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David Wilhelm Suggests 10 Tactics For a Winning Media Campaign
by
* CMW Staff
Media relations can be a tricky business. Whether you’re fighting inaccuracy, ambivalence, or just plain ignorance, community groups often face an uphill battle in getting the correct message out to the public. No one knows more about winning this fight than David Wilhelm.
David Wilhelm work includes developing public policies and business initiatives that spur economic growth and justice. He previously served as the national campaign manager for the 1992 Clinton/Gore campaign, and as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Wilhelm was the youngest person to head a national party in American history.
In his keynote address to the Community Media Workshop’s Making Media Connections conference, Wilhelm explained the best tactics to ensure that your message is effectively communicated to the media and the public. Based on his experiences in the political arena, these recommendations are readily applicable to any organization that struggles to get their message across. They include:
Be the aggressor; stay off the defensive. It is your job to control the debate.
Drive home your comparative advantage. Don’t obsess about areas of agreement. Rather, identify what sets you apart from your opposition, and emphasize those differences to the media.
Take steps to eliminate your comparative disadvantage. It is important to genuinely fix your comparative disadvantage rather than cover up for it.
Have the courage to be repetitive. Too many messages are cumbersome. Take one message and repeat it to every reporter until it sticks.
Share information. Don’t be afraid to let your audience know everything about you and your policies.
Seek controversy at all times. Controversy is excitement. Excitement is entertainment. Entertainment sells newspapers.
Be available. Be a source of information. The media will never kill a helper. Know the rules of the game. Understand the media’s style of coverage, and use it to your advantage.
Deal with bad news in prospective. Turn potentially hurtful news into an asset. There is always a silver lining if you look hard enough.
Know your targets. Incremental goals will help you achieve your final ones.
Don’t do anything silly. Losing is nothing more than another chance at victory. Giving up or losing your composure is fatal.
Avoid spin. Spin and lies are obvious, manipulative, and tawdry. Policy makers, reporters, and the public can all spot it... and their response to it is always negative.
By following these 10 recommendations, the communications director for even the smallest organization can create a media campaign that is professional, resourceful, and effective.
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