ALR Sodalis Workshop Remarks, “GET ME INTO THE NEWS (Get Me Out of the News)

Horseshoe Bay Resort

January 26, 2014, 9:00 AM

(SHOW SLIDE 1 – GET ME INTO THE NEWS; GET ME OUT OF THE NEWS)

· Good Morning. I want to thank Pastor Brent Taylor, FBC Carrollton for extending an invitation on behalf of the committee to join you today at Sodalis…

· At first I was confused – why isn’t S0-Dallas in Dallas, but when I Googled the word, I learned it is a Latin derivative, from “suesco,” meaning “I am used to” – so I am going to talk about ministry communications, which is what I am used to…

· But the application is “companion, mate, comrade, crony – accomplice, conspirator.

· In that context, I come not as a teacher, or someone who has arrived, but as an accomplice, a co-conspirator in the Gospel, seeking best practices about how we might better impact culture for the Kingdom.

· And I am grateful to Pastor (Brent) Gentzel for his introduction.

(SLIDE 2) – TIME COVER

· In case you are wondering, about TIME magazine: that is true, I was named Man of the Year in 2006 – but so were you – Congratulations!!!

· ALR INTRODUCTION

For the past nearly 33 years, I have had the challenge and privilege to restore “faith in the media” by providing cross-over communications at the intersection of faith and culture.

(SLIDE 3) - ALRC LOGO – Values-added Public Relations that Defines Values

· A. Larry Ross Communications was founded in 1994 to help restore “faith in the media,” by helping churches and parachurch ministries tell their stories in context of traditional news values that reporters need to communicate with their audiences.

· In the process, hopefully we have been able to give Christian messages relevance and meaning in mainstream media.

· I have found it very fulfilling to place positive news and feature stories about faith and faith leaders who regularly share biblical truth – without compromise – to and through mainstream media who often don’t share their views.

§ But it isn’t about lifting up a man or a ministry, but rather the name of Jesus, in a cultural context. I Chronicles 16:24 talks about publicity from a biblical perspective:

(SLIDE 4) - I CHRONICLES 16:24 (NLT)

“Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does.”

· With so much negative news in the world today, many are asking, “Where is the good news?”

(SLIDE 5) BILLY GRAHAM QUOTE

· Several years ago Mr. Graham told a group of foreign correspondents:

“We are both in the news business. You seek to give people the ‘hard news,’ the facts about what is happening in the world around us. I seek to give them ‘Good News’ about what can happen inside, in the heart, when they turn to God. The word ‘Gospel’ means ‘Good News.’”

Evangelist Billy Graham

· The same is true for you and your ministry. You can provide the Good News behind the bad news, and a balance to the news stories of the day, as you tell the positive story of lives changed as a result of your ministry in the context of traditional news values.

· But, you can’t take it for granted that your ministry is understood or appreciated by everyone in your community.

(SLIDE 6) – PR AXIOM

· There is an old PR adage

“It’s not that people don’t know so much, but that they know so much that ain’t so.

· The need for strong public relations programs in the church has never been more imperative. At the same time, technology is providing unprecedented channels of opportunity.

(SLIDE 7)

In order to remain relevant and vital, the Church must know how to interpret its message convincingly and present it to the community.

· Sometimes it is a personal problem to which a person can relate, other times it is a societal problem in the community or our nation. Whatever the issue, what is important is that the media’s reporting of your message and mission greatly expands the potential to reach a much broader audience with the Gospel.

(SLIDE 8) CHURCH MINISTRY NEWS POTENTIAL

· The media are interested in you and your ministry when you are making news – either by what you do or what you say.

· You must present your story in the context of traditional news values. (Do not expect the media to promote your organization or publicize your event.)

· When approaching secular media on behalf your church, try to lead with elements that don’t require a reporter to be of like mind and faith to see it as news.

· In the short time I have, I thought I would like to list a Baker’s Dozen of Communications Principles I have both observed and implemented on behalf of Christian leaders and local ministries that you can apply to your church to bring that about.

HOW TO POSITION YOUR MINISTRY AS NEWS

(SLIDE 9) –

1. UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF STORY

o John 20:30 – And Jesus did many other signs…these are written that you might believe

o Stories are the vessels of meaning

o Every story has a beginning, middle, end

(SLIDE 10) – DAN AND THE ELEPHANT

I want to share a simultaneously touching and powerful story I heard recently:

In 1986, Dan Harrison was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University in Illinois.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son.

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son, Dan Jr., were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Dan summoned up his courage climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

(SHRUG) Probably wasn't the same elephant!

PAUSE………..

I hope that yarn touched your heart like it did mine. 

Seriously, so, why did I share this ridiculous story?

Let me suggest three reasons, or possible take-aways; some of you may have more – but please, no emails from the elephant advocates.

