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Intro: The following SHSMD podcast is a production of DoctorPodcasting.com.

Bill Klaproth (Host): On this edition of the SHSMD Podcast the pandemic has changed post pandemic media relations and news gathering. Can you say Zoom Room. So, how do you navigate this now and in the future? And how can you better prepare to anticipate questions and craft your message as well as gain valuable earned media? Well we're going to find out with Russ Rhea and Adam Bagni. They are co-presenting a workshop at this year's SHSMD Connections in-person annual conference held in San Antonio, September 19th through the 21st. The title of their workshop is Post Pandemic Media Relations.

And make sure you listen all the way through to the end and you'll find out why the question, is there anything else you'd like to add, is so important. Hmm. Is there anything else I'd like to add? Yes, let's get this podcast started right now.

This is the SHSMD Podcast, Rapid Insights for healthcare strategy professionals in planning, business development, marketing, communications, and public relations. I'm your host Bill Klaproth. And on this episode, we're going to talk with Russ Rhea, Founder of Predictive Media Network and Adam Bagni, Director of Communications and Community Relations at Wentworth Douglas Hospital. They are co-presenting a two and a half hour pre-conference workshop at this year's SHSMD Connections in-person annual conference held in San Antonio, September 19th through the 21st. Make sure you're there. I'll be there. The title of their workshop is Post Pandemic Media Relations. This is going to be a great session and we're going to learn more about that session right now. Russ and Adam, welcome to the SHSMD Podcast. As you know, we start every episode of the SHSMD Podcast with Rapid Insights. One quick tip someone can use to make their marketing and communications better today. Adam, you're up to the plate first. Give us your Rapid Insight.

Adam Bagni (Guest): My Rapid Insight Bill, make yourself the go-to healthcare organization for local media in your market. You want to establish and cultivate media relationships, be proactive, be available to and flexible with journalists. And if you do that, you will go a long way to establishing your organization as the healthcare experts in the region, and people will notice.

Host: So make yourself the go-to in your community. I like that, Adam. Thank you for that. Okay, Russ, you're up next? Give us your Rapid Insight.

Russ Rhea (Guest): Approach a media interview like it's a presentation, not a deposition. You want to be helpful to the reporter, but at the same time, you got to focus on the things that you want the audience to hear and not so focused on the exact premise of the question. Look for opportunities to add things and bring up stuff, proactively.

Host: Hmm, that is so good. I love that. And we're going to get into more of that on this interview. So, thank you both so much for your time. We are looking forward to your presentation at the SHSMD annual conference held in San Antonio this year, September 19th through the 21st, your session is titled Post Pandemic Media Relations.

So Russ, let me start with you. When it comes to post pandemic media relations, how has the pandemic changed news gathering and interview formats?

Russ: As tough as the pandemic has been, I think it's pretty clear that it's been beneficial for proactive media relations, most importantly, public health, it's always been a big deal for newsrooms, but the pandemic has prioritized that even more. So, I think it's a huge opportunity for healthcare organizations. And it really has been for the past year, as busy as everybody's been. Reporters working remotely are now more receptive to pitches when you can also provide visual content. And I think they're more open to accepting outside content and most obvious and where I concentrate in the area of media training and interview prep; virtual Zoom interviews has been the biggest change clearly. I think it's probably the biggest change since digital video transformed journalism 20 years ago. The question is, are these approaches to doing their interviews gonna last as we hopefully continue to see the pandemic subside and Adam, I know you have some thoughts on this as well.

Adam: Yeah, I think the answer to your question is yes, it is going to last. The most interesting part of it is that the Zoom interview is just now, socially acceptable, right when it comes to media. And you see it, not just online and on local TV, but I mean, you see these live, Zoom interviews on the Today Show, on Good Morning, America, et cetera, national TV.

So, traditionally video conferencing via the internet was really frowned upon among television and video media. And frankly, it's still not the greatest quality in the world. We all know that from our meetings at our organizations. So, I'm not saying it's the best option, but it's completely sufficient and acceptable.

