Archive for Media
Is Blogging Dead? Not on Your Life – it’s the New Media
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s been fashionable lately to proclaim that blogging is dead. After all, look at all those bone-crushing numbers of subscribers on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
But a story in today’s New York Times, Russian Site Smokes Out Corruption, illustrates the unique power of a blog. The story describes how a Russian lawyer, Alexsei Navalny, attracts a million unique visitors a day with his blog that exposes corruption in big state-owned energy companies in his crusade against graft, kickbacks and bribery. He’s putting himself at great personal risk for a cause he believes in on behalf of the small, but growing number of middle-class shareholders in these companies who he believes are being ripped off. Blogging is the new media in countries where the government controls official media, because official media isn’t reporting the news.
What This Means for Business
So, how does this translate into blogging for businesses? As I’ve written before, I believe a blog should be the centerpiece of a company’s social media strategy. Foremost, it provides ample space to tell your story, your way, with as much copy as you need to make your case. This can’t be done in a 140-character tweet or in a quick update on other social media sites. A blog has a long shelf-life because it will continue to come up in searches long after it is written. That’s why Mr. Navalny’s blog is so important. He’s able to include chunks of copy documenting what he claims is corruption in these companies. The story continues to get fleshed out in each blog post with more information as it is uncovered.
Blogging is story telling. Over time, a blog can help to shape a brand and reinforce what the company wants to be known for and why this is important for its constituents. Long live blogging.
Winning Media Interviews, Part IV: The Fine Art of “Bridging”
Posted by: | CommentsReporters are more experienced than you are in an interview. They should be. They do it for a living. They know the questions that are likely to make you squirm.
For example, a reporter will often lead you into areas that you would rather not talk about for any number of reasons. For example, a reporter asks for confidential company information you are not permitted to discuss. Or, you are asked for details about your work for a client, which is off limits. Or, you simply are not an expert on the topic.
“Bridging” is the process of returning to your key messages and away from the topics you do not want to discuss. Or, the reporter may wander into subject areas that weren’t proposed as topics for the interview. This isn’t necessarily something bad – s/he may have a particular interest in that subject. It’s just that you don’t. So how do you get the interview back on track? You do it by “bridging.”
Example of Bridging
Question: “Tell me about the new online service you’re developing for Best Client.”
Answer: “Our client Jack O’Brien is the person to talk to about that and I can put you in touch with him. But I’ve read with interest your stories about online services offered by money center banks. Let me tell you about how we’ve come up with a solution for companies with a thorny problem they’re facing in cross-selling their customers on the Internet.”
You have responded to the question by pointing him to the appropriate spokesperson, and demonstrated that you know the topics the writer is covering. Now you can return to a key message without alienating the reporter.
Winning Media Interviews, Part III: Structuring Your Answers to a Question
Posted by: | CommentsWhether you are being interviewed by a print, broadcast or online reporter, you should structure your answer in what journalists call the “inverted pyramid” style. That is, you lead with your most important message. For many executives, this is in direct contrast to the way they approach a problem, that is, by gathering the facts and building a case for a proposal or recommendation.
Just read the lead article in your daily newspaper tomorrow, and you’ll see that the most important news is in the “lead,” or the first paragraph. Unless you have a personal interest in the subject, it is doubtful that you will read the entire article. The facts will be written in descending order of importance, with background detail at the end of the story.
When framing your answer, think in “headlines.” Your headline should be short and simple with one idea. The headline is, in effect, your most important key message that you want to communicate to the reader or listener. It will be supported by evidence, examples, facts, personal experience, anecdotes, visuals, etc. In a television interview, you may not have time for more than one headline and a couple of supporting facts.
As an example of a headline, the House of Representatives is investigating brain injuries to football players. Facing a barrage of nasty questions from House committee members regarding National Football League policies and research, the Commissioner Roger Goodell responded, “I can think of no issue to which I’ve devoted more time and attention than the health and well-being of our players, and particularly retired players.” This is the key message he wants as his takeaway: that baseball is committed to the health and well-being of its active and retired players. Time will tell if his message holds up or is refuted.
Winning Media Interviews, Part II: What Reporters Are Looking For in a Story
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you have the opportunity to be interviewed, you will no doubt have thought about the key messages you want to communicate. This is important and the right thing to do. It comes under “being prepared.” But you also need to know what reporters are looking for in a story and it may not always be what you are interested in talking about. Before the interview, be sure you’ve researched the media outlet and read/watched the last few stories the reporter has written. If the reporter feasts on controversy and you don’t want controversy, think twice about doing the interview. But if you are good to go, this is what you need to know about what reporters want:
- What’s new. Reporters are always looking for “what’s new.” Are you announcing a new service, a new president, sponsoring an important event, releasing the results of a survey?
- Trends. Trends in your industry that are affecting the way business is being done, impacting large numbers of people, influencing public policy.
- Stories with a beginning, middle and an end. Reporters love to hear the words, “For example,” because they know they are likely to hear an interesting story that will clarify and possibly even entertain.
- Conflict. Differing points of view on important subjects of wide interest, i.e., health reform, the economy, the environment, etc.
- Visuals. Charts, graphs, product samples and other visuals that will improve their understanding of the story, and stimulate the interest of their readers or viewers.
- Juicy quotes. A sound bite for television, a lead or “grabber” for a newspaper article.
- Oddball angles. Man bites dog. The expected turned on its head
So, when you’re preparing for your interview, see how many of these “wants” you can include.
