Guerrilla PR 2.0

by Michael Levine

  Yet, despite its deficiencies, TV news can be more dramatic and memorable than any other shared experience. From the death of a president in 1963 to the 9/11 attacks in 2001; from Watergate to Interngate, the Gulf War to the crumbling of the Soviet Union to the burning of L.A. after the Rodney King verdict to the invasion of Iraq, television news has given shape and meaning to the events of our time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  Your main task is knowing whom to contact. Don’t worry about getting yourself on the CBS Evening News (though I hope that’s part of your long-term game plan). Instead, concentrate on local outlets first. You may have a wealth of choices, especially if you live in one of the top twenty-five U.S. markets.

  Most cities have affiliates of all four major networks. Each has its own news division. Many independent stations have their own news programs as well. In L.A., we have the big four (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox), CNN, the CW, Fox News, three independents, PBS, and several UHF channels with news programming, including two in Spanish and others in Korean, Japanese, Farsi, and Chinese. There are countless local cable outlets for each section of the city and its suburbs.

  Most news programs run credits at the end, especially on Fridays. Look for the names of assignment or planning editors. Those are your initial contacts. TiVo the news one night and freeze-frame on the credits (they go by pretty quickly). Write down the names of anyone with the title “producer” or “news editor.” Send them your written material. All newsrooms have “future files,” and everything sent gets looked at, considered, and put in the file. If the station has full-time medical, business, or consumer reporters, and your project applies, you may contact the reporter directly, but generally it’s prudent not to call a reporter. He or she would have to check with the assignment editor anyway, who might be miffed if bypassed.

  Be current with the station’s format. Know the anchors, the reporters, the weather and sports staffs. Once you make the call, proceed much as you would with a newspaper editor. The assignment editor handles that day’s schedule; the planning editor looks ahead to the next few days, so depending on when and what you’re pitching, you’ll know whom to ask for.

  Reiterate the main points of your press release, make your pitch, and remember to keep visuals uppermost in your mind, because that’s how TV tells its stories (and, of course, record everything on your tracking sheet). The editor will not promise you anything. Crews are always scarce, and even when editors say they’ll be there, all it takes is one apartment fire, and the crew meant for you is off on a new assignment. Because TV news, especially local news, is unable or unwilling to delve into thoughtful analysis, its coverage tends to be shallow. Because it emphasizes image, it tends to cover stories on the basis of their photogenic appeal rather than their intrinsic news value. Given all that, TV news is much more open to the influence of publicists than are newspapers.

  Station personnel may ask themselves, “Are we being used?” when contacted by publicists. Sometimes even when the answer is “yes,” they’ll cover the story anyway. That exclusive videotape of the world’s largest pizza is just too good to refuse. They may acknowledge on the air that it’s a promotional event they’re covering, but cover it they do.

  That doesn’t absolve you from trying to pitch a genuine news angle, much as you would to a newspaper. If you are the author of a book on, say, work stress, and you need a news peg to hang your pitch on, tie it into a broader subject like increased lawsuits stemming from on-the-job stress. You relieve the station from crassly promoting your book, you’ve given them a news angle, and you’ll be the “expert” they interview on the subject.

  I mentioned the overwhelming impact of time on the newscast. It’s a real concern. Commercial breaks come when they’re supposed to come, and any interview, no matter how compelling, will be dumped in a second if the floor director mimes a knife slicing across his throat. However, in another way, time has opened up dramatically in television. Not many years ago, the TV news day lasted at most ninety minutes, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Now, it often starts at 6:00 AM, continues until 9:00, reappears at noon, breaks until 4:00 PM, then continues until 7:00. In L.A., one independent station begins its nightly newscast at 8:00 PM and ends at 11:00 PM. Taking the entire day into account, that’s a lot of time to fill.

  For twenty-four-hour cable news outlets, there never is a bad time. Those are national stations, however, and harder to crack with a local story. Often they will pick up stories from local affiliates, so start your quest with the locals and hope that the work and the reporter are impressive enough to make your story worthy of a look on a larger level. You never know.

  Even though TV news limits the amount of time devoted to one subject (other than on Nightline or News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS), the impact is great. As one news director for a local network news operation told me, “Five minutes of undivided attention is better than a distracted glance at a newspaper.”

  If TV news decides to cover your event, make sure you have the proper contact names at the station, and get direct phone numbers. Going through a main switchboard is like trying to get through to the pope. Make sure your times are synchronized, and meet the crew at the appointed hour. Get cell phone numbers if you can, because that’s how most of these people operate: they’re rarely in their own newsroom, but always reachable by cell. After you’ve made contact, give the reporter your cell number, and hope that he responds in kind. If he doesn’t, be more forward, and ask.

  Escort them where they need to go, but don’t be too pushy. These people have done this sort of thing a million times before, and they know what they’re doing. Help them get started, then get out of their way.

  If you’re the one being interviewed, you can finally pat yourself on the back as a full-fledged Guerrilla: you set up your own campaign and made yourself the focal point. But being on camera is an art unto itself, and I address that in detail later in this chapter.

