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Proactive involvement with the media

• Designate a media spokesperson. Provide local media outlets with your spokesperson’s contact information including an after-hours cell phone or home phone number.

• If you have a contact or relationship with a reporter, offer to talk to him/her first.

• Pitch a story to the media as an update to national water issues. Provide a strong local "twist" by discussing how the issue affects your local market. (Remember: Newspapers and TV news programs must have stories to stay in business. Don't be afraid to pitch an idea that is favorable to your system.)

• Be ready for the call. Always be ready to answer questions from the media.

• Respond by deadline. If you get a call from a reporter, respond as quickly as possible. Reporters are always under a deadline and often wait until the last minute to request information or to complete an interview.

• Send information in advance. If a reporter calls to schedule an interview, offer to provide any relevant or requested information in advance.

• Develop solid relationships. Take the time before a crisis strikes to get to know the reporters in your local area.

• Learn about the media work cycle. Journalism is a profession with its own ebb and flow. Be sure to learn about journalists' deadlines and how to help them meet those deadlines.

Acing the interview

• Develop talking points in a logical order to help organize your thoughts.

• Don't read from your talking points or script. Rehearse in advance to be able to speak in a conversational manner.

• Enunciate. Speak clearly and concisely.

• Offer to provide background information in advance of the interview.

• Anticipate questions. Think like the consumer and be prepared to answer the questions that your customers would like to know.

• Be open and honest. Don't talk around the questions, but answer directly and as honestly as possible. Avoid speaking in technical terms that your customers wouldn't understand.

• Be convincing.

• Don't be afraid of silence. Let the interviewer ask the questions. Don't ramble. (Interviewers will often stop speaking to see what additional information you will provide.)

• If you don't know, get the answer and get back with the interviewer quickly. It is better to honestly admit that you don't know an answer than to provide an inaccurate response.

• Good quotes make good stories. Be short and concise. TV reporters especially are looking for the ideal short soundbite. Better that you work to provide this and control the message and come up with the soundbite than the reporter does, which has the potential of taking your remarks out of context or changing the meaning of what you wanted to say.

• Stay on the record. Never provide information that you don't want released and attributed to you. It is hard for reporters to ignore what is written on their notepad when writing their story.

• Never say "no comment." This looks like you're trying to avoid giving a truthful answer. If there is a reason you can't comment, explain this to the reporter.

•Try to answer negative questions in a positive way. If the question contains inaccurate information, correct it immediately.

•Appearance does count. How you look and sound are crucial. Being too formally dressed can sometimes be a bad thing - it may make you look out of touch - too "executive" for a story involving a water main break, for example.

Tips for a successful press release

• Your organization should develop a letterhead template that includes the words "News Release" or "Press Release" at the top. This template should also include the name of your spokesperson, phone number, fax number, and email address.

• Your "lead" sentence should reflect a solid news angle to catch the editor's attention. Ideally, it should also include your company name and any action that has been taken.

• Avoid flowery prose and overuse of adjectives. Editors and reporters don't have time to try and figure out what you are saying. Keep it clear and simple. Save the opinions for the quotes from your spokesperson.

• Provide facts and figures. Be able to back them up.

• Include plenty of relevant quotes. These are often used by the reporter.

• Always be able to back up your statements. If you're not sure of something, leave it out.

• Make certain that you include contact information so the reporter can call if he/she has additional questions.