171025 ALR PR, “Stepping off the Curb into Media Traffic at the Intersection of Faith and Culture,” Bob Roberts Interfaith Forum, Casablanca, Morocco

Stepping off the Curb into Media Traffic

at the Intersection of Faith and Culture

Bob Roberts Interfaith Forum

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Casablanca, Morocco

Welcome

· First, I want to thank:

o His Majesty the King _______, for his hospitality in bringing our delegation to this beautiful country;

o __________________ and ______________ for organizing this conference;

o and my good friend and fellow Texan, pastor Bob Roberts, for the invitation to attend and to join my distinguished media colleague, Mark Galli, to present to you today

· I bring you greetings from the US House and Senate Prayer Groups, which sponsor the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, and International Foundation, through which Pastor Roberts and I have traveled extensively in recent years meeting with government and inter-faith leaders to lift up Jesus and promote peace and understanding and reconciliation.

· As was mentioned in the introduction, I have been involved in corporate and Agency public and media relations during a career spanning more than four decades.

Larry Ross Communications

· For the past nearly 24 years, I have headed up a Dallas-based Public Relations firm co-founded with my wife in 1994 to help restore “faith in the media,” by helping churches and parachurch ministries tell their story 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.

· The Agency regularly operates at the intersection of faith and culture, through crossover communications efforts emanating from or targeted to the Christian market.

· Beginning in 1981, I have had the opportunity and privilege to serve as principle media spokesperson for international evangelist Billy Graham.

· Because of that relationship, we have represented numerous other individual organizations in the Christian arena.

· But, we have also operated in the reverse direction, representing individuals and organizations with a vital message targeting the faith community, particularly Christian, such as we did for Mel Gibson and “The Passion of The Christ.”

· Our mission is to extend the influence of Mr. Graham and other Christian leaders and the impact of their ministries to a broadened group of target audiences, with minimal demands on the principle’s time.

· Whenever possible, we try to speak to reporters as well, to let them know the reality of the transformative message of Jesus of Nazareth and His principles in our own lives.

· I have found it very fulfilling to place positive news and feature stories about faith in an often hostile media environment. In the context of our session today, our work with evangelist Billy Graham and Pastor Rick Warren reflect two men who regularly share their biblically-based message – without compromise – to and through mainstream media who often don’t share their views.

· While the methods we use in dealing with high profile or primarily Christian clients and primarily U.S. media may be different than the typical activities of your day, they are based on the same principles.

· A Jewish rabbi friend of mine recently explained the difference between the three Abrahamic faiths:

o Jews observe the faith OF Jesus (after all he was a Jew, and a rabbi)

o MUSLIMS practice faith WITH Jesus, see him as a prophet – neither as the Son of God.

o And Christians celebrate faith IN Jesus.

o So it is the faith OF, WITH and IN Jesus. He is the common denominator – not the differentiator.

Communications for Faith Leaders

· This afternoon, Pastor Roberts asked me to talk to you about communications for your work and ministry, based on my experience of working with religious leaders – and serving as Communications Director last year for the presidential campaign of Dr. Ben Carson, a citizen-statesman, like some of you on a mission for God and the common good.

· My job is to extend the influence of Christian leaders and the impact of their ministries to a broadened group of target audiences, with minimal demands on their time.

· I consider the opportunity to project a faith message to broader audiences through the media as a ministry in itself, and having a professional involvement– where the product is changed lives -- has been very fulfilling to me.

· Whenever possible, we try to speak to reporters as well, to let them know the reality of the Gospel in our own lives.

· While the methods we may use in dealing with high profile clients or national media may be different than the typical activities of your day, they are based on the same principles.

· For Mr. Graham and the BGEA (and other clients we serve), an ongoing media presence is an integral part of their ministry.

· It is not an adjunct or ancillary “add on” that is nice to do, but an essential part of their outreach, which not only extends Mr. Graham’s influence, but also increases the impact of his organization.

· To begin, I want to Address DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN COMMUNICATIONS DISCIPLINES

(SLIDE ) What is Advertising?

