On Message: Effective Communications for IAFF Affiliates

As the media spokesperson it is important to always be interview ready and know how to speak with the media on behalf of your union.

How to be an effective media spokesperson?
Proper preparation prevents poor performance! When talking with the media, preparation is key. Usually, the reporter or journalist you’re speaking to will have an agenda and so should you. Create a list of talking points that captures your message. Reporters will ask some tricky questions, so make sure you know every detail of your story to keep you in control of the message. Being a media spokesperson is an opportunity to tell your story with your words and your understanding of the subject. Don’t let the interviewer hog control. When sharing your message, be sure to use appropriate language. Avoid jargon, or terms that only fire fighters would understand.

To ensure that your union is being respectfully represented, follow these rules when talking with the media:

• Define your objective
• Plan a clear message
• Practice the art of persuasion
• Avoid the use of obvious propaganda
• Use the correct style and format
• Ask “Who Cares?” when developing messages
• Stay on target – don’t mix messages
• Be brief – command attention
• Use action words – calls to action
• Always remember you do media interviews for the benefit of your union, NOT the reporter.

What’s the terminology for a media spokesperson?

• On-the-Record –  Reporters can use any information given and quote anything you say. Assume every conversation you have with a reporter is on the record unless otherwise specified.
• On Background –  Reporters can use the information but not attribute it to you. Designate a title for attribution, such as “campaign strategist.”
• Deep Background – Reporters can use the information but not any quotes. This is just information for filling in the back story.
• Off-the-Record – Nothing discussed can be used, though if the reporter hears something newsworthy, he/she may try to get it on the record another way.
• Hooking – This is used to lead and interest your interviewer in your upcoming message.
  Ex. “But that’s not the most important finding.”
• Flagging phrases – These are used to emphasize a certain message.
  Ex. “The key thing to remember is…”
• Bridging phrases – These can help smoothly transition your story into the next topic and also help avoid difficult/unanswerable questions.
  Ex. “I can’t speculate on that, but what I can tell you is…” or “An additional aspect to consider is…”
• Connecting phrases – Similar to bridging, connecting phrases prepares the interviewer for your next sentence.
  Ex. “Let me add…”
  “And, don’t forget…”
  “That reminds me…”
  “That’s important because…”
  “Here’s a point I think your audience should know…”

Who is the target audience?
When talking to the media, it’s important to know what outlet is being used to cover your story. Television stations, newspapers, magazines and online news sites are all places where your story could be seen or heard. Each media type has a different mission, different audience and different delivery system. Be sure you know who you are speaking to, what they want to know and why before you give them any information. As a fire fighter, youe primary audience is your local community. Keep that in mind when speaking with the media about issues involving your local.

• Letters to the Editor
• Editorials
• Op-Eds 

Editorial Board Meetings
Most major newspapers have an editorial board, which is responsible for choosing topics and forming the newspaper’s opinions for editorials on current events. It is composed of all of the editors on the newspaper staff, which could range from five to 20, depending on the size of the newspaper. The Editorial Board is responsible for creating the collective opinion of the newspaper on current issues.

Why are editorial board meetings important to fire fighters and your local?
The editorial board determines the collective position of the newspaper on issues, which in turn has a big impact shaping public opinion. Therefore, your local leadership should meet with the editorial board a couple times a year in order to educate and convince the editors to support your issues and to write favorable editorials.

Meetings are a good opportunity to build positive relationships, present your positions or discuss unfair treatment. An editorial from a well-respected newspaper can have a significant impact on how the public treats your issues.  Moreover, the newspaper staff would rather hear positive input before an editorial appears than complaints afterwards.

How do I arrange an Editorial Board meeting?
Arranging a meeting with the editorial board is not difficult or complicated. Just call the newspaper and ask for the person who is in charge of scheduling editorial board meetings. Find out if there is an editorial writer who is assigned to or is interested in our issues.

Small papers may have only one editorial writer, who is often the editor. Large papers may have a staff of five to 10 editorial writers. If there is a reporter who would cover the issue, request that he or she join the meeting as well.

