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The News Conference: Controlling Your Message
By Al Rothstein, President, Al Rothstein Media Services, Inc.
As Published in "The Florida Police Chief" Magazine
Dissecting the News Conference
The Florida Police Chief’s Association had some important issues they wanted the public to know about - such as prison expansion, longer prison sentences and more authority for juvenile judges. The chiefs were so concerned about it that they called a news conference. I had the opportunity to observe and critique that news conference in Orlando at the association’s request.
Calling a news conference isn’t an easy decision. You don’t know which reporters will show up (especially in an unfamiliar city), and their quick-fire questions can be intimidating. If you make one mistake, it will be captured on tape or in print. However, a news conference can have its advantages if you know how to maintain control.
The Set-Up
A news conference must be set-up so that you have control over what the media captures. At their mid-winter conference, the association members had to sit at one end of a long conference table, while the reporters sat at the other end. For the chiefs, this set-up can create two problems:
- The table can be a barrier.
- Sitting down can make you look too relaxed.
In order to grab your audience’s attention you have to look alert, excited and ready. Normally the best set-up is to stand, with the spokesperson in the middle. Instead of using a desk or a conference table, use a podium. It will also give the broadcast media a place to put their microphones within a reasonable distance from the spokesperson and still get good sound quality.
Strength in Numbers?
There were five participants at this news conference and all did an excellent job of stating their case.
Most of the time, however, holding a news conference with more than one spokesperson can be tricky. There are several reasons for this. The more speakers, the less control you have over the information that appears on the six o’clock news. Remember, “control” is the key word. If you get five people in a room, and they all make the same point, they will make it in five different ways. That gives the reporter too much to decipher, which increases the chances of being misquoted or misinterpreted. Also, if the reporter has questions later in the day, it’s good to have a designated spokesperson to answer them. Having more than one representative from an organization can have an advantage, though: it shows consensus.
A good comparison is the news conference held February 5th, 1994 by the U.S. Figure Skating Association, when they announced that there was enough evidence to warrant further investigation of skater Tonya Harding. They set up a podium, where each member took a turn making a brief, prepared statement. Then, only the association president answered questions from the media. This way, the association had almost complete control over what aired that night.
At the beginning of their news conference, an association employee set the ground rules. The reporters heard statements, then asked questions for ten minutes only. And sure enough, once that time was up, the president said “thank you,” stepped away and walked off.
Speak To Humans
At a news conference, the spokesperson should know how to speak in human terms. Tell people how they will be affected if, for example, the legislature fails to grant more power to judges to confine juveniles who are in contempt of court. Proper training is usually necessary to keep professionals from speaking in their own jargon.
Use catchy phrases and give short answers. Most importantly, you have to show the public why your concerns should be their concerns. Just saying that the issue is important to you won’t win over your audience.
It’s also important to stay away from too many statistics while the camera rolls. Save the stats for the background information or wait until the reporter asks for them. Too many statistics on camera is a guaranteed yawn for your audience. The next time you attend a news conference, watch when the reporters take notes. The TV and radio reporters will scribble away when the comment is emotional and catchy. They will quit when the answer is "the company line" or if it contains too many statistics. When the answers get juicy again, the pens start to roll.
Before the media questions you, question yourself. Ask yourself what points you are trying to make and limit that to the three most important things. Then ask another question: Who is your audience - parents, children, judges, lawmakers? Address your answers to them, not the reporter. Remember, when someone is watching television they’re usually doing something else (cooking, eating dinner, washing clothes, helping the kids with homework). You have to get their attention and the only way to do that is to talk to them in their language.
Buzzwords
Sometimes reporters will put a “buzzword” in their question to get you to repeat it. Don’t fall into that trap. One reporter asked the police chiefs if the crime problems today were “overwhelming.” Her purpose was to see if they would repeat the word and make it look as if the problems were too tough to handle. If the audience heard you say, “We don’t think it’s overwhelming,” they will really hear, “We think it’s overwhelming.” The answer should be positive, such as, “We obviously believe the problem can be solved and our suggestions will help do that.” What do you think the audience heard when Richard Nixon said, “I am not a crook”?
Developing a Relationship
Reporters need to know where to turn to get information. Sources are the lifeblood of a reporter. A reporter will naturally call a source he or she knows will give reliable and quick information. That means being available and credible.
On every news release you should have two names that the reporter can call. In the police chief’s case one name should be the spokesperson for the association. The other should be the local police chief. More times than not, the local reporter will want to talk to the local chief rather than an association spokesperson because the chief can answer the important question: “What does this mean to my community?”
So You Think You Know It All?
During the news conference, while the cameras were rolling, a reporter had requested some statistics. The exact figures weren’t known. The best thing to do is follow the example of Atlantic Beach Police Chief David Thompson: Tell the reporter that you will get the information after the news conference. Then make following-through a priority. As the chiefs reiterated to me later, “It’s important to establish that kind of relationship with the press.” The next time around, the reporter will rely on you as the expert for their story.
The worst thing you can do is to act like you know something when you don’t. You will be inviting trouble. Remember, videotape lasts for years; a reporter can use your misquote over and over.
Remember that a reporter’s job is to gather news. So the more control you have over what is released, and the better relationship you have with that reporter, the more positive the coverage will be.