· Advertising is controlled purchase of space/message. In print, you determine how big your ad is, what day/week/month, even section, it will run. If it is broadcast, you can choose particular segment of a particular show. You determine exactly what goes in the ad and what the reader, viewer, listener gets.

(SLIDE 17) What is Marketing?

· Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large.” (AMA)

Marketing is a broad term that encompasses many disciplines of getting your message out. There's direct mail, telemarketing, branding, promotions, collateral materials, advertising, etc. that all play in to the marketing mix.

(SLIDE ) What is Public Relations?

· I want to give you what I consider to be the best definition from the trade journal, PR news:

· Public Relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.

· From the definition, public relations is function and process tied together in an orderly procedure.

· PR Requires Action - Striving for three objectives:

1. To inform various audiences about your message

2. To win their understanding and belief

3. To gain their support and participation

· PR used to be exclusively about the persuasion of a media outlet to devote space or time to your message, but social media has changed that considerably as everyone has opportunity to communicate directly with their audience.

· There are only so many minutes on the television or radio in a given day, and there are only so many column inches in any publication.

· Editors make decisions all day long about how they will divide up that available space/time, and as a media relations agency, our job is to get your message to those folks in charge of making those decisions and then persuade them to devote the time/space to you.

· We don’t control what gets picked up, how big it is, or what the ultimate message is.

In his address to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan prior to the start of his Tokyo Crusade several years ago, Billy Graham compared some of the common elements in his work as an evangelist to that of the press.

“We are both in the news business,” he said. “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.”

· The same is true for anyone trying to connect to the faith community through the church -- you must know how to interpret your message convincingly and present it to gatekeeper leadership in a way that resonates with their mission.

Ideas are competing on every hand. For religious media, that means providing the Good News behind the bad news, and offering a balance to the news stories of the day, and meeting the needs of the reporter first, as you tell your story in the context of traditional news values.

The need for strong public relations programs in Houses of Faith or religious institutions has never been more imperative. The majority of communications media today need to be accepted and harnessed for the benefit of ministry.

(SLIDE 27)

If the Church or any other house of worship is to remain a vital force, it must know how to interpret its message convincingly and present it to the community.

(Slide 28) A PERFECT MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING STORM – www.truthaboutdavinci.com

· Create a website and digital presence on the InternetChristian site that provided resources to Christian community to use media/cultural event as a Gospel witness

Marketing: eblasts, radio, banner ads

Publicity: SEO

(SLIDE 29 A, B, C, D, E) DAVINCI ADS

Advertising

MINISTRY NEWS POTENTIAL

1. The media are interested in you and your editorial perspective when you are making news – either by what you do, or what you say.

2. 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.)

WHAT IS NEWS?

· People, what they do:

o Your involvement in this conference, interacting with other industry professionals from across the nation

· People, what they say:

o Showing the relevance of your message to personal and societal issues in the community:

o What the Bible or Qu’ran have to say about War; Immigration and Refugees; Climate Change; or any number of other topics and current events that have a moral or spiritual foundation

o Quantitative or qualitative perspective on the role of faith in our culture

o Cultural trends, such as growth of Christian music, faith and family films, etc.

o Faith and entertainment, including the spiritual dimension of current movies

o Faith element of current events and news:

· The harsh reality is that no matter how noble your ministry, no matter how spiritual you are, no matter how positive the impact you make in the community, the media don’t really care about what you are doing. Their sole purpose is to produce a quality publication or program that is relevant and of interest to their audience.

· Through strategic public relations efforts, you can convince the media that your faith-based message is relevant and of interest to their readers, listeners, or viewers.

· Most ministries go hat-in-hand to the media asking them to publicize their event or promote their organization because of the great work they are doing.

TIPS FOR NEWS RELATIONS

· At ALRC, we approach the media by telling them that we have something of interest to their audience.