What is an editorial meeting like? 
You will probably only meet with two or three members of the editorial board – often the editorial editor, an editorial writer and perhaps the general reporter assigned to the issue at hand. You will most likely only have a half hour, so prepare your talking points accordingly and leave enough time for questions from the board.

How do I prepare for an editorial meeting?
Only bring those people who are crucial to effectively presenting your case. The local president should always attend, and perhaps the media relations person and a member of the union who is best prepared on the issue of the day.

Know all sides of the argument so that you are better able to defend your point of view against any opposition in the meeting. Before going into the meeting, catch-up on all the latest news regarding the issue. Be aware of how the newspaper has covered the issue in the past and who wrote the stories. If you disagree with the past coverage, be prepared to note the discrepancies.

Op-Ed Articles 
The term “op-ed” comes from “opposite the editorials,” because the op-ed pieces are placed on the page opposite the editorials in the newspaper. Op-ed articles are opinion articles about current issues that are written by people outside the newspaper staff. They are not editorials or news articles, both of which are written by a member of the newspaper staff. They differ from letters to the editor partly due to their length, but also because the author is typically considered somewhat of an expert in the subject. Op-eds also follow a specific format, whereas the only rule regulating letters is the length.

Why are op-ed articles important to fire fighters and your local?
Op-ed articles offer local unions the opportunity to present their opinions on an issue to a wide readership. While an op-ed serves essentially the same purpose as an editorial written by a staff reporter, it is more personal since it is coming directly from your union or someone the union asks to write the op-ed.

When should I write an op-ed article?
Since op-eds cover topical issues, write an op-ed whenever a big issue in current events is relevant to fire fighters. It’s beneficial to have basic drafts or templates of op-eds saved in your archives so that you can act quickly when a pertinent issue comes up. Develop templates and drafts on political issues, such as pensions and staffing, and store them for quick release.

How to write an op-ed:

• Start strong with an attention-grabbing sentence that will make the newspaper want to publish the article and make the readers want to read it.
• Pick a point and back it up.
• Even though op-eds are longer than letters to the editor, you still have limited space. Maintain one point throughout the entire piece, backing it up again and again with supporting facts and evidence.
• Consider the byline (the author). An op-ed is often chosen on the basis of who wrote it, so it may be the in the best interest of your local if the president “signs” the op-ed, rather than the media relations person. Of course, whoever is listed in the byline must give permission and must understand and agree with the points made.
• Include a bio line at the end. This should be a short sentence that briefly explains who is listed in the byline and why they’re important. Similar to the byline, this should impress both the newspaper and the reader with some level of prestige.

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor are a way of publicly voicing your opinion on a highly important issue, and can be very useful in shaping public opinion or informing the public on an issue. Letters to the editor reach a very wide audience and are among the most widely read features.

Why are letters to the editor important to fire fighters and your local? Similar to editorials and op-ed articles, fire fighters can use letters to the editor to address their issue(s) to a large audience. Letters to the editor can also be in response to a previous editorial, whether a positive review or a dissent.

How do I submit a letter to a newspaper? 
The best way to send a letter to the editor is actually not through the post office, but rather through an email. Emails are much faster than postal letters, and it’s much easier for the newspaper’s staff to transfer the letter to the publication’s layout than it is to type it into their computer. In addition, many news organizations now allow you to submit letters through a web form on their web site.

How do I write a letter to the editor?

• Open with a salutation: “To the Editor:” or “To the Editor of [newspaper name here]:”
• Grab the reader’s attention with your opening sentence.
• State your opinion clearly.
• Keep it short. Letters should be between 100 and 300 words. Some newspapers have policies regarding length, so check the editorial page or call the newspaper to ask.
• Include a call to action. Letters to the editor are not an opportunity to whine and complain, but rather to rally your readers to act – whether through voting or volunteering or other actions.
• Sign the letter with your full name and your title, if it’s relevant. Letters can also be signed by more than one person. Include all pertinent contact information, such as email address and phone number. Newspapers only print anonymous letters and articles under extremely special circumstances.

Will my letter get printed?
The likelihood of your letter being printed depends largely on the size and popularity of the newspaper receiving the letter. Larger newspapers receive more letters than smaller newspapers and, therefore, have to be more selective. Your letter has a better chance of being printed if it is well written, concise and articulate. If your letter is not printed the first time, revise it and try again.