1. This is an example of the power of story, and how you can be pulled into a narrative in just a few moments and greatly impacted. Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and we are going to talk about

2. Another media take-away from the elephant story, like Dan, you may have had a good prior experience with the media, but the next time you tried to get friendly, were trampled to death. That doesn’t mean you should shy away from media liaison, but rather find the right way to approach and attract media attention.

3. Thirdly, some of you might have thought that Dan was rather naïve in his assumption that “an elephant never forgets.” Elephants DO forget, and people do, as well.

But once you have a negative story out there, thanks to the Internet and bloggers, it will probably be ensconsed in databases and remain in the public domain for a long time.

(SLIDE 11) –

2) Recognize Colliding Worldviews

between Ministry and Media

• They represent Zeitgeist- we represent Holy Spirit

• They expect visible, measurable – we say there is a larger meaning

• They can’t hear because of the collision of views

Ex: Morning Show request for Rick Warren at Easter

(SLIDE 12) -

3) Be aware you ultimately represent not just your church or ministry, but the Kingdom of God.

• Approach media a ministry, not marketing; stay pastoral, not political

• In your zeal for a story, don’t overlook personal/spiritual needs of a reporter

• Remember, reporters are human being who may be seeking or in need of your message or ministry. We’ve had a number of journalists put down their pens, cameras and cynicism and go forward from the press bench at a Billy Graham crusade.

(SLIDE 13) -

4) Like a missionary in a foreign culture, learn what interests reporters and find common ground with them

· Approach Media as ministry, not marketing.

· Don’t manufacture an image; instead project your existing identity

· Focus on things that don’t require a reporter to be of like mind and faith to see it as news.

Start by getting to know the religion editor in your hometown. Take them to lunch to develop a relationship – when they need a source, they will call you.

· Many ministries make the mistake of going hat in hand to the media, saying, “We do a good work – will you promote our organization or publicize our event.”

· The sad reality is that most mainstream outlets could give a flying flip – all they care about is creating a quality program or publication that is of interest to or relevant to their audience.

· Your job is to tell them why your story is of interest to their readers, listeners or viewers.

(SLIDE 14) -

5) Don’t Confuse Good Intent With Good Content

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(SLIDE 15) -

6) When possible, insert Your church into the News Flow

• Demonstrate your story as representative of a larger trend

• Put the Gospel in a cultural context

1. One way to determine if something is news or merely of parochial interest is to ask yourself whether you would care about this story if it involved another church or ministry.

(SLIDE 16) -

7) As pastor/Christian leader, position yourself as an authoritative media resource (or source expert) on spiritual/cultural issues

• Make yourself available

CNN – bring us people who can speak into stories we are already covering.

(SLIDE 17) –

Interview Availability for Providence Forum Historian Says George Washington Set Precedent for Faith’s Role in Public Life

(SLIDE 18) -

(8) If It’s Newsy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands

• Reunion Church

• Bent Tree Bible Fellowship

(SLIDE 19) -

(SLIDE 20) -

(9) Be known for who you are, not what you are against

· Self-define your ministry, rather than allowing media or others with an agenda do so

· Educate the media and their audiences about your ministry, rather than merely inform them about your activities.

Gus Niebuhr, religion editor of the New York Times, suggests ministry representatives look at religion as a shaping force in what happens in society. Identify where your church and ministry intersects other forces like politics, economics, business, social development, etc.

(SLIDE 21) -

10) Project relevance by driving the narrative – especially towards Millennials

• Ensure clear communications channels

o Clean, informative website – heavy graphics and video

o Utilize social media to fullest extent

(SLIDE 22) -

(SLIDE 23) -

11) Emphasize local impact through changed lives

• Proximity

• Timeliness

• Leverage human interest

(SLIDE 24) –

NASCAR Driver Encourages Inner-City Kids to Stay in School – ALRC release

(SLIDE 25) -

First Baptist Church of Dallas To Implode Four Buildings Oct. 30 – ALRC release

(SLIDE 26) -

12) Optimize your media releases

· (Use headlines that catch an editor’s eye)

(SLIDE 27) –

Packers’ Pickett Offers Regrets For Missing National Porn Sunday_ ALRC Release

(SLIDE 28) -

Is Evangelism Dead in our 21st Century, Technology-Driven Culture? ALRC Release – evangelist Jay Lowder on social media opportunities for Gospel

(SLIDE 29) –

No Arms, No Legs, No Limits – ALRC release on Nick Voicic memoir, “Life Without Limbs”

(SLIDE 30) –

Best-selling author, Angela Thomas asks God: ‘Do You Know Who I Am?’and other questions women ask.

