How Staunton prepares for TV news close-ups
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 01:57PM This is the third and last post in a series profiling how Jennifer Jones of the Staunton, Va. Parks and Recreation Department uses readMedia as part of her PR strategy.
After adjusting the department’s PR strategy, Jennifer Jones and the Staunton, Va. Parks and Recreation Department has seen a spike in media coverage and local TV stations wanting to interview the department about its programs and initiatives. They’ve been interviewed by local TV news six times in the last four months.
Staunton Parks and Recreation issued a news release about the threatened health of female ducks in its Gypsy Hill Park, which resulted in a TV spot on the local news that encouraged park visitors to be more responsible in their duck feeding habits:
Going “on air” can be exhilarating and nerve-wracking, but it can also lead to great exposure. Preparation is key to getting the most out of your interview. Here’s how Jones gets her team ready for the cameras:
- Involve the right spokespeople from the start. If Jones works with someone from outside her division on a press release, she has them review the final draft so they know exactly what’s being pitched to the media.
- Ask the media what they’re looking for in the interview. When a TV station requests an interview, Jones tries to get as much information from them as possible, including the questions they may want to ask.
- Give your spokesperson time to prepare. As soon as a station calls Jones to request an interview, her first call is to the correct spokesperson to give them a heads up. She lets the spokesperson know what to expect and why it’s important for the department, so that they’re not caught off guard.
“Before we started distributing our news releases through readMedia, TV interviews were unprecedented here,” Jones said. “TV appearances tend to bring out the peacock or the anxiety in people. Friendly reminders and gentle prompting can go a long way in making sure our spokespeople are prepared and represent our department well on camera.”
Read the first post in this series: How Staunton’s one-woman PR team conquered local media
Read the second post in this series: 5 secrets to increasing local PR coverage 10-fold
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