The pandemic just got us used to seeing these quote unquote, lower quality videos, if you will. So, the audience isn't questioning as much. Well, why does this look like crap? Cause they're used to it. So, that's a huge opportunity really, for healthcare organizations to say to local media outlets, hey, the doctor is very busy today, but he can find 15 minutes to sit in front of his computer, in his office and then jump right back to a patient.

Or, I know it's really hard to get a camera crew out here to the hospital. Can we just do it on Zoom or, the news just broke from Dr. Fauci. Can we give you live expert analysis right away on a video call? So all of that, getting major earned media exposure, particularly on local TV is much easier.

And I can tell you, here at Wentworth Douglas, we've really established ourselves, as I mentioned in that Rapid Insight as a go-to local source now for expert health information here in New Hampshire, and Zoom has really, really helped push that to the forefront. And when you're in the media consistently too Bill not just paid ads, but in an earned way, that really establishes your organization as a trusted messenger in the community.

Host: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And we have certainly seen doctors in their offices on Zoom. No question about that. So, we had to do that during the pandemic and not that we're out of it yet, but why is it important to understand these changes moving forward, Russ?

Russ: Well, as Adam alluded to, it's a huge opportunity in how to best take advantage of that. Right? I mean, for example, it might be worthwhile if hospitals and healthcare organizations haven't done so yet, to invest in some equipment enhanced Zoom interviews equipment and staffing, perhaps to enhance B roll and photos that you might be able to offer media on a quick turn.

As great as and as convenient as Zoom interviews have been, they're a lot different than traditional on-camera interviews. So, there's some big pitfalls to avoid to make your spokespeople come across better. So, they can become go-to media sources. So yeah, you get the incoming requests for expert perspective on different things.

So, one thing we're going to be doing, and we're actually doing that right now is we're doing some research. And have commissioned a survey of newsrooms across the country to get more insight, not only on the, what they prioritize, and what has changed with the pandemic, but also to get a better sense of what are some of the big pitfalls with Zoom interviews that you want to avoid?

For example, I'm not a big fan of virtual keyed backgrounds when you're on a Zoom call. I think it makes people look terrible. Is that a big deal for newsrooms? Will they be less hesitant to interview one of your spokespeople? If they know that hey, I don't want to talk to them. They have that key background behind them, those sorts of things, wandering eyes. Do they appreciate it when you have an external microphone and don't sound so hollow. So, we're going to get some perspective on that as well, to help communicators who were attending the conference, establish some of these priorities and then also, future, what they anticipate, and how many of the interviews they'll continue to do post pandemic, and those important things to keep in mind.

Host: Yeah. How many times have we seen bad lighting? And the angle of the laptop is too low and you're looking up the person's nose. You're like, oh my God, please put it on some books, man. What are you doing?

Russ: OR, ceiling fans and can lights on the ceiling, distracting in the background. And, it's just such simple stuff that can implement those steps to have your spokespeople come across much better.

Host: That is all great information. I take it you guys will touch on this during your session, these types of tips as well?

Russ: Yeah, exactly. And we're going to have the survey from the newsrooms and exactly the priorities that they're looking for from spokespeople. What they'd like to see PR professionals do more of to help the folks in attendance at the conference to implement some of these things, to enhance their media relations and help their spokespeople perform better.

Host: That's really good. And since we can just jump into our offices and give Zoom type interviews, let's talk about that performance. You guys are going to present a statistically based media training model, which sounds really interesting; that's going to help spokespeople better anticipate questions and craft messages, which is really important.

So Russ, can you share how that's going to look? What of the basic steps of how this module works?

Russ: Our principal at our firm is really big on models and having a scientific process to go about what you do as a PR professional, as a communicator. I think most of us particularly like Adam and I, who are former journalists, we approach prepping spokespeople in a similar way. We know how reporters think and the types of things they're going to ask. But what we've done is, actually put some research to that. So, we commissioned a research firm to analyze more than 500 media interviews. And the result of that is this model that we teach to and it's based on the six common question types that reporters ask. Reporters are trained in a similar way. And there really is a predictable pattern in terms of the question types that are asked. You obviously can't predict every single question that you're going to get, but there's a predictable pattern in the approaches.

