Controlling the message

At the media skills workshop this morning, an NGO rep asked how she could get journalists to clear stories on her organisation  with her before they submitted their reports for print or broadcast.

Didn’t she have the right to review their stories, she  wanted to know.

The short answer is no.

Unless a story is in the form of a paid feature or advertisement, an organisation has little or no control over what gets published. Once a story is in the hands of a journalist you do not have the right to: review it, change your quotes, edit the story, expect your view to be the only view, choose when it should be published or demand that it be killed.

What you can do to increase the chances of fair or even favourable coverage, is to control your demeanor, presentation, language and message during the interview or press conference.  Take an active role in steering the interview — creating and seizing opportunities to assert your message, rather than allowing yourself to be pulled along by the reporter.

After the interview or a press conference, most journalists will call back to verify quotes or facts. If that doesn’t happen, follow up with a phone call, thanking the reporter for his/her participation. Ask if any clarification is required. Try to be helpful without being pushy. Good journalists resent being told what to think or write.

If the resulting coverage is damaging or unfair, gracefully bring this to the attention of the reporter at first, and if necessary, take the matter to the reporter’s supervisor. Ask for a retraction or public correction.

Journalists/reporters function within a larger team that includes sub-editors, editors and publishers. Each of these actors play a role in shaping the news, and in determining the attention and resources given to a particular issue. Knowing the people who determine the direction the newsroom is vital to understanding the kind of coverage consumers are going to get.

So, if you have accumulated concerns about the direction the news is taking, request a board meeting with the editorial team. And when you go into the meeting, make sure you’re armed with facts!