coverage, editorial page access, social media.

Media is important because it sets the agenda – once a good story is recognized, other media tends to follow.

DEBATEE IS A

T TELLS UCH

J

Bear in mind! ✔ All journalists should be taken seriously.

✔ Respect their att ention, because if they

are listening to you, they are choosing to

ignore other people’s messages.

✔ Journalists publish stories. They’re not

just there to publish your words like

machines.

✔ You should be aware of how your message

is going to look in the story. Don’t be

angry at journalists if they change it –

they need to fi lter information and also

produce something readable.

✔ NGOs oft en refrain from saying who is

responsible, because they don’t want

problems with the ones in power. Don’t

refrain from this. Journalists need to

quote somebody to write a story.

✔ Don’t forget the reporter is still there to

protect public interest.

✔ A good reporter will not come to you

unprepared.

✔ If you see something good published in

the media, follow up on it and research it.

✔ Journalists are online all the time and

actively use social networks. If they

have you in their contacts, you can keep

updating them all the time.

SHOW, DON’T TELL!SHOW, DON’T TELL!

SANKHA GUHA

PITCHING STORIES FOR TVWhen you’re pitching an idea, be aware of what kind of story the journalists might be looking for. TV has large audiences, so it can never aff ord to take their att ention and time for granted.

TV is a visual medium. When you’re pitching ideas,

help editors and decision makers visualize your

story. “Show, don’t tell”, a mantra of Hollywood

pitching, is also true when it comes to TV.

Making life easier for the poor, overburdened news

editors and producers will help any pitch for TV. If

you can come up with a “treatment” – i.e. if you think

like a TV reporter/producer, you will be half way

there. Try and make diffi cult stories accessible.

FILL IN THE GAPS – FIND THE OTHER ELEMENTS A REPORTER/PRODUCER WILL NEED:

CASE HISTORIES Humanise the story. If

there are victims who

will illustrate the human

cost of the story – you

could fi nd them and have

them on stand by to be

interviewed.

CREDIBLE EXPERTSLikewise.

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO LOCATIONS OR INTERVIEWEESIf you have a great story,

you can win over an

editor by promising them

exclusivity. You make

them look good and they

will come back to you for

more. Build relationships

with reporters and

producers.

EPKs (Electronic Press Kits) Think about footage

that might help the pro-

ducer. If it’s an essential

component of the story,

but requires money and

resources to fi lm, think

about fi lming it your-

selves (e.g. a national park

in another part of the

country, under threat of

damaging development).

EPKs are still underu-

sed, and they are a very

valuable tool for NGOs,

especially advocacy gro-

ups. EPKs are a good way

of facilitating your story

and they don’t cost a lot to

make. The idea that tele-

vision costs a lot of money

to make is no longer true.

“DON’T WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN – MAKE IT HAPPEN!”

ADAPT YOUR STORIES TO THE MAIN GENRES OF FACTUAL PROGRAMMES:

News – reactive, accurate,

immediate, urgent, event based,

drama, confl ict, short, fast

turnaround.

Current Aff airs – agenda sett ing,

revelatory, investigative, higher

production values, longer lead

times, documentary single subject

or magazine format.

Features – soft er edge, but can

have serious message (travel

programmes, wildlife shows,

constructed reality).

Journalists are not lazy, but

they certainly appreciate a

bit of a hand since they’re

pressed for time. Put

yourself in the shoes of the

reporter/producer/editor.

Remind yourself that they

are busy, or lazy, or both!

So – do their job for them! The more you can do their

research up until the point

it engages their interest

and they can see a way to

produce a story – the bett er

chance your story has.

Look for drama/confl ict in

a story. Find an angle. The

top line needs to be short,

catchy and interesting.

And – don’t be afraid of humor.

The ‘Sound Bite’

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS?

The AmbushYOU MAY FACE HOSTILE OR UNWELCOME QUESTIONING WHEN YOU APPEAR ON TV.

• Lesson 1: Be prepared for awkward questions. Just because you don’t like a question doesn’t mean it won’t be asked. And the more you try to suggest the interviewer is being unreasonable, the worse it looks for you.