So, red flags. Being able to recognize the trap questions and ones you don't want to touch and transition or bridge away from and come back to your message. And there's also a predictable pattern and generally in the sequence of how they're asked. So, we use this as a basis to anticipate questions. So, I think one of the big things, why spokespeople get nervous and might fear or avoid media interviews is the fear of the unknown. And this demystifies some of that and gives people a process to go through to prepare to face journalists' questions.

Adam: And I'd say Bill, just to jump in there, just in terms of anticipating questions from the media, you really want to think like a curious simpleton, I would say. You want to pretend, you know, nothing about the subject you're about to be interviewed on and sort of consider what would the average Joe off the street want to know about this? I mean, those are the questions you're likely to get from a reporter because most journalists are reporting from a 30,000 foot level, right? Whether the media is producing the media member is producing audio or video or something written, they typically only have a limited amount of time and or space. So, their report is typically going to be very high level.

So, thinking about what a novice might be interested in, is going to help you prepare for the incoming questions, whether they're positive or negative. Also may get into the nuance of a subject with a reporter to help them better understand the issue and give a more informed report, but make sure you're prepared with, and this is something we'll talk about, but with some broad catchy quotations. I mean, you can do an hour long interview about COVID. But if you tell a reporter something very succinctly like, if more people don't get vaccinated here in New Hampshire, then more people are going to die this fall. If you say something like that, I mean, that's not a very technical statement, but it's emotional. It's true. And I don't think any reporter in America, even if they were doing a deep dive piece for the New York Times, would not use that quote. So, think about what your most important points are and how to deliver them in an eye catching or ear catching way. And by the way, Russ talked about trap questions.

If you're anticipating negative questions, just be prepared and pivot. I mean, maybe your CEO, wants to make himself available for this tough interview because he wants to combat negative press. And sometimes that is a better play than a bland statement that comes off maybe cold and invasive. So, coach yourself or your senior leader to pivot on these talking points, the negative question comes, you just say, well, you know, I'm focused on X ,Y and Z. If they persist, you say, well, I think my goal is XYZ again, I'm dedicating my time to whatever that is. So, just make sure you have something to pivot to when that question comes.

And if you don't in the moment, just say, I'm focusing my attention on whatever. So, we'll talk about that. And then in terms of just crafting a message, a statement, always think broadly, how will this be perceived by rich people versus poor people, men versus women, our staff versus the public, Republicans versus Democrats.

I mean, all those sorts of compares and contrast, that way you can perhaps include that in your initial crafting of the communication, some messaging that hopefully addresses those anticipated concerns ahead of time. And again, think like a simpleton, most people just want the information at a high level. So, always try to craft your messages as high level as you can.

Host: Think like a simpleton. I've got that one down. That's an easy one for me, but that's really good stuff, Adam. I love a lot of the things you said in there. So, concentrate on those broad catchy quotations. Basically think about an important soundbite and think of who your audience is and craft that message for whoever it may be from who you said, rich people, poor people, et cetera. So, that makes a lot of sense. Adam, earlier, you mentioned earned media and I want to get back to that quickly because that is a buzz phrase in our industry, earned media. So, you're going to explain the keys to consistently acquiring effective earned media. I mean, we're all interested in that. So, can you talk a little bit more about that?

Adam: You know why it's a buzzword Bill, because it's free. Everybody loves free stuff. Right? I was looking at our local newspaper the other day and we had a tiny ad at the bottom, but there was a massive article on the front page that was all about us. And i thought, we paid a bunch of money for what was on the bottom, but the entire page, we got for free.

So, that's why it's valuable. But a couple thoughts here and a couple of things we'll talk about. And first and foremost, in terms of earned media, you want to develop relationships. Identify all the local media outlets in your area. TV, print, digital, radio, and find out who the best people are at those organizations to help you get your people either on the air or in their publications. And how do you do that? It's not rocket science. I mean, you just reach out with a call or an email. Hi, I'm Adam Bagni, new Director of Communications at Wentworth Douglas. And I'm reaching out to find out how I can help you in your coverage of medical stories. We just have a lot of experts here at the hospital, and I know you're always doing stories on health and wellness.

