8002 Media Relations Procedures Guide

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Aging Services
Administrative Manual

Chapter:

8000 Communications

Effective Date:

Section Title:

Media Relations Procedures Guide

Reviewed or Updated in:

2021-02

Section Number:

8002

Previous Update:

Summary Statement

The media relations quality goal of the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services is to provide media representatives with fast, convenient service; accurate, newsworthy information; and access to appropriate aging network contacts without delay.

Basic Considerations

Chapter 8002 addresses the following subjects:

  1. Media Requests

    How to provide timely service and route requests to knowledgeable, appropriate staff contacts

  2. Media Materials Development

    How to collaborate with staff contacts to develop high-interest news releases and other materials that are appropriate for a project’s publicity objectives, and

  3. Interviews

    C-1: How to represent the DHS Division of Aging Services as a credible, well-prepared interview subject

    C-2: How to arrange for willing clients to serve as interview subjects. (The Department of Human Services Photo Release Form is included as an appendix to this chapter.)

Procedures

Responding to Media Requests

Step 1

Request the reporter’s contact information and a deadline. If a reporter calls you directly, get the following information:

  • Name of Media Outlet

  • Deadline

  • Phone Number

  • E-mail Address
Step 2

Notify communications point people. Immediately notify the following individuals:

  • DHS Office of Communications

    • Director of the DHS Office of Communications

    • Deputy Director of the DHS Office of Communications

  • Division of Aging Services (DAS) Courtesy Copy to:

    • Your Section Manager

    • DAS Communications Liaison

    • DAS Deputy Director

    • Appropriate Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Director (if request is specific to one Planning and Service Area (PSA))

  • If there is any indication that the request involves a crisis or controversy, also notify the following:

    • DAS Director

    • Associate General Counsel for DAS
Step 3

The DHS Office of Communications will make initial contact with the reporter and will request follow-up action from designated DAS staff or the appropriate AAA.
Step 4

Under the direction of the Office of Communications, the DAS Communications Liaison will work with relevant DAS staff and/or the AAA to fill the reporter’s request.

Think on your feet & act fast.

Note that many reporters have short deadlines, and they may require an answer within as little as 20 minutes. Please follow the protocol above but also be mindful of time. If a staff contact is away from the office, find someone else who has the information and authority to help. Our aim is to provide the media with accurate, appropriate information as quickly as possible.

Developing News Releases and Other Materials

Considering an Appropriate Strategy

Questions to Consider:

  • Who are your audiences for the publicity effort?

  • What do you want your audiences to do or know as a result of hearing from the DHS Division of Aging Services?

  • Who are your stakeholders? What do they want?

  • Is a news release or another type of media material the best way to tell your audiences about your effort?

  • Would a news release be timely? (For example, does it tie to other trends, concerns or events in the community?)

  • Is the event, program, or project unique in some way? Does it change lives? Why would people care?

Common Materials

The brief descriptions of commonly used media materials, as listed below, are not official definitions. They are provided for users’ convenience.

  • News Release

    Has objective tone; uses news-style language; Should be no more than two pages (one page preferred)

  • Feature Release

    Tells a story from a human-interest angle; Popular with many weekly publications

  • Media Advisory

    Short alert formatted primarily for broadcast media; Serves as reminder for events happening soon

  • Print Public Service Announcement (PSA)

    Fully designed print ad offered in varied sizes; Size and placement vary based on media outlet

  • Broadcast Public Service Announcement (PSA)

    May be a fully produced “commercial”; May be a set of short scripts for radio announcers; Times typically range from 10 to 60 seconds. Airing times and frequency vary based on media outlet.

  • Letter to the Editor

    Vehicle for thematically tying consumer awareness information or program updates to related news stories; Should be submitted by appropriate ranking official quickly after a related high-impact news story appears

  • Op-Ed

    Short opinion piece located on or near editorial page; Requires pre-arrangements; typically exclusive usage

  • Pitch Letter

    Letter to a media representative that presents a topic or event as a story idea, suggests interesting coverage angles (ex. Ways to present the story in unique and engaging ways), and offers resources; works especially well for magazines.

How to Develop Materials

General Materials Development Procedure:

Step 1

Consult your Section Manager.
Step 2

Contact the DAS Communications Liaison about the idea and provide background information.
Step 3

Meet with the Office of Communications to discuss the following:

  • Public Relations Objective

  • Target Audience(s)

  • Time Frame

  • Collaborators/Stakeholders

  • Thematic Tie-Ins

  • Desired Outcomes

  • Promotional Vehicles

  • Quote Sources & Subject-Matter Experts

  • Other Details, as Necessary
Step 4

DAS will draft the media materials, submit them to you and your supervisor for review, and prepare them for internal circulation.
Step 5

After the DAS Director’s Office has cleared the draft materials, they will be submitted to the DHS Office of Communications for final review and distribution.

Note that some media materials may require a different set of preparation steps, depending on the format, collaborators, and time frame.

Interviews

How to Participate in Interviews

Step 1

Message Development: Know what your key message is and stay on track. (What do you want the public to know or do as a result of hearing or reading your interview? Your message should be action-oriented and easy to understand.)
Step 2

Media Research: The Office of Communications will familiarize you with the reporter, publication, and/or show in advance.
Step 3

Prepare for the Interview: An Office of Communications staff member will accompany and assist you.

Presentation Tips include:

  • Avoid use of jargon, acronyms, and obscure terms

  • Speak in short, clear sentences. Be animated but relaxed. Don’t mumble

  • In a broadcast interview, look at your interviewer and not at the camera

  • If you can’t answer a question, offer to find out the information. Never make up facts
Step 4

Get the Facts Right:

  • Review the subject of your interview in advance

  • Jot down important facts for quick reference

  • Anticipate complex questions and be prepared to provide strong answers

  • During your interview, quietly take note of the reporter’s key interests

  • Prepare an interview follow-up sheet to ensure that the reporter has correct spellings, titles, facts, websites, and background information. Please review the sheet with your Section Manager before sending it

    • If you couldn’t answer a question during the interview, this is a good time to provide the requested facts
Step 5

Final Documentation: Prepare a brief e-mail summary of the interview so that DAS can file the information and share it with the DHS Office of Communications. E-mail it to the DAS Communications Liaison. Send a “cc” to your supervisor and to the DAS Deputy Director.

How to Prepare Clients for Interviews

Step 1

Review & Discussion:

  • A media representative may ask for permission to interview a client. The media representative will usually first request this through the DHS Office of Communications

  • If a media representative contacts you directly, immediately forward the request to the Office of Communications. Also discuss the request with your Section Manager and the DAS Communications Liaison. They may involve other staff in the decision-making process about appropriateness and confidentiality.
Step 2

Regional Notification: If the request is acceptable, DAS or the Office of Communications will identify the most appropriate Area Agency on Aging and collaborate with the AAA director or designee, if needed, to identify a client and arrange logistics with the reporter.
Step 3

Written Permission: The AAA must obtain written permission from the client to participate in an interview. The DHS Photo Release Form is on the DHS Intranet. The AAA should file the signed original.
Step 4

Documentation: The AAA will be asked to e-mail a brief summary of the interview to the DAS Communications Liaison so that DAS can share the information with DHS Communications.

References

Department of Human Services Photo Release Form

Refer to the DHS Intranet, Office of Communications