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Utilize the Media
Why use the media?
Networking with the media is essential in promoting your coalition efforts. People are greatly influenced by what they read, see, and hear in the media. Films, music, television, magazines, newspapers, books, children’s literature, and the Internet influence our perception of the world.
Your coalition efforts are important and will revitalize the health and spirit of your community. They deserve notice. Do not be modest about your accomplishments. Include them in local newspapers, television, and radio spots, as well as your Website. Share them with other coalitions. Help each other out by including in your press releases what other breastfeeding coalitions are doing around the state as well, and invite interested breastfeeding advocates to join.
Although advertisements for artificial infant food are everywhere, they never mention the hazards associated with it. Millions of dollars are spent each year to promote its use. To offset this omniscient influence, breastfeeding advocates must utilize the media, too, and recognize it as a powerful tool to promote breastfeeding and educate the general public about its benefits.
There are several ways you can work with the media to:
- ensure accurate information is presented,
- keep breastfeeding events and research updates in the public eye, and
- establish a perception of breastfeeding as the “norm” or “preferred” way to feed babies.
Designate a Media Committee and Primary Media Liason
- Designate a few members of your coalition to focus their energy on getting your coalition efforts and events or breastfeeding news publicized on a regular basis.
- If you don’t already have a media representative as a member of your coalition, designate one person to cultivate a relationship and be the primary liason between your coalition and spokespersons in local radio, television, and newspapers. Ideally, he or she should be a professional media person and/or know someone on the local newspaper, radio and television staff to make sure they are always informed of any breastfeeding promotion events or newsworthy items.
- Stay informed about current breastfeeding research and initiatives so you can provide timely and valid information.
Media Basics
Newspapers
- Print venues usually offer more in depth information on an issue and the article often leads to other news. Remember, policy makers read the newspaper.
- Letters to the editor and the calendar of events are free and well-read sections of the paper.
- Weekly newspapers in smaller communities are far more likely to be read because the readers know many of the community members and business owners personally.
- Newspapers are far more likely to run an article if you buy a small advertisement.
- Newspaper photographers need to meet a quota so be sure to notify them when you are having an event.
- Newspapers offer free public service space.
Radio and Television
- Radio is especially useful in targeting specific population groups.
- Most television news stations have health segments.
- Municipal cable television stations are frequently looking for news items, stories, and public service announcements.
Outdoor Advertisements
- Can target a population according to zip codes.
- Reaches a large number of people and provides ongoing promotion in high-traffic areas.
- May linger after paid or free time has expired.
- Not effective alone.
- Limited time to see message.
Media Tips
All Media Venues
- Invite media to attend all local breastfeeding events.
- Utilize local celebrities or community leaders who breastfed or are currently breastfeeding to be a spokesperson for a breastfeeding campaign, fundraiser, health fair, or news item.
- Summarize data regarding breastfeeding updates, legislation, local, national, and international events into press releases with references to make the job easier for media contacts. (Rx)
- Provide local newspaper and municipal cable channels with time and dates of local La Leche League, breastfeeding coalition, and breastfeeding support group meetings as well as upcoming conferences and professional trainings for healthcare professionals and educators.
- Advertise upcoming breastfeeding programs on local radio and television stations and in newspapers, newsletters, and store windows where maternity and infant supplies are sold. Contact your friends to make sure they tune in! Ratings have a great influence on future shows of this nature.
- When you contact the media, ask first “are you on deadline?” If they are, identify yourself and offer to call back in two days. If they are not, explain the reason for the contact and leave your name and cell phone number. If the media contacts you about an event or story, get back to that person right away. If you contact them the next day, it’s probably already too late. Responding to a media inquiry right away ranks you as a reliable source and will increase the likelihood of future coverage.
- Meet deadlines and ask about formatting. Ask when they want it and how they want it.
Newspapers and Other Print Venues
- Write a letter to the editor and submit to your local papers with your organization/group name and signature of the leader. (Rx)
- Contact local newspaper editors about including a breastfeeding column on a regular basis. Offer to write the columns for them. (Rx)
- Give local newspaper editors a World Breastfeeding Month press release or Governor’s Proclamation each year. Include a fact sheet, background information, references, and anything else that will make it easy for that reporter to write an article. Send a few pictures of breastfeeding moms and babies or past World Breastfeeding Month events with a photo release form. This will help ensure the article gets published. (Rx)
- Submit as an editorial/opinion piece, “Human Milk: The Gold Standard for Babies” to your local papers under the by-line of your agency head or program director.
- Contact editors of local newsletters and magazines for businesses, banks, libraries, religious organizations, schools, childcare centers, chambers of commerce, and hospitals. Provide them with breastfeeding updates, local events, and contact information that they may include in their newsletters periodically. Keep articles short and ask ahead of time how much space or lines you are permitted to use.
- Send an article on the “Top Ten Reasons for Families to Breastfeed Their Babies” to local churches and employers to print in their newsletters and post on bulletin boards. Send it to the newspaper as a letter to the editor.
- Billboard owners don’t like to have their billboard empty for long. Be knowledgeable about how to obtain free outdoor breastfeeding public service announcements. Call the number on the blank billboard to ask them if they’ll put up the PSA until they get a paid spot. (Rx)
- Contact utility companies (electric, gas, cable) to see if they would include a public service announcement or flier about breastfeeding benefits, helpline numbers, and/or World Breastfeeding Month events with their monthly statements.
- Write an article on quieting a baby while traveling and submit it to an airline magazine. The article could include information about how breastfeeding quiets a baby and keeps a baby’s ear pressure equalized. Include breastfeeding research updates.