  Tips & Traps

  Never call a TV news department in the afternoon. Everyone is getting ready for the broadcast. Always call in the morning. Obviously, this doesn’t apply for a twenty-four-hour news channel, but it does for a reporter whose show is on at a specific time each day. Figure out her schedule, and work around it.

  Avoid calling during sweeps months (February, May, and November) unless you have something that either feeds their ratings mentality or is genuinely significant news.

  Stunts, like sending custom coffee mugs or showing up at the station dressed in a silly costume, don’t work anymore. News personnel are far too busy to watch the parade go by.

  Here’s a tip from a news director: The best times to get on TV news are weekends, holidays, and the day after holidays. Business and government offices are closed, making these invariably slow news days. Try to arrange your coverage on those days.

  Weathercasters often mention upcoming local goings-on in their reports, especially charity-related events. Consider that as an option.

  The national morning shows are among the crown jewels of desirable publicity outlets. Their audiences number in the many millions, and in some ways the big three—Today, Good Morning America, and The Early Show on CBS—set the tone for the news day around the world. They, like the national network news programs, are also among the most difficult to get on. But as former Good Morning America entertainment producer Jane Kaplan notes, “We have two hours of programming each day that must be filled. We’re open to anyone who has a good idea.”

  Keep in mind, too, that some of the morning shows have special extended versions that include local segments. Today in New York is still the Today Show but will not broadcast nationally. If you have a local story that will work and has broad appeal, that might be a place to pitch.

  Approaching the morning shows is not much different from your appeal to any other outlet. E-mail first, follow up with a call, and get right down to business with the producer you contact. The key here is framing your story with that universal theme anyone can relate to. If you own a
retail outlet and you’re offering something unusual to draw customers, tell the morning shows that you’re demonstrating what one small-business owner can do to combat the recession. If you sell electronic equipment, tell them you’re levying your own voluntary symbolic tariff to protest unfair foreign trade practices.

  This is your chance to go for something grandiose: What also works for the morning shows—and anyone for that matter—are stories that pack an emotional wallop. Touching medical miracles, odd animal escapades, and gripping scenes of urban violence will always wind up on any news program, morning, noon, or night. If you have some way of pulling on heartstrings to pitch your story, that will help your chances immeasurably. Morning shows—and I’m not being a sexist here, the data will bear me out—are largely watched by women, so stories that will appeal to women will have a better chance with the assignment editors there.

  Public affairs is a relatively small segment of TV programming but a significant one. Most licensed television stations devote a percentage of their broadcast time to public affairs. If your project in any way serves the community at large as a social service or local improvement effort, look into public affairs programs as an outlet. They may not devote an entire show to you alone, but as part of a roundup or overall theme, you can be included on a panel. Check with your local PBS affiliate; they have many public affairs programs and a constant need for experts on specific topics.

  Regarding cable and public access, many new shows are popping up all over. If you receive cable or satellite TV, study your online guide for news, infotainment, and public access programs. Watch them and see how and where you might fit in. Small shows are more willing to take chances on lesser-known guests. They aren’t always seen by large audiences, but they make for excellent video press kit clips for future use, and they give solid practice for the big time, i.e., the national talk shows. Public access TV is so wide open that you can create your own show and book yourself as sole guest on every segment. Of course, that may be too ambitious for you, but you’d be amazed by how many people watch public access cable.

  As for the infotainment and talk shows, these outlets could turn out to be the most important aspect of your TV campaign. And they’re not as hard to get on as you might think. I’m told by a friend who worked there that 25 percent of the themes for Sally Jessy Raphael’s show came from viewer mail, and I’ll bet that statistic holds up for most of the talk shows. You can suggest yourself as a guest, and by doing so with artful persistence, you’ll be remembered and called on when the theme for the show is right.

  One author of a book on men and women wrote to the Oprah Winfrey Show with this intriguing hook: “Contrary to popular belief, men do not discriminate. They are equally unethical to both sexes.” Soon after, she was kibitzing on the air with Oprah. As with any other media outlet, before you contact a show, study it. TiVo a week’s worth. Get a feel for the interests and moods of the host. Read the credits to learn key staff names. Then, contact them in the usual way: send a press release and kit, wait a few days, then make your call. Let me reiterate: Don’t call them cold. These people are far too busy to talk to strangers, and you will kill your chances of making it on the show if you call before you write.

  Once you have sent the material and you’re ready to make that call, ask for the producer, assistant producer, talent coordinator, or talent booker by name. These people put together the show and its guest list. Of course the host has input, but he or she usually comes into the process later on. Your first hurdle will be the producers.

  By now you know to vary your pitch depending on the outlet. The talk shows need something spicy. I’m not saying you have to falsely inject sex appeal, but you need to find a theme that works for them. If I were pitching the Youth Center, I’d stress the sensational issue of drug-related gang violence. That’s an electrifying subject, one that will spark discussion, and it can be developed into a theme for a show.

  A friend of mine once represented an author of a book on movie flubs. He pitched Geraldo at Academy Award time for a show based on Oscar’s greatest goofs. The producer loved it, and the author did the show, selling many books as a result. The key was shaping a theme to fit both the show and the project. But keep in mind that these shows are highly competitive. If Oprah books you, don’t expect to appear on The View the next day. That goes for local shows as well.

