Engaging
the Media
Media Relations Guide for Community Agencies
• Preparing for interviews
Before the interview
- Give the reporter background information in advance so they
have an idea of what you are going to talk about.
- Choose two or three key messages you want the reporter to
walk away with and practice them before the interview. Have
key messages in front of you (which helps you keep on-track
and reinforces your focus).
- Use real-life examples and statistics to back up your key
messages.
- Anticipate what some of the questions may be and decide how
you will answer them. For this public awareness campaign, some
of the questions might be:
- What is the literacy rate in our community?
- Why is our literacy rate higher (or lower) than the
Ontario average?
- How can a person get through school and still not be
literate?
- What causes a person to be illiterate?
- What is our local government doing to support literacy
in our community?
- What is the success rate for your program? How many
people get jobs?
- Remember who your target audience is and what you want them
to hear. Imagine that you are talking through the media to them.
- Put a supply of business cards in your pocket. When a reporter
asks for your name, just hand over a business card. It helps
him or her get your name, position, and organization correct.
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