So, I just wanted to reach out. I mean, that's exactly what I did. I've only been in my position for about six months. That's exactly what I did and that started the conversation. And by the way, target the right people. It's great to know the on-air, the former on air folks like Russ and I, the reporters, but depending on the outlet and market, that might be your best person to touch base.

But a lot of people don't know it's often much better to know the assignment editors. Who works on the assignment desk at these papers or TV stations. They're often the ones who work with the managers to decide what gets published and then assign the stories to reporters. So, seek out who's the assignment desk manager, who's the assignment editor.

Another thing in terms of earned media is be proactive. In every media interview we do here, after it finishes, I say to the reporter, hey, here's my cell phone. Anytime you need a comment on anything healthcare related, let me know. You hear Tiger Woods breaks his leg in a car crash, right? Why not send off an email to all the local media outlets, all these relationships that you've established and say, hey, our orthopedic experts here deal with similar injuries and can talk to you about that, if you're interested.

So, you want to stay connected with the news of the day as well. Don't just react, be proactive and react quickly by the way, because that's not a story the next day. That 24/7 news cycle has already moved on. Then, you want to be accessible and be able to execute. I mean, 95% of the time, I'd say Bill, we fulfill media requests and I will bend over backwards to do that. I will stop what I'm doing in my day to make that happen. I'll cancel a meeting, because I want to establish our organization as having a reputation among the media that we're easy to work with and that we're the place to go in a pinch, which would sort of lead me one final thing I'd mention at least in this podcast and that's be flexible.

We all know unless it's an emergency, right? The healthcare business is, can sometimes be notoriously slow. So, the complete opposite is the case with the media, right? They're going to call you and say, hey, this just happened an hour ago. My deadline's at five, can you help? So, you have to be prepared to sort of drop everything to make these opportunities happen. And you've got to prep your staff to be prepared for that. You can't do any of these opportunities without doctors and experts in your organization being on board. So, you reach out to them and say, hey, look, when these opportunities pop up, they're often out of the blue with little or no notice, but they're incredibly important to our healthcare organization, because not only do they help us get out these important public health messages, but they also build and market our brand, establishing us as a trusted source health information locally. So, make sure your people know that, and those are just kind of a few things I think we'll probably talk about in Santa Antonio.

Host: Yeah, that'll be great. And looking forward to going a little bit deeper on each of those. So, one develop relationships. Two, target the right people. Three, be proactive and be quick. Number four, be accessible and number five, be flexible. So, it'll be interesting to go into each of those a little bit more in depth at the session in San Antonio. Speaking of the session, this is a train the trainer session. So, those attending this presentation are going to learn a simple process to better prepare their organization spokespeople for media interviews and speaking appearances. Are you going to do mock interviews and those types of things? How is the train the trainer session going to work?

Russ: Yeah, exactly. Bill. What we'll do is take the group through the process, this model that we've developed based on research, how to go through and anticipate based on the common question types that reporters ask. And, you know, I think most PR pros are doing the right thing when it comes to prepping their spokespeople. Having a list of priority talking points and discussing the trap questions and how to pivot or bridge back to your message when you can recognize that it's a question that you don't want to touch, literally. But it's a step-by-step process that will take them through to condense and simplify your messages.

As Adam talked about, think like your, you know, the, the very high level, the average Joe on the street, who you're communicating with. And I'm a firm believer that if you have, you know, more than something that's gonna fit with bullets on one sheet of paper going into a media interview, then that's too much information that you want to convey, particularly for a broadcast interview.

So, it's a step-by-step process. What is my headline message? What am I going to hit on off the top with the very first question, no matter what it is, to establish the theme of what I want to cover in this interview, what are the data points that I'm going to back up my priority messages, I'm going to have at least two anecdotal example stories in my back pocket to hit on, not only proactively to support the main messages, but to bridge to when you get a gotcha question. And then of course, having your strategy in place for that all important final question, which, those of us in PR and media know what it's going to be is the anything you'd like to add question, which a lot of people, they just want the interview to be over.

They say, no, thanks. We've covered that. But as Adam knows that question is a huge opportunity and something that ends up being used in stories. So, it's a message prep worksheet that will take the group through and we'll take some volunteers and have a scenario that will take them through to demonstrate this and how you can implement that into your PR practices.