  If you persuade the producer to book you, your next hurdle is the pre-interview. This is akin to a trial to determine whether you’ll prove an interesting guest. As Trisha Daniels of the Maury Povich Show says, “The entire on-air segment is based on the pre-interview. I’ve seen segments canceled because of a bad pre-interview.”

  Remember, the talk shows don’t care about your project; they care about producing a watchable show. If they determine you’re not watchable, you’re not going on. If they decide you fit the bill, and your project gets a plug, so much the better for you, but it’s of no consequence to them. So you have to pull out all the stops on the pre-interview. Whether by phone or in person, imagine your pre-interview is the real thing. Muster all the charm, charisma, eloquence, and insight you can when talking with the producer. Stay focused on the merits of your project or issue. Use every great line in your repertoire. Show humor, intelligence, and, if possible, controversy. They love controversy.

  If you own a restaurant and you’re militantly for or against smokers’ rights, let them know. If you’re an entertainer and you feel strongly about censorship, express yourself. Don’t be afraid of your own convictions. They serve you well on talk-show TV.

  Image and Essence: A TV Guest Prepares

  Self-improvement books overflow with cute little phrases to help readers remember the authors’ infinite wisdom. I begin this discussion with a cute little phrase: SOCO, or single overriding communications objective. When discussing your project on TV—or anywhere, for that matter—you’ll be home free if you boil your message down to its SOCO.

  TV is about image, the visual image we see and the intuitive image we sense. Your message should be concise to the point of haiku when you convey it on television. Practice by writing two paragraphs defining your project and its aims. Now, cut that by 50 percent. Cut it again by another 50 percent. Continue cutting until you’re left with two sentences. Using correct grammar, combine the two into one. That’s your SOCO. Everything you say to an interviewer should emanate from this central theme.

  With TV, it’s not what you say but how you say it and how you look when you say it. Ninety-five percent of communication on TV is non-verbal. So demeanor and appearance play an enormous role in communicating your message. When Christine Craft was fired from her anchor position at a local TV news outlet simply because of her less-than-glamour-queen looks, many people were outraged by this seemingly crass and sexist move. I, however, was not. Anchors are paid to read news and attract viewers. If they turn viewers off, they have failed. Usually, in this country, that means a pink slip. I don’t condone it; I merely recognize it as a matter of immutable fact.

  On the other hand, CBS was criticized roundly in 2007 for hiring Katie Couric to be the first solo female anchor of an evening newscast, because it was considered a cosmetic move—one that was more about the way the anchor looked than the performance being delivered, measured by journalistic standards.

  I had no problem with Couric. If America wanted a kinder, gentler anchor who happened to look really good, I thought that was fine. But there was a problem: America didn’t want Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News. The proof was in the ratings. Although Couric started out very strong, her ratings quickly plummeted, and immediately the sharks started to circle. Was it a “colleague” who leaked potentially damaging information about Katie to the Philadelphia Inquirer? Did Dan Rather really refer to Katie when he said CBS was “tarting up” the news?

  It didn’t matter: the ratings were low, and the public wasn’t interested. Looks aren’t everything.

  Not only must the message be compelling, but so mus
t be the messenger: you. Most people’s analysis of their own social abilities is much too harsh. They perceive deficiencies within, but go overboard in self-criticism. The trick is not to add unfamiliar traits to your TV personality but to keep at bay those traits that don’t work for the camera. We all conjure this perfect person in our heads, trying to look and sound like Diane Sawyer or Jon Stewart. But we never measure up. I implore you to remove the judgments.

  Are you shy and funny? Outspoken and contentious? Serious yet insightful? Don’t change who you are. Just withhold the negative traits while accentuating your strong points. Observe TV personalities you admire. They share one common quality: they’re relaxed. That’s because they’re comfortable being who they are. They’re settled in. I’ve met many of them, and off camera they’re remarkably similar to their on-camera persona. Their image mirrors their essence. All well and good. But how do you then translate that to the experience of being on TV? Keep in mind a few simple rules:

  Know your material. How many times will I say it? You should be so prepared—if Regis Philbin woke you in the middle of the night and asked you an obscure question about something remotely connected to your project, you’d immediately be able to answer intelligently! And don’t talk in jargon! Speak in plain English.

  Seek congruence with the interviewer. The interviewer is the boss, so you have to quickly get a feel for his or her rhythm and direction. Think of the interview as akin to riding a horse. As equestrians adjust their bodies to match the gait of their animal, so should you adjust your attitude to the temperament of the interviewer. If he’s rapid-fire, couch your answers in a compatible fashion. If she’s probing and antagonistic, appear understanding and forthcoming.

  Slow down. If you want to appear edgy and unsure, speak fast. If you want to sound confident and intelligent, speak slowly. I know this is hard to do, because in my early interviews I tended to speak much too rapidly. You have to consciously will yourself to decelerate. If you do, I guarantee you will not only sound more relaxed but also feel more relaxed.