• Lesson 2: Do not obfuscate. You will be found out. A squirming interviewee is a gift to TV producers.

• Lesson 3: Do not lose your temper. Ever.

Body Language Non-verbal

communication is

an important part

of any TV interview.

People will see if you’re

squirming and if you’re

uncomfortable. It

makes a perfect point

for a journalist. The

good news is that body

language is something

you can be tutored in.

Looking RidiculousBeware of the set up.

This isn’t radio or print

– pictures tell their

own story, so make

sure they tell the story

you want them to. Pick

a background that

helps your story – or at

least doesn’t damage

it. You can ask to be

interviewed where it

suits you.

HOW TO DEAL WITH AN AMBUSH: No matt er how unreasonable you think the

interviewer is being – show respect and deal with

their questions politely.

The interviewer is there to do their job – you must

accept that is the deal. If you don’t – you risk looking

like you’ve got something to hide or that you are

extremely egocentric and arrogant.

If you’re worried about an ambush, ask for the

questions before doing an interview. It is standard

practice.

While facing hostile interviewing, be prepared.

If there is something controversial about what you

want to say, do your homework.

Most decent journalists will outline the questions,

but they won’t stick to the lett er of the questions.

Be ready for supplementary questions.

Always be ready for an ambush – i.e. new data or new

killer fact. If this takes you by surprise – don’t be

evasive. Be reasonable. Say you weren’t aware of this

information – and once you have had a chance to see

the data/report or examine the new facts you will be

able to comment, but until then you can’t. Don’t ever

try to make up some counter argument on the spot.

Don’t make up an answer. If you don’t know the

answer, coming up with something that you’ve

fi gured out in a moment of stress will make it worse.

If you’re unsure of yourself, refuse the interview.

Treat the journalist as an

intelligent sentient human

being – even if you really

think they are not.

He/she is not a microphone

stand. They will not take

kindly to being patronised,

ignored or belitt led.

Answer the question they ask

– not the one you would prefer

they had asked, then shift the

subject to what you want to say.

Never forget the journalist

will have the last laugh

(especially if it’s recorded

material as opposed to live)

because they control how

the material is edited.

Lazy journalists ask for sound bites –

good ones demand a conversation. Of

course, there are some reporters who are

under deadline pressure – or just don’t

have any real understanding of the story

– and who will demand a sound bite. So

have one ready at all times – but don’t just

stick to the script regardless. The danger

of the sound bite is to repeat the same

message over and over again.

HOW TO PRESENT YOURSELF ON TV

HOW TO PRESENT YOURSELF ON TV

TV TIPS

GOOD CAMPAIGNERS NEED TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING:• how media works

• how social media works

• how important media contacts are

• how to link their themes with current issues and politics

• how to simplify messages

4 SIMPLE STEPS TOWARDS SUCCESSFULL MEDIA CAMPAIGNING1. Determine the value of the primary target group and develop

your campaign messages according to that information.

2. Think about how to present something in a catchy and interesting way.

3. Make friends with journalists.

4. Create a human touch to the story.

HOW TO PREPARE

FOR INTERVIEWS

• Package what you’re saying

att ractively or you will lose

your audience.

• Use the inverted pyramid. Say

the most important things

fi rst, in a very simple way.

• Get a good fact.

• In your own life, things which

annoy you happen. Use them

as reference, because they

happen to other people too.

• Rehearse your answers!

• Always humanize the story.

Don’t just give data.

• Don’t be stressed before the

interview. Take time to relax.

• Editors will cut long

statements, so try and speak

in shorter sentences.

• Bear in mind that reporters

also say things in the voicover

for description.

• Take into account the

description below your name,

and give the journalist the

info you want presented. (e.g.

name and surname + name of

organization)

• Ask for details before the show

– how long is it going to be,

what are the questions going

to be, who are other guests...

• Think about what you are

going to wear. It is more

important then we like to

think.