(SLIDE 31) –

Porn Has Gone Mobile – Addiction expert Craig Gross releases accountability app

(SLIDE 32) -

13) Stand for something – have something to say

(SLIDE 33) –

Author Encourages Readers to Question Their Religion – ALRC release on Pastor Rollins challenging believers to think through explosive PR questions

(SLIDE 34) -

Single and Pregnant in Church? – ALRC release re: NE suggesting need for more practical discussion on abortion in the church

(SLIDE 35) –

When the Miracle Doesn't Come – ALRC release from Joni & Friends on Unaswered Prayer

(SLIDE 36) –

'Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus' - Poet Jefferson Bethke Talks Jesus, Religion (Christian Post)

(SLIDE 37) -

· Closing Thought

Several Years ago “Time” magazine had a back page essay by Roger Rosenblatt entitled “What Should We Lead With”

SLIDE

“Journalists put the question impractical terms: What should we lead with? The rest of the population asks more generally: What Matters Most? They come to the same puzzle: Survey events in a given period of time and try to come up with the single moment, the headline, by which the world may be characterized, stopped in its spin.

“What should we lead with” What matters most? What we confront in making such choices is not the events alone, but ourselves; and it is ourselves we are not able to place in order. The question is not what the press decrees in this week’s news. The question is us. What should we lead with? What Matters most?”

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· What matters most to you? In a society that places a great deal of emphasis on busyness, are you known more for what you do than for who you are?

· What matters most to you as a person and a pastor? If a reporter were to write a story about your life, what would be the lead?

· A visiting minister at our church recently put it this way: “Whatever happened to what happened to you?”

o God isn’t impressed with our ABILITY, He is concerned by our lack of AVAILABILITY.

o He isn’t moved by our TIME ON THE JOB in ministry, but our LACK OF TIME for Him.

o He doesn’t care about how much we are TRYING, but how little we are TRUSTING.

o God says, “Be Holy, because I am Holy,” not “ACT HOLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY COME TO CHRIST.”

· We can’t get so busy being caught up in what we are DOING for the Lord, that we miss out on his BLESSING for our lives.

· For Me, Knowing Christ has made a difference in my priorities.

· Senate Chaplain Dick Halversen put it this way:

“You’ve got to treat yourself as a zero. If you stretch may zeros out in a row you still have zero. But, if you put a one in front of it, there is no limit to what you can have—one million, one billion, one trillion. Jesus Christ is the one. He can multiply your power and you’re efficiency many times. He can give us meaning to zero of our lives.”

· What matters most in your life? Is it something temporal, or something that will never change?

· As Mr. Graham once told a Chicago audience:

“We need to reintegrate truth and theology into all of our lives so that we are a community defined by truth, united by truth and guided by truth. The modern world waits to see our response to questions and challenges such as these.”

· God bless each of you this week and in the challenging year ahead.

SLIDE 38 – ALRC LOGO

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SLIDE 39 – FOR SECOND SESSION

GET ME OUT OF THE NEWS (PAPER AIRPLANE)

(SLIDE 40) –

NEGATIVE NEWSWORTHIES

(SLIDE 41) –

GOOD NEWS – YOU ARE NOT HERE (TABLOID)

GET ME OUT OF THE NEWS

No organization or ministry is immune to a crisis. Crisis communication concerns the second reality in any emergency -- what people think has happened, or what they perceive. There is an old PR axiom that says, “It’s not that people don’t know so much, but they know so much that ain’t so.”

With proper planning, there can be a positive side to a crisis. According to Webster, a crisis is “A turning point for better or worse; a decisive moment; a crucial time; accentuation that has reached a critical phase.”

When a crisis occurs, here is the Top Ten List of ways to turn the negative into a positive:

1 Be prepared - have a crisis plan

2 Be advised - appoint and train a crisis management team

3 Be informed - make a list of possible crises

4 Be mindful - predetermine an action for each potential crisis

5 Be calm - from the onset, do not panic

6 Be in charge - manage the story, begin damage control

7 Be informative - with you or without you, the story will run, so make your side known

8 Be forthcoming - just say “no” to “no comment” -- in a crisis, silence is not golden

9 Be knowledgeable - have a spokesperson at the ready

10Be discerning - guard your credibility, remember Who you ultimately represent

Negative stories media consider newsworthy:

1. Conflict. Reporters are professional storytellers, and good stories have conflict. If you disagree with a competitor’s approach, for example, you’re more likely to receive coverage than if you agree. 2. Incident. Anything that goes wrong has the potential to become newsworthy, such as an industrial explosion, a car crash, or a school shooting. 3. Scandal. The Congressman who hides money in his freezer, the hedge fund manager who rips off his clients, and the music mogul who murders his companion are almost guaranteed to be deemed newsworthy. 4. David vs. Goliath. In many stories, there is a “big guy” and a “little guy.” Since the media often view their role as being the protector of the exploited, the little guy usually receives more sympathetic coverage. 5. Incompetence. The corporate executive, politician, or celebrity who can’t seem to get it right will almost always draw the critical eye of the press. 6. Hypocrisy. I saved my favorite for last. Say you’re an anti-gay rights politician who gets caught with a gay lover. Or the president of an animal shelter who’s caught abusing animals. There are few stories as delicious to reporters as powerful people betraying their own publicly-stated positions—and they’re almost guaranteed to remain in the headlines for days or weeks.