Internships are great for plenty of reasons. They offer a chance to build up your résumé, add to your portfolio, network with peers and future employers and gain hands-on experience. Since interning at the Latin American Association this summer, I’ve received all these things. One experience I have found most interesting and valuable is something you can’t really get in a classroom: working with the media. Here are some things I have learned so far:
- We’ve all heard about the infamous “elevator speech.” This summer I finally heard an elevator speech in action. It’s important to be able to sum up what you do succinctly and thoroughly so the media understands you better, without getting bogged down by the gritty details.
- Give some impressive statistics. This can help put otherwise generic information into perspective, and it might even entice the journalist to ask more about the subject. If you rattle off too many numbers, though, you could have the opposite effect.
- Plug, plug, plug. Especially when talking to a beat reporter, let him or her know about upcoming events, forums or meetings. Give the basic five W’s, even for events in the farther future. If you stay in the back of a journalist’s mind it can help maintain a more long term relationship.
- When setting a journalist up with a contact, make sure you know the story angle. All story ideas and contact requests should come first through you, before you pass them along to a source that might be put in a poor light.
- Remember that interacting with the media can be an even exchange of information! Just as you might be a source for a journalist, a journalist can be a source for you. Don’t forget how much information beat reporters pick up when covering stories.
- Pass out informational materials about your organization. If you give the media concrete materials to hold onto, it might supply them with important information you forgot to mention. Annual reports and fact sheets are great examples of this.
- Stay on their good side! A great idea I picked up here at the LAA is to host a media appreciation night. Who knows, maybe some new faces will show up that can help get your name out there.
- Make sure you are present during TV interviews, especially if the interviewee is a minor or has little experience with the media. That way you can step in if the questions are too leading or if the story heads in a direction you don’t agree with.
- Be ready to drop everything you are doing when the media calls. No matter what you think your plan is for the day, everything can change when a big story about your organization is about to break.
- . Stay open minded! Every news clipping counts, from the media outlet with the smallest circulation to someone with international coverage.
This is a really great list. Thanks for sharing!
I’d add one thing I learned from a seminar a couple of months ago. In your title, you talk about “dealing with the media.” In this seminar, the presented pointed out the “dealing” is a word that has negative connotations. In fact, we should be saying “working” with the media because that’s exactly what we do. As you pointed out, it’s about helping each other and building the relationship. Working with the media should mean something positive.
Thanks, Nick! That is a great point. In fact, I think I will change the name of the title!