When approaching secular media on behalf of a ministry, we try to lead with elements that don’t require a reporter to be of like mind and faith to see it as news, and remind them of their responsibility to their audience to cover newsworthy events.

1. The media are interested in you and your editorial perspective when you are making news – either by what you do, or what you say.

2. 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.)

WHAT IS NEWS?

(SLIDE 30) Definition of News

· News is about change.

· News is change as seen by an outsider.

· News is change as seen by an outsider on behalf of other outsiders.

· News is change that is interesting.

o Reprinted: Courtesy Reuven Frank,

President, NBC News 1971

· Many of you may feel about media coverage, or becoming the center of attention in an arena where you have no control. As religious leaders, you have control over what you say, when you say it, and can assume a favorable audience of like-minded people within your faith community.

But when it comes to the mainstream media, you may view reporters as sharks and yourself as the hapless guest trying to reach the other side and get out as quickly as possible.

· Having a policy of engagement with the media is a risk, but it is a risk worth taking.

· In the U.S., as Mr. Galli can attest, I am encouraged by the increasing amount of space and coverage being given to religious news, and the growing understanding by the press that spirituality and faith are an important part of people’s lives.

· Both are true for your ministry – all of us, as religious communicators, have an opportunity to put our message in a cultural context, and provide balance by effectively telling the “good news behind the bad news” that the media report every day, perhaps as reflected by the positive stories of changed lives as a result of your ministry.

· You or the principle of your organization or ministry can also become an authoritative resource to the media, defining issues on which you can positively influence public opinion by addressing them from a biblical perspective.

· At the same time, the resulting increased awareness can facilitate your development, fundraising and involvement of volunteers.

· Religious leaders and organizations are not immune from power of public opinion, but neither can it be directed by it.

The Bible says, “A city set on a hill cannot be hid… and in Matthew, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”

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

· 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.

o If your ministry is going to continue to have an effective impact, you must continue to convey vital messages to appropriate publics.

o That is especially true on the local level. If your ministry or house of worship is to remain a vital force, it must know how to interpret its message convincingly and present it to the community.

· The need for strong public relations programs in the church has never been more imperative. The majority of communications media today need to be accepted and harnessed for the benefit of ministry. And, the church must prepare itself for its greatest challenge – to be relevant, and heard.

o A “Freedom Forum” article entitled, “Reaching out to Religion” concluded that “the clergy can close the gap between religion and news organizations by becoming familiar with local media, establishing a media relations function and being accessible to reporters when they want comments or background. paper wants a comment now, not tomorrow.”

o Sometimes it is a personal problem to which a person can relate,

o Other times it is a societal problem in the community or our nation.

o Whatever the issue, what is important is that the media’s reporting of your mission greatly expands the potential to reach a much broader audience with your message.

THEORY

· Today, there seems to be an interesting paradigm shift in the way the news media cover religion and religious news.

Evidence shows that, across America, interest in religion is up. Commensurate with this upswing in religious interest, following a period where space or commitment for religion coverage by publications was on the decline, I think we’re seeing it on the upswing again.

THE MEDIA

· In a syndicated Op-ed piece in the “Dallas Morning News,” Columnist Bob Greene opined, “The front page headlines and the lead stories on the 6:00 news don’t often strike our lives. The things that are important seldom make the papers.”

· All of us have seen the increasing number of stories with a strong ethical or moral dimension – if not overt religious significance.

What is changing is a shift from an emphasis on corporate religion to coverage of the importance of faith and spirituality in individual lives.

· The idea is not to reduce religion to yet another special interest group in the public arena competing against other groups. What we need is a greater understanding of the obvious and subtle ways in which religion informs and affects our public and personal lives.

Mike Shaeffer, former religion editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, put it this way:

“The issue is not so much how we communicate about religion as reporters but how religious organizations communicate with the press. That is where progress is needed. The churches (and Christian organizations) need to get used to the idea that we will cover them as news when we can and begin to be much more sophisticated in their understanding of the role and function of the press.”

As professional religious communicators, thatis our challenge.

