EMILY’S LIST FOR PRO-CHOICE - DEMOCRATIC WOMEN | EMILY’s List Training Program Press Manual ceenemerrempees oes net‘THE MEDIA TYPES OF EARNED MEDIA ‘THE ROLE OF PRESS ON A CAMPAIGN ‘THE NEWS CYCLE PRINT Weekly newspapers Local Alternative Specialty press Advertisers ‘TELEVISION Tips for television RADIO Call-in shows BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PRESS Introductory visits Socializing with the press ‘THE VOTERS IDENTIFYING YOUR VOTERS Persuadable voters Base voters Reaching voters Media markets ‘Media targeting Arbitron radio market research ALC. Nielsen Electoral targeting NCEC terms you need to know ‘THE PRESS PLAN THE SCHEDULE ATTRACTING MEDIA BUILDING THE SCHEDULE USING THE NEWS UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPPOSITION ALERTING THE MEDIA SCHEDULING PRINCIPLES SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE ‘THE PRESS OFFICE BUILDING A PRESS LIST Print Wire services ‘Washington, D.C., press contacts Television. Cable Televi Radio Radio terms ion terms Contenis + §) 29 29 30 31 31 32 32 32 33 3 33 34 34 35 35 35 36 37 37 38 By 30 39 39 39 39 9 41 42 B at 46 7 47 48 48 St 31 33 33 3B 8 ee 4 38 EMILY’ Lise Pres: Secretary Training ManualPorte 4 Before meeting with the ed board 81 During the ed board meeting 82 Why editorials are important 82 PROFILES AND ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS 82 INEWS CONFERENCES 83 Planning @ news conference — in advance 83 Planning a news conference — morning of 84 At the news conference Pn After the news conference 84 ‘News conference calls 84 ‘MORE RULES ABOUT MEDIA EVENTS 85 PHASE THREE: ENGAGEMENT 86 OFFENSE 86 ‘THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION: 86 Surrogates 86 Third parties 86, Endorsements 87 Questionnaires 88 GOING NEGATIVE 8 DEFENSE e "ATTACKS AND CRISES 89 Anticipated attacks 89 Crisis management 90 PRESS PROBLEMS 2 Factual 2 Subjective 93 Events not covered 94 Getting taken seriously 4 HANDLING GAFFES 95 DEBATES 95 ‘NEGOTIATING TERMS 95 Stage set-up 96 No-use agreement 96 Format 96 PREPARING THE CANDIDATE 7 ‘Update the briefing book 7 Candidate preparation — week before 7 Candidate preparation — day of 98 COORDINATING PAID AND EARNED MEDIA 98 PREVIEWING SPOTS WITH REPORTERS 99 ‘TALKING ABOUT A POLL 99 @ vs Contents EMLLYS List Press Secretary Training ManualINTRODUCTION ¢ 6 Tneroduction ‘We prepared this manual to help train press secretaries, many with little or no experience, who are working or interested in working for pro-choice Democratic women candidates, particularly candidates for the U.S. House. ‘Throughout the manual, we use the ferninine pronoun whea referring to the candidate, and we sometimes focus on situations unique to women candidates, But itis by no means exclusively a manual for women’s campaigns, any more than itis a manual exclusively for the novice. Itis a comprehensive guide tha will be useful to anyone planning earned media strategy for a Democratic campaign. Ie lays out what you need to know when you need to know it, sezording to the ‘ypical phases of 2 campaign: secting up shop, setting the stage, engagement and end game. Ie designed to be accessible from any point or read from beginning to end. ‘Throughout the manual you will find checklists that will help you perform the duties of a press secretary, from setting up your affice and getting to know your candidate to planning a press conference and handling an unexpected crisis. Jargon is explained in the glossary; read it over before you start to 6 familiarize yourself with the language of the trade. ‘This manual should prepare anyone to run @ press operation on a modern campaign. Ivis the result of a great many hours of hard work and thought by a number of people, EMILY’ List would like to recognize those who contributed their expertise and assistance in its preparation: Contributors: Steve Snider, Jeanne Duncan, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, Ellen Moran, Tricia Primrose, Laura Quinn, Steve Rabinowitz, Marla Romash, Frank Wilkinson Advisors: Mary Beth Cahill, David Dixon, Pau! Donovan, Karin Johanson, Michael Meehan Contributing organizations: the offices of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Senator Dianne Feinstein and the National Committee for an Effective Congress Copyright © 1995 EMILY’s List Reprint by permission only Ellen R. Malcolm President ‘Mary Beth Cabill Executive