- Prepare a display at local libraries of any new books on breastfeeding that you would recommend. Write reviews of the book for your local newspaper.
- Other print venues might include fast food tray liners, restaurant menus, table tents in cafeterias and restaurants, flyers and announcements in grocery and convenience store windows, bus and public transportation signs, and public restroom signs.
Radio and Television
- Contact television and radio station managers and find out if they will provide listeners during their health segments with periodic breastfeeding updates of which you will notify them.
- A good visual component will increase the likelihood of television coverage. Use breastfeeding moms and babies, posters, charts, etc.
- Ask local radio stations if they will make public service announcements about local events, World Breastfeeding Month, and updates of current breastfeeding research. (Rx)
- Contact a local radio or television show host and ask them to include a panel discussion of breastfeeding on a future program. Suggest airing the show during World Breastfeeding Month, the opening of a birthing center or related health event, or as part of a public service announcement for a health fair. Provide the host with a list of panelists whom you have previously contacted and who have agreed to be on such a show. Provide the media host with helpful information, such as a brief explanation of World Breastfeeding Month and the current year’s theme, breastfeeding policies of local birthing centers and hospitals, or the latest breastfeeding research. The host will determine if the show will be live or taped and whether call-in questions will be included. If asked by the media host to do so, provide a list of suggested questions for the panel. Notify your local newspaper of the date and time the show will be aired.
Do's and Don'ts for Good News Media Relations
Relationships with the media can be either good or bad or sometimes just nonexistent. Treat the media representative as you would anyone with whom you do business.
Do
- Get to know reporters, editors and news directors personally if you deal with them often. Talk informally with reporters before an interview. Ask again about their questions.
- Be available and dressed professionally when they need you.
- Tell the truth. Just give the facts.
- Remember you are representing your organization, not yourself.
- Be credible and honest, positive and easy to contact, responsive and accommodating, authoritative and in control, likeable and professional.
- Make their job easier by being prepared with carefully thought out key messages, local angles to a national story or campaign, and well-written newspaper articles with references.
- Keep your remarks short and simple. It helps to pretend you're talking or writing to your grandmother who has no idea what you really do for a living.
- Take the initiative. Make your point in every answer and in a variety of ways. Turn answers to a reporter’s questions back into your key messages and don’t be afraid to repeat key messages multiple times.
- Always act as if the camera or microphone were on. Don’t let a reporter fluster you.
- A reporter may try to “feed you words.” Don’t use them. Return to your key messages and repeat them as often as possible.
- If things are getting tense, uncross your legs and arms, lean forward, and stay engaged. Remember, you are talking about a biologically normal process.
- Honor the reporter's deadlines. (Ask. Otherwise, assume it's now.) When submitting information to the media, know deadlines and meet or beat them. Nothing is surer of rejection than a late news item.
- Say "I don't know" if you don't, rather than conjecture or speculate. Then get a phone number and tell the reporter you will call back with the information. Important: DO call back as soon as possible.
- Do business today as if you're going to do business tomorrow: don't burn bridges.
- Avoid the reporter bounce-around. Get the information requested or get the reporter directly to the person who knows the information.
- Create a key message to make it sound like it was said, not written. Use colorful words, analogies, absolutes and even clichés to simplify and make your point stand out.
- Stop talking when you have answered a question. Don’t feel obliged to fill a void just to keep the interview going.
- Remember, the newsperson is a representative of the public. You are giving the public vital information.
- Thank the media for promoting your cause.
Don't
- Don’t lie to a reporter -- EVER. If a mistake has been made, admit it and shift the focus to what you're doing to correct the problem or assure it never happens again.
- Don’t ask to see a reporter's story before it's printed or broadcast.
- Don’t say "I'm not allowed to talk to reporters."
- Don’t ever say "I can't give you that information” without explaining why you can't give the information. The situation will usually involve legal issues, patient or customer confidentiality, or personnel issues.
- Don’t require the reporter to invoke the Texas Public Information Act unless absolutely necessary.
- Don’t become angry or provoked. Keep your cool.
- Don’t beg, threaten, or put pressure on the media. Attempts to influence acceptance of publicity items through contacts with higher management or advertisers are resented. So are attempts to kill a news item.
- Don’t exaggerate or color the news. It could cause the media to disbelieve or reject the entire story.
- Don’t speculate, guess, or conjecture. Check your facts before talking.
- Don’t use jargon, acronyms, or technical terms too often. If a sixth grader wouldn’t understand it, don’t say it.
- Don’t call the editor or news director if you have a problem with a story that has run or aired. Speak with the reporter first.
And finally, two Nevers:
- Never speak “off the record” or provide background information that you would not like to see printed or broadcast. If you don’t want to see the information on the front page of the local newspaper or on the 10 o’clock news, don’t say it.
- Never say, "No comment." "No comment" is a comment. Consider the impression left by:
- Officials could not be reached for comment.
- Officials refused to comment.
- A representative said she was not allowed to comment.
Be Active in the National Breastfeeding Media Watch Campaign
The purpose of the National Breastfeeding Media Watch Campaign is to identify references to breastfeeding and formula-feeding in all media by sending letters of commendation when positive images and references are observed and letters offering suggestions and information when negative or inaccurate references are observed. The goal of Media Watch is to bring about more positive references to breastfeeding as the media play a major role in shaping societal views. When breastfeeding is depicted in the media as the natural, normal way to feed babies and small children, more young mothers will be comfortable in making the decision to breastfeed. Positive media coverage can also help to bring about employer and family support.
To learn more about the campaign, for sample postcards and letters, and for tips on contacting the media so you can send them a postcard or letter, visit http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/lactate/media.shtm
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