· Michael Maus of Minnesota Public Radio said:

“The media have become our public square and will continue to set the agenda for public discourse. If individuals or organizations want to be a part of that dialogue they need to take a position – offensive or defensive – in ways that will enable the gatekeepers to understand and communicate the essence of who they are, what they represent and have to offer.”

· Gus Niebuhr, former religion editor of the New York Times, doesn’t believe in significant parochial religious news by itself – he doesn’t feel that religious news can be done in a vacuum because it’s imbedded in the culture.

He suggests religious communicators look at religion as a shaping force in what happens in society. To sell a story about your organization, you need to look at where your ministry intersects other forces like politics, economics, business, social development, etc.

o With this in mind, Diane Winston, formerly of The Dallas Times-Herald, suggests that it’s important for religious leaders and organizations to respond with appropriate quotes on timely news items.

The following is a baker’s dozen plus one fvdof principles to help position your ministry as news

1. Understand the Power of Story –

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

- Stories are the vessels of meaning; each sign had SIGN-ificance, written that we might believe

- Every story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Ex: Preacher and Presidents – GWB relates the transformational power of the Gospel to change his life:

- former alcoholic ne’er do well, finds God while walking on the beach with BG

- Now, what you see is what you get

- He is authentic about his faith -- suits up and shows up, leaves the rest to God

2. Don’t Confuse Good Intent with Good Content

Ex: Giles’ Ch. 11 church service release

3. Recognize Colliding Worldviews between Ministry and Media:

- They represent Zeitgeist – Spirit of the Times; we represent religious organizations that deal with spiritual topics

- They say that for something to exist or be true, it needs to be visible and measurable; we, as people of faith say that we don’t live in the here and now, and that there is a larger meaning and purpose to who we are and what we do

- Sometimes the media can’t hear what we say because of these colliding world view

-

4. Insert Your Organization Into the News Flow, Rather than Expecting Media to Cover your Activities – while at a conference in NYC last fall, I spoke with the head booker for CNN, and asked how we as PR types can help her and her team.

5. Demonstrate Your Organization’s Story as Representative of a Larger Trend

6. Position Your Top Leadership as Source Experts (or authoritative resources) to the Media on Critical Issues

7. Develop Prioritized Message Points – This is obviously an important exercise prior to any media pitch. But, often the significance of the story hinges on the messages communicated.

8. Project Strong Newshooks -- A key element of an effective PR program is the development of “newshooks” – so that the media will see your message and ministry as relevant to their audience.

9. – If its Newsy and You Know it Clap Your Hands

-Recently I read a book,“Full Frontal PR,” that reinforced the fact that the news hook is the most compelling part of your story. But, the hook doesn’t have to be REAL news.

That doesn’t mean you go out with a non-news item, rather, it means you should be creative and MAKE the news.

Ex: BTBF – could have been a food drive. Rather, the pastor released service to go to the store. News not because it is a food drive, but how they did it.

BE CREATIVE.

The bottom line: if it is NEWSY, use it. Remember, that what you find the most compelling part of your story, may be miles apart from the aspect the media and opinion leaders are interested in. But the latter can be a springboard to get the media focused on your message.

Ex: Honeymoon Couple And The Loo

10. Highlight Man Bites Dog Stories – juxtaposition of opposing thoughts, unlikely bedfellows, or

11. Leverage Seasonal Media Focus –

12. Emphasize Human Interest -- is often the key – illustrating stories of lives being changed in seemingly miraculous or coincidental ways that only God could plan. If you can document to a reporter the Gospel is changing lives when they don’t believe it themselves, they have to see that as news.

13. Location, Location, Location – Proximity is an important element in media liaison:

- Your Organization or House of Worship may be best positioned to address a crisis in your community

- You might do a letter to the editor or Op-ed for your paper on a national issue, like the God Debate at Easter, et al.

14. Be Known/Defined By What you are FOR, Rather than WHAT You Are AGAINST

- You need to characterize your ministry for the media, rather than let them make us a caricature

Conclusion:

§ PR and News Relations is all about Relationships.