What is crisis communication? 
Crisis communication is the opportunity to communicate with the public when an unexpected event occurs that could have a negative impact on your local union’s reputation.

Understanding crisis communication can play a significant role in transforming the unexpected into the anticipated and in responding accordingly in a crisis situation.

What is a crisis?
By definition, a crisis is an unexpected and detrimental situation or event. It is anything that disrupts normal operations, threatens the well-being of members, causes major media or government scrutiny, jeopardizes the public image of the local or the IAFF, or has a negative impact on the union’s ability to do normal business.

There are three forms of crises:

• Immediate surprise: a sudden event
  Example: A member doesn’t follow protocol while putting out a fire and someone gets hurt.
• Emerging threat: larger issues that may erupt in the future
  Example: Threatening political issues coming up in Congress or on the local level
• Sustained threat: ongoing problems and issues
  Example: Pensions, health care benefits, etc.

Crises can be caused by a variety of things, such as outside forces (political, community or natural), union member issues or union officer issues.

Why is a crisis communication plan important to fire fighters?
An effective crisis communication plan puts you in control of what may be a very volatile and confusing situation. Having a plan provides discipline and ensures accurate, timely and consistent information while eliminating rumors and misinformation. It can protect the local union and members and help you maintain relationships within the community.

What are effective crisis communication strategies?
Maintain favor with the news media by being readily accessible and transparent Avoid dependency on paper-based processes and streamline the communication process by supporting multi-channel communications, such as web sites, newspapers and social media. Deliver high-volume communication while maintaining information security. Most importantly, show empathy for the people involved in the crisis.

Crisis communication rules:

• Define the real problem
• Know the facts
• Identify and isolate a communication team and define the message for all communication team member(s)
• Have a centralized control of information
• Resist combative instincts
• Understand what the media wants
• Consider your audiences
• Be honest. DO NOT LIE!
• Write all statements
• Do not ad-lib or “wing it”
• Only release information once all facts are accurate and confirmed

When should local unions develop a crisis plan?
All IAFF locals should have an established crisis team and plan. If your local doesn’t have these yet, you should create them as soon as possible. Do not wait for a crisis to occur before establishing a crisis plan; rather, when a crisis occurs, use the crisis plan to deal with the situation.

How do I develop a crisis plan? 
Establishing a crisis communication plan starts with identifying a crisis team and identifying each member’s role and responsibilities before any crisis occurs. Provide rules and frameworks for decision-making so that things run more smoothly in the midst of a crisis.

How do I establish a crisis communication team? 
The crisis team should be comprised of members who are critical to the situation and can make decisions for the union. Put together a crisis communication team that will be responsible for responding effectively and quickly once it becomes clear that the crisis will become public. Make sure all of the union leadership in your local who needs to be involved in the public response are fully briefed. Develop a contact list for the team , including cell phone numbers, home phone numbers and email addresses. Share this contact list among the group.

Who is my audience? 
The key audiences during a crisis are city officials (elected officials, the city manager, the fire department, law enforcement, etc.), voters/taxpayers and union fire fighters (IAFF locals in the area, your local’smembers, etc.). Depending on the situation, the media can be either a member of the audience or a mouthpiece with your message.

When considering your audience needs, break the audiences into groups and think about the impact of breaking news on each. Set a plan for communicating with those groups that you can activate as soon as needed. Develop different messages and use different mediums to communicate with each group, but understand that there will be considerable overlap. So, while you will stress different things to different audiences, assume that something said to one group will be seen and heard by others.

Who should be the spokesperson for the local? 
Designate one individual as the primary spokesperson to represent the local, make official statements and answer media questions throughout the crisis. In some cases, the media spokesperson should not be a member or elected leader. Identify a backup to the designated spokesperson to fill the position in the event that the primary spokesperson is unavailable. Both the primary and secondary spokespersons, as well as other members of the crisis communication team, should be trained in the desired message. Tough questions and rehearsals are necessary to help prepare for audience interaction.