HOW TO SPEAK DURING INTERVIEWS• Try and speak about things like you’re speaking to or explaining it to a friend.• If you need time to rethink an answer, stop the interview and ask “Can I think about that?”. Aft er you do, start over.

• Avoid a lawyerly presentation. If it is aimed at policy people who understand this language, it is very convincing, but it will not work as a soundbite for a bigger audience.• Don’t talk extensively about planning and changing regulations. You don’t have time to explain why, for example, a protected area is the anchor of the eco system.• Remember to pause for breaths – for editing.• Try to humanize the NGO speech with a few stories.• Be careful to fi nish your sentences.

• Don’t take up offi cial language or jargon.

y

•U

t

•

GOOD CAMPAIGNERS NEED TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING:•how media works

•how social media works

• how important media contacts are

• how to link their themes with current issues and politics

•how to simplify messages

TIPS ON PHRASING YOUR WORDS

• Don’t use ‘our citizens’. Instead, use ‘we as a

civil society’.

• Try the message: ‘We are not saying we

are right. We are off ering facts, so you can

make a choice’, which is a good example of

not being confrontational.

• Use the words ‘local community’ and

emphasize its protest.

• It is important for the journalist to know

your expertise. Say, for example, ‘As an

environmental lawyer, I think...’

• Try replacing the word ‘consumers’ with

‘we are paying more bills’ to be the voice of

the person who is sitt ing in the living room

and viewing the program.

• Use the words ‘in my opinion’ – making it

personal is good.

• Answering ‘I don’t know’ adds to the

authority, if you can continue saying

something about things you do know

something about. Don’t answer anything

out of your area of competence.

• Avoid words like ‘executive director’,

‘engineer’, ‘expert’, ‘activist’... Instead, try

saying ‘we showed results’, or ‘results are’...

• Never say ‘As I told you’, or ‘As you know’,

since you’re locking the possibilities of

editing in that way.

• Tell a story! Don’t just repeat ‘We have this

project, and it is fi nanced by...’ or ‘Here is

another report’, etc.

Remember! ✔ Find people who can say what you want them to say for you in order to get your message across.

✔ Practice positive messaging. Not everything needs to be a protest. People don’t like negative messages. ✔ Bringing someone prominent into the

story will get you to the news. ✔ Engage in active and frequent meetings with journalists. Make them your allies and connections who will pick up on your stories if you give them good ideas. ✔ Simplify! Journalists are not experts and

it will make your message bett er! ✔ Fight for your space and use it well. Be as concrete as possible. ✔ Be more assertive and persuasive. ✔ You are not powerless against politicians.

Prepare well and bring arguments and facts with you.

✔ If the journalists hand the agenda to you, it should not be a problem, but an advantage you should use. ✔ Start building your relations with the

media TODAY! Don’t postpone it! Pick 10 journalists, and if you manage to have success with 3 of them, you’ll be fi ne. ✔ Try creating photogenic or telegenic

events and use your advantage as advocacy groups!

HOW TO ACT DURING INTERVIEWS

• It’s always good to look at

people who are interviewing

you.

• Try to control your speech and

don’t repeat yourself.

• Nervous laughter takes away

from the authority.

• Always look at the reporter.

IN AN INTERVIEW Do not give a sound bite unless the

interviewer wants one. If so, keep it punchy –

no more than twenty seconds.

Do not answer a question with anything that

can be edited out: for example do not say

“Yes, that is absolutely true...” or: “As I said

earlier...”.

Never be angry or rude. Never patronise the

reporter (or the audience).

If you don’t know the answer, fi nd a way of

saying so without looking foolish and don’t

avoid the question.

Keep relaxed but stand still – maintain eye

contact with the interviewer and smile when

appropriate (but not weirdly in the wrong

places!)

PRACTICE AND FEEDBACK Keep working on it. Practice using a

smartphone or camcorder and ‘interview’

each other.

Review your performances and ask other

people to provide honest criticism. This is

a diffi cult skill, like acting or performing,

and there is no shame in fi nding ways to do

it bett er.

WORKING WITH THE MEDIA Cheat sheet for act ivis tsWORK WITH JOURNALISTS

Get to know journalists personally. They are

real people doing a diffi cult job.