Director @ EMILY’ List Prexc Secretary Training ManualDetermine what media dominates your market —a daily newspaper local television news? — and direct the bulk of your energy on that format. If it isn't featured in the dominant media covering your race, did ic really happen? ‘You will not always get coverage, particularly if your candidate is a challenger in a congressional race. Do aot brood over uncovered events. Take stock of your planning and strategy, figure out what happened (and if it could have been avoided), and move on. Talking to the media Do not lie, Do not make factual errors. Don’t be ashamed to say “I don’t know” to anyone. Find the answer and call back immediately. Always return phone calls quickly. Prepare your candidate. Know the news, the issues, your message, the teporters and their motivations, end communicate this to the candidate, 6 Do not assume the reporter is your friend, Do not assume the reportes is your enemy. You and the reporter have different jobs, understand the differences. ‘alk to reporters with a clear purpose. Prepare a specific agenda for each encounter. Know and respect deadlines. Use them to set your own deadlines (ie. best time to pitch a story, best time to schedule a news conference, last minute you can call to get your quotes into a story, ete.). Make sure you and the reporter you are talking to have the same understanding of terms like “off the record," “background” or “not for attribution,” and “deep background” before you use them. These phrases vary regionally and personally. Itis up to you to clarify your meaning every time with every reporter. On the records the reporter can use anything you say antl attribute the quotes to you. You are atways on the record wnless you clearly sp acherwise Off the record: the reporter cannot we the inferrnation yeu are groing him in the story. Note: he may use the information as be report, porbaps to find ancther soarce who will go on the record. Further note: sore ‘reporters wnty violate this trust if che quotes are irresistible. BE CAREFUL. @ + Overview -EMILY’s List Press Secretary Training ManualPHASE ONE: SETTING-UP SHOP © PRESS SECRETARY FUNDAMENTALS Your job A press secretary's job description changes from campaign to Campaign and depending on the experience and particular strengehs of each press secretary. Early in the campaign, your primary responsibilities are to: Establish your position within the campaign. Pur systems in place that will make your job easier in the months ahead. Complete projects thae will take you to the next phase of the campaign ‘The first thing to do is establish credibility and gain access inside the campaign. You must have access to the candidate and participate in the core decisions of the campaign if you are to be credible with the press. Press secretaries who are not credible cannot do their job, which hurts the campaign. If the candidate and the campaign manager do not trust the press secretary with confidential information, they should hire a new press secretary whom they do trust, (There may be, however, some decisions and information that you do not want to know so that you are not putin a position of lying to the press. These issues are often financial in nature.) Once you have access, use it. Let the staff know that communicating with the media is your job — but acknowledge that it is also your job to keep them informed about the campaign and provide them with talking points that place the campaign and the candidate in a positive light. Make certain everyone understands who is authorized to speak for the campaign (typically you, the campaign manager and the candidate) and enforce this rule, Press calls should always come to you first, regardless of whom the reporter asks for. This way, you will always know what the reporter is working on and who should respond to the request. Make a list of the names, telephone numbers and fax numbers of the campaign’ consultants and other key players who aren't in the headquarters every day — finance committee members, leaders of civic, labor and political organizations. Keep in touch with them via frequent memos abour the candidate’ television appearances, make it a habit to send them clippings fromQ) the newspapers and copies of approved speeches and talking points. This investment will pay off later. 10 Wrase Seeretary Fundamenils ~ ENGELS Lie Pres Seecany Tang Banal