What is the message?
The message is the overarching positioning that you present to your audience. Develop a framework for telling the story and do whatever is possible to re-establish credibility. When mistakes have been made, openly admit them. Often, the cover up is considered worse than the original wrongdoing. Never lie about a situation – this damages your local’s credibility much more than the original crisis.

What are some potential messages?

• Public safety was never compromised
• We have been and will continue to be completely cooperative
• This is an unauthorized procedure
• There were several errors in judgment
• These were actions of a few individuals, and they are not representative of any organization or of all of the incredible men and women who risk their lives every day serving the city/town/municipality

What are some useful written materials?

• Draft media statements that are ready to use
• Prepare letters to members
• Write web copy
• Prepare information for social media, such as prepared tweets, Facebook posts and blog posts
• Develop other potential communication pieces you know are going to be needed, such as fact sheets or brochures

What are some other ways my local union can be prepared?

• Keep a complete, up-to-date membership list with emails and cell phone numbers
• Know issues of concern and have official and approved stances on major issues
• Keep a list of community organizations
• Understand your resources
• Make friends that care about your issues
• Keep photos that ready to use
• Be aware of and use communication channels
• Identify all opportunities
• Remember the stories and the messages
• Create accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and use them accordingly
• Identify the best ways to contact your specific audiences
• Establish a positive relationship with the media BEFORE you need them.

Helpful links:

• Basics of Crisis Communications
• PR Tips for Facing a Crisis
• The 10 Steps Of Crisis Communications
• Guidelines for Responding After a Tragic Event

Email Blasts

What is an email blast? 
An email blast is an email that you send to your subscribers – a group of people who have told you that they want to receive updates and notifications about your local union.

Why should your local use email blasts?
Email blast are a key tool that should be used to reach both internal and external audiences. While some locals use blasts as the primary tool to communicate with members, blasts can also be used to reach community groups, electeds and the media.

Locals may also want to use email blasts to dispense information about upcoming events in the community and what’s going on in other locals. You can also include information about pertinent political issues and legislation.

What are the benefits of an email blast?
An email blast is a quick and inexpensive way to communicate with members or other audiences. It is much faster and cheaper than other, more traditional forms of communication, such as telecommunication and direct mail. Furthermore, links in the email will drive traffic to your web site.

How do I write an email blast? 
Before writing and sending an email blast, take a moment to consider what you want to communicate to your subscribers. Take the time to write engaging content that is relevant to your readers, while keeping your message succinct. The purpose of email blasts is to build a relationship with your members and your readers, so avoid sending them sloppy and disorganized emails.

The subject title of your email should be pertinent to the content in the body, but also intriguing and exciting enough to entice the reader to open the email. Embed links in the body of the email to push readers to your web site for more information. Include a call-to-action for your readers and tell them how they can continue to follow the news or how they can help with an issue.

What is spam?
Spam is irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent on the Internet to a large number of recipients. Email spam, or junk email, is a subset of this that involves sending emails with links that send users to fraudulent web sites. Essentially, every email a user did not ask for is considered spam.

Why is spam relevant to fire fighters?
Locals need to be aware of spam for two reasons. First, your local can be held liable for spam if the rules aren’t properly followed. The federal CAN-SPAM law was created to eradicate illegitimate email practices that threaten the growth of the Internet marketplace. It gives people the right to block emails from organizations and inflicts penalties against those organizations. Avoid getting sued for spam by only sending email blasts to people who have signed up to receive them.

Second, fire fighters need to be aware of spam because sometimes Internet Service Providers (ISPs) mark non-malicious emails as spam. They have filters searching for certain criteria, and if your email blast meets such criteria, it will be sent directly to subscribers’ spam boxes. There aren’t any legal ramifications, but your readers won’t be getting the information they asked for.

Tips to avoid getting marked as spam:

• Don’t use false/misleading header information. From: To: Reply-To: and routing information must all be accurate and legitimate.
• Don’t write deceptive subject lines.
• Include an opt-out option and honor those requests.
• Avoid excessive exclamation points (Look at this!!!!!!!!!).
• Avoid all caps (HEY THERE, EVERYBODY)

To whom should fire fighters send email blasts?
Send your email blasts to your members, their friends and family, and people who are invested in your local union. Just remember, you must have permission from people before you send them emails.