Call them up, meet them, supply good stories

and witnesses and be honest and reliable.

Try using EPKs (Electronic Press Kits) to

supply video TV networks cannot get – like

interviews in Brussels.

PRESS RELEASE

Write it like a ‘pyramid’ with a strong

headline and the most important

information at the top.

Send it to several people in the same

newsroom.

Send it to web portals that will usually post

it directly onto the site.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Ask: who am I speaking to? Who are they and

what do they care about? Imagine that you

are speaking directly to a person like this.

Find words and stories that speak to their

concerns and values (and not just the things

you care about).

Find ways to connect to the audience. Talk

about common values – what we want in our

country.

Talk about the things you have in common

with them (as a mother/an engineer/son of

a farmer…).

DEVELOP STRONG MESSAGES Keep messages simple, clear, based around

a headline with a human interest and clear

‘bad guys’.

Talk about how good things can be with the

right changes – not just how bad they are now.

Be optimistic and assume you will win – say

“things will change” and “when things

change”.

Try not to repeat your opponents’ words or

arguments even when you criticise them –

promote your own arguments.

Always avoid NGO jargon and technical

language unless you are speaking to a high

level technical or NGO audience. Remember

– one third of people do not understand even

simple mathematics!

For television: Think visually and fi nd good

pictures or unusual new angles. Strong video

clips can also be used on social media.

BEFORE INTERVIEWS Dress in the right way for your audience

– look smart and well groomed for

conservatives and mainstream people.

Ask the journalist what she/he needs –

especially how long a reply – and supply to

meet that need.

Ask the journalist who else she/he is

interviewing – and anticipate that they

will say.

Prepare a few key points, but do not repeat

them like a parrot!

I

P

tstsChChW

P

K

A checklis tBEFORE AN INTERVIEW

• Look clean and smart

• Practice with a friend/smartphone

• Think: Who am I speaking to?

• Think: What do they care about?

• Prepare three main points to say

• Ask the journalist what they need

• Ask the journalist who else they are speaking to

• Ask the journalist for his/her contacts for follow up

DURING THE INTERVIEW

• Look at the interviewer

• Be relaxed but stand still

• Smile a litt le (but not weirdly!)

• Provide short, clear and complete sentences

AFTER AN INTERVIEW

• Contact the journalist and suggest further work

• Obtain a recording for your social media and records

• Watch your performance and get feedback

With approximately 25 million potential new EU

citizens in South East Europe, who are all energy

consumers, energy is perhaps one of the most

complex issues which is facing the region. It has

inter-related and far reaching impacts on several

areas, including society, the economy and the

environment, particularly as South East Europe

faces the imminent deregulation of the market in

2015 in a less than ideal governance environment.

The South East Europe Sustainable Energy Policy

(SEE SEP) programme is designed to tackle these

challenges. This is a multi-country and multi-year

programme which has 17 CSO partners from across

the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croa-

tia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) and

the EU. It is fi nancially supported by the European

Commission, Balkan Trust for Democracy and UNDP.

The contribution of the SEE SEP project will be to

empower CSOs and citizens to bett er infl uence

policy and practice towards a fairer, cleaner and

safer energy future in SEE.

NOVEMBER 2014

Contributors

George Marshall, Climate Outreach Information Network,

United Kingdom

Mihailo Jovović, Vijesti, Montenegro

Besar Likmeta, BIRN, Albania

Sankha Guha, United Kingdom

Editor

Masha Durkalić, SEE Change Net

Additional Editorial Input

Garret Tankosić-Kelly, SEE Change Net

Cover Design

Ana Lukenda

Typesett ing and Layout

Ivan Hrašovec

This publication has been produced with

the assistance of the European Union. The

contents of this publication are the sole

responsibility of SEE Change Net on behalf of the SEE SEP

implementing partners and can in no way be taken to

refl ect the views of the EU.

Media, advocacy and communication workshop for CSO members of SEE SEP network, Skopje, Macedonia, April 2014

Supported by