§ PR is a management function that speaks not only FOR, but TO ministry leadership

§ News relations involves service, not sycophany – meeting the needs of the media, in order to accomplish your communications objectives.

§ A relevant, targeted, professional pitch is welcome in any newsroom. Though the onus is initially on you, every time you deliver a good story or interview, you reinforce to the media you are a trusted resource.

(SLIDE ) –

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 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

(SLIDE ) –

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 13) -

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.

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

o I was in Washington, D.C. this week, where among other things I had breakfast with a friend, Robert, for whom iconic NYT journalist John McClendish Phillips, who is also a man of faith, was his mentor.

I told him about this session today and asked him what he had learned from him about media liaison and interviewing, and he shared seven truths:

(SLIDE) Media Tips from NYT John McClendish Phillips

1) Don’t overlook the fact that “everything is an excuse for news.”

2) Always hook your caboose to a train already in motion – find that train, and connect yourself to it.

a. Insert yourself or your ministry into the news flow as an authoritative media resource.

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

c. Joel Rosenberg and “Without Warning”

3) Be able to tell your entire story in one minute. If you can, next time you will get five, later ten – maybe an entire segment.

4) Always show a healthy measure of self-doubt, by making yourself “vulnerable” – then you are “likeable” (even reporters who hate people like you will at least respect, if not like you).

5) Put some “spice” into your comments – a little controversy goes a long way…

6) Look for the “golden hours.”

a. (For Mr. McClendish Phillips, that was between 9 and 10 am, when panic would set in and he was trying to figure out his story for the day. Fill that space and put your news release into that hour.)

7) Make it easy for a reporter to sell your story to his or her editor – providing appropriate resources, including your opposition (here is who to call and what they would say.”

(SLIDE) PR IN A POST-MEDIA RELATIONS ERA

· Reporters don’t want information, they want stories

· Sound Bytes are more important than Sound Ideas

· Length of a soundbite has gone from 43 seconds to 9 seconds (25 words)

· It’s now about Messages, NOT Media Relations

· Become a Thought Leader – lead thought content, because no one will pay attention to your good news

· Fragmented audiences – allows us you to stay within your tribe:

o Everyone has a phone

o Half get news from Facebook

o Podcasts up; shrinking and cleaving of news and cable audiences

· Cultivate online influencers who follow and feed their tribe

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5421489213001/?#sp=show-clips

(Slide) POST-MEDIA RELATIONS ERA

(Jeff Hahn, Predictive Media Network)

· Six media Giants now control 90 percent of what we read, watch or listen to, dow from 50 in 1983…

§ GE, NewsCorp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and CBS control 70 percent of cable content

§ NewsCorp owns the top newspaper on three continents

§ Clear Channel owns 1,200 radio stations and 80 percent of playlists match

· 25 percent of the 952 U.S. television stations no longer fully produce their news programs

· In March 2015, AP announced it would use Wordsmith software to automatically generate news stories

From Sodalis

· 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.

o 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.

o 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

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

o 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.)

o 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) –

2. 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 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

First Church Anytown

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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 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, former 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 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 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 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 Unanswered Prayer

(SLIDE 36) –

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

From CMA Seminar

SLIDE 35 Understand the Power of Story –

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

- Stories are the vessels of meaning; each sign had SIGN-ificance, written that we might believe

- Every story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Ex: Preacher and Presidents – GWB relates the transformational power of the Gospel to change his life:

- former alcoholic ne’er do well, finds God while walking on the beach with BG

- Now, what you see is what you get

- He is authentic about his faith -- suits up and shows up, leaves the rest to God

SLIDE 36 Don’t Confuse Good Intent with Good Content

Ex: Giles’ Ch. 11 church service release

SLIDE 36.5 – Remember the Third Leg of the Communications Stool:

- What is your message?

- Who is Your Audience?