How do I get people to sign up for my email blasts? 
There are several ways you can build your subscriber base:

1. Send individual email invitations to people you think may be interested asking them to sign up.
2. Set out an email blast sign-up sheet at any meetings or conventions.
3. Have a prominent place on your web site and social media pages where people can enter concise information to sign up for emails.

How often should I send email blasts? 
Establish a communication schedule, perhaps on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis. This will allow you to be prepared for an email blast, giving you enough time to plan what you’re going to write without feeling rushed.

Is there an easy way to manage all of this information?
Email marketing software helps you manage a database of your email subscribers and includes a platform in which you can compose email blasts. Here are a few to start with:

• MailChimp.com
• CampaignMonitor.com 
• ConstantContact.com 
• Salsalabs.com

Collateral materials are any printed resources that your union uses to educate members and the public about your local services, activities, political action and issues. Brochures, flyers and newsletters are examples of collateral materials.

Why are collateral materials important today? 
In this fast-paced world where most of our daily exchanges involve digital, social, and mobile data, print collateral materials can still be an integral part of a strategic communications program and can make a strong, striking and lasting impression.

These printed pieces, when designed, written and executed properly, can be just as effective as some of the more cutting-edge new media tools, depending on the target audience’s needs, habits, and behavior.

When it comes to promoting your local, it’s important to consider what types of collateral material are best suited to your communications objectives. Collateral materials can help explain aspects of the union’s work in a simple and more accessible way.

While there are some promotional items every local should have, like a basic Who We Are brochure, there are also highly specialized forms of material, such as direct mail or door hangers during an election, which can bring your message home.

Another example of the value of printed material is sharing a flyer at an event, which may be the timeliest way to connect with your audience. By providing a tangible piece of material in the hand of someone interested in your topic, you can capture their attention more than by telling them to, “Go to our website,” “send me an email,” or, “you can find us on Facebook.”

What are examples of collateral materials?
A brochure is small booklet that contains information and pictures about your local union and the services it offers. Your local could have two versions of this product, one for your members and another for the general public.

Flyers and leaflets are small handbills advertising an event, product, idea, issue or candidate.

A Fact Sheet has bulleted data and information about a particular issue, emphasizing key points.

Direct mail is a method of sending various printed materials to a target audience through the mail.

Door hangers are cardboard signs that are made to fit around a doorknob, and are used to deliver messages to people in those homes.

A newsletter presents information and news to our targets, whether local members and/or friends whose concerns are of interest to our union

What questions should be asked when creating collaterals?

• Who is the audience?
• What is the objective of the material?
• What is the main message that needs to be communicated?
• How can the message be organized so that it’s easily understood?
• Is the information presented in a simple and concise way?
• Is the information accurate?
• Does the material catch the reader’s attention?
• Does the material reflect the union’s brand?
• Does the material have contact information?
• Does the message have a call to action?

How much impact does design and layout have in communicating a message?
Even the best-written pieces can fall flat because they have been designed so poorly that no one reads the material. A great many IAFF locals don’t take the time necessary to make their materials look professional. A full-page, type-written Word document is not a flyer!

Design and layout play a key role in success of communicating your message and here are a few things you can do to help make them more appealing.

Balance is the way your words, pictures and graphics are placed on the page. Is the design symmetrical? Does it look cluttered? Are the words and pictures evenly aligned? Do the pictures/graphics tell the story without words?

Graphics and charts can provide a great deal of information and help in telling your story. If used, make sure graphics and charts are not too complex.

Photographs and illustrations should be used to tell your story. Remember the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. The right picture can cut down on the words you need to use.

Selecting the right font and font size can make the difference in readability. This means no fancy cursive or miniature wording.

A few final thoughts:

• Your local might want to prepare and use a style guide so that there is consistency across the collateral materials with regard to word usage, font size, bullets, numbering and heading styles.
• Keep it simple. Use commonly used language. Do not use fire-ees, union-ees or legal-ees.
• Always think about what experience your reader is likely to undergo while reading your collateral.
• Do not forget to have someone copy edit all of the material.
• Always check and double check numbers, dates and locations.