The document provides guidance on effectively communicating with the media and influencing readers through five key steps - understanding the media, crafting the right message, choosing the appropriate spokesperson, handling journalists, and maintaining credibility. It outlines best practices for crafting concise yet comprehensive messages, preparing the spokesperson, managing different types of journalists, and answering difficult questions while staying on message. The overall aim is to control the narrative and share your story in a positive, strategic manner.

1. The jaws of power are always open to devour. - John Adams

2. The Voice of Authority How to win journalists and influence readers

3. The Five Steps * Media *News *Journalists *Message *Spokesperson

4. The Media

5. All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values - Marshall McLuhan

6. Media Reach (All India) Medium All India Urban Rural Estimated Individuals (mn) 852 268 584 (%) (%) (%) Press 38 56 38 TV 56 81 44 Satellite 36 65 23 Radio 21 24 20 Cinema 10 16 6 Internet 2 5 0 All Media 68 88 59

9. The News

10. To withhold the News is to play God - Anonymous

11. Relevance Usefulness Interest

12. Impact Conflict Novelty Prominence Proximity Timeliness

13. Time from origination News Cycle is expanding Amount of coverage Breaking News News quickly gets picked up from primary sources Mainstream Coverage News slowly loses its timeliness and becomes a part of more thoughtful discourse Niche and opinion driven discussion

14. First month Sixth month Source File Basic News Big News Local/ Internal Trade/ Niche National

15. The Journalist

16. Ideal: Skeptic Curious Balanced Views Sees a big picture

17. Not so ideal: One idea Biased Sponge – just absorbs and throws

18. What she wants: Story Byline

19. The Message

20. Sender Message Receiver Sender Message Receiver Old Communication Model New Communication Model Monologue Dialogue

21. Preferred Message: Clear Concise Complete Consistent Current Most important – “For Consumer”

22. Developing Preferred Message: What do you want to communicate? What is your end objective? How can you substantiate? Follow 5C Rule

23. What Marketing Suggested What Management Approved As designed by Engineers What was manufactured As maintenance installed it What the customer wanted

24. The Spokesperson

25. You!

26. Information is not communication Information is not a message Information is not a connection Information does not translate to execution Information does not drive sales or profits

27. The difference between information and communication is the difference between X-ray and surgery.

28. Communication is complete only when it’s processed and understood by the receiver

29. We use filters… Our worldview teaches us to “wait for the air to clear”

30. This is how we respond… Hear the situation and/or facts Wait for the spin Download the intentions Decode the spin

31. How do we survive?

32. By becoming a voice of authority…

33. Are there any rules?

34. Only one…

35. Be Credible

36. Five things contribute or detract from people’s belief in you: The Look The Language The Likeability Factor Character Competence

37. The Look Dress to feel confident Remove barriers between you and the audience Look successful at what you do

38. The Language Word choice Sentence structure (simple or convoluted) The ability to express The ability to respond to challenging questions with poise, tact and authority

39. Few more things to keep in mind for looks & language… Decide: Workshop floor or Corporate Office Turn Off the Hard Sell Be Authentic – with Praise, Questions and Greetings

40. The Likeability Factor Show Your Humanity – Be Vulnerable Be Courteous – Small gestures and words go a long way Share a Sense of Humor Show Humility

41. The Journalist is neither a friend nor a foe

42. How to lead and share your story? Be a genuine listener Understand the question and mould it for your benefit Value add If you don’t know something, accept it and offer to find out if important/necessary Nothing is off the record Follow corporate guidelines

43. Who will you encounter?

46. Answering difficult questions Interview under pressure

53. Media Relations Do’s and Don’ts

54. Media Relations Do’s and Don’ts