- What is the at audience doing when you are trying to reach them/

SLIDE 37 Recognize Colliding Worldviews between Ministry and Media:

- They represent Zeitgeist – Spirit of the Times; we represent the Holy Spirit

- They say that for something to exist or be true, it needs to be visible and measurable; we, as people of faith say that we don’t live in the here and now, and that there is a larger meaning and purpose to who we are and what we do

- Sometimes the media can’t hear what we say because of these colliding world views

SLIDE 38 Insert Your Organization Into the News Flow, Rather than Expecting Media to Cover your Activities – while at a conference in NYC last fall, I spoke with the head booker for CNN, and asked how we as PR types can help her and her team.

Ex: USA Today and New Pope – DTS Pres with Protestant perspective

Ex: Rick Warren – World AIDS Day

Ex: WTS – DaVinci Code

(SLIDE 39) Representative of a Larger Trend

Ex: BTBF Building program for CT (new approach to megachurch ministry)

SLIDE 40

Position Your Top Ministry Leadership as Source Experts (or authoritative resources) to the Media on Critical Issues

SLIDE 41

Develop Prioritized Message Points – This is obviously an important exercise prior to any media pitch. But, often the significance of the story hinges on the messages communicated.

SLIDE 42

Project Strong Newshooks -- A key element of an effective PR program is the development of “newshooks” – so that the media will see your message and ministry as relevant to their audience.

Ex:

SLIDE 43

10. – If its Newsy and You Know it Clap Your Hands

-Recently I read a book,“Full Frontal PR,” that reinforced the fact that the news hook is the most compelling part of your story. But, the hook doesn’t have to be REAL news.

That doesn’t mean you go out with a non-news item, rather, it means you should be creative and MAKE the news.

EX: Reunion Church and Easter -- so what if you aren’t a big dog pastor with a book that has sold 30 million – is there a way to still get the media to notice what you are doing?

SLIDE 46 BE CREATIVE.

The bottom line: if it is NEWSY, use it. Remember, that what you find the most compelling part of your story, may be miles apart from the aspect the media and opinion leaders are interested in. But the latter can be a springboard to get the media focused on your message.

Ex: Honeymoon Couple And The Loo

SLIDE 47

Highlight Man Bites Dog Stories – juxtaposition of opposing thoughts, unlikely bedfellows, or

SLIDE 48

11. Leverage Seasonal Media Focus –

Ex: David Jeremiah and “The Nativity” (Christmas Wars)

Ex: Dr. Lillback, Washington on President’s Day, Fourth of July

SLIDE 49

12. Emphasize Human Interest -- is often the key – illustrating stories of lives being changed in seemingly miraculous or coincidental ways that only God could plan. If you can document to a reporter the Gospel is changing lives when they don’t believe it themselves, they have to see that as news.

Ex: Ashley Smith – morphed into a Terry Shivo forum

SLIDE 50

13. Location, Location, Location – Proximity is an important element in media liaison:

- Your church may be best positioned to address a crisis in your community

- Your church involvement in Katrina might bring that national story home

- You might do a letter to the editor or Op-ed for your paper on a national issue, like the God Debate at Easter, et al.

Ex: BG Crusades – participating churches were key to coverage in local papers

Ex: Jim Garlow, Delta 190 Crash

SLIDE 51

14. Be Known/Defined By What you are FOR, Rather than WHAT You Are AGAINST

- You need to characterize your ministry for the media, rather than let them make us a caricature

Ex: Center for Moral Clarity – Values Voter/Integrity Voter

SLIDE 52 – ALRC LOGO

Conclusion:

PR and News Relations is all about Relationships.

PR is a management function that speaks not only FOR, but TO ministry leadership

News relations involves service, not sycophany – meeting the needs of the media, in order to accomplish your communications objectives.

Remember, the news business doesn’t function like in the movies – it is often a journeyman’s prcess, driven by publicists and PR people approaching journalists looking for a story like yours.

A relevant, targeted, professional pitch is welcome in any newsroom. Though the onus is initially on you, every time you deliver a good story or interview, you reinforce to the media you are a trusted resource.