Adam: Russ, I spent 13 years as a broadcast journalist. And I have to tell you that, that last question, gave me some of the best sound bytes of my career and it was always pivotal. And I always thought any journalist who didn't ask that simply right at the end of the interview, is there anything you want to add, was not doing their job because that's that sort of final opportunity for you to get that point across what it is you really want to say and that's a huge, huge opportunity. And don't be afraid to pivot if you're worried that last question isn't going to come, and this is something we'll talk about, I'm sure. And Russ already mentioned a little bit about it. Don't be afraid to pivot right into it. Answer the question that comes and say, and one point I also wanted to make was, and then you can talk about literally whatever you want.

So that's definitely pivotal, but I think some of the other things we'll probably be talking about in terms of coaching executives ahead of a lot of these, a lot of these interviews is first off, don't be afraid to practice, right? I mean, if it's a critical interview on a sensitive subject, especially, take your executive aside and say, hey, let's practice this a couple of times.

You know, you play the reporter. He, or she practices answering the questions and even just doing that one time, it's going to go a long way in, in making somebody comfortable. And another piece of advice I'd give too, is coaching people to be natural and genuine and sort of what does that mean? It sounds a lot easier than it actually is. And if you looked at my demo reel from the first time I was ever on TV, Bill, you'd say who the heck is this guy? A big difference when I was a sort of a young reporter in Alabama, to anchoring, you know, newscasts and in Phoenix, in Boston. So it's easier said than done. But just having a conversation, talk to this person, like you're talking to me in the hallway and if the interview isn't live, we did it right before this podcast Bill, right?

This podcast isn't live. You said, hey, look if you mess up Adam, you can start over, which by the way we haven't done yet, just so everybody knows. You know, it's no big deal, but you do that. You take your time. That puts people at ease. Again, if you don't want an answer a question, if you get a gotcha question, answer without answering, just pivot, it's not as difficult as a lot of people think it is. Pivot to what you feel comfortable talking about.

And a lot of the reporters will just move on and even a strong insistent reporter, like me would often sort of give up after a second attempt. So, those are the things to sort of keep in mind and that we'll talk about in terms of coaching in San Antonio.

Host: Yeah, that is really good stuff. So, Russ and Adam, last question. Is there anything you'd like to add?

Russ: No, thanks. I think we've covered it.

Adam: Yeah, that's good.

Host: I thought I'd at least get a laugh out of you on that one. Come guys guys hey now. This has really been a lot of fun. So, I'll ask you both the same question as we wrap up. So what is it then you're really trying to impress on people when they walk out of that room after your session? Russ, let's hear from you first.

Russ: Well, I'm big on simple, easy to implement things that will enhance your media relations efforts. Not only things that I think are helpful to PR folks to increase and get better coverage, but also how to make your spokespeople more comfortable and confident so they're more willing to do interviews. And I think it, it is a challenge sometimes to, to convince a healthcare provider or an executive to drop what they're doing when you have a, a quick turn media opportunity. And some of the things that Adam and I are going to be covering is, is to do that, to demystify the process and, and make them more confident by, you know, getting into the mind of a reporter and how they go about it and how that should play a key role in preparing your messages.

Host: And Adam. How about you?

Adam: Yeah. I mean, I would just add to that and say that, just to echo everything that Russ said and say, you know, I hope people walk away with a realization about how valuable and powerful and important, particularly earned media is and journalism is. And it's a lot easier by the way in 90% of the markets across the country, which are smaller areas. It's tougher in the, in the bigger areas, but let's face it. Most of us live in smaller media markets, and just how it can, it can really grow or hurt your brand. It's just a great way to promote public health initiatives, improve internal morale and market for free. So, hope people will walk away with the realization of the value and importance of earned media for sure.

Host: This is really going to be a great session. Just hearing you guys talk about this. There is so much to learn and there's so many things throughout the day that we have to do as marketers. This one, I feel kind of gets pushed to the side when really it should be more towards the forefront, how you craft your message, how you answer questions, how you go about getting earned media and things like that. This is really going to be a fantastic session. So, Adam and Russ, thank you so much for your time today. We really appreciate it. And we look forward to seeing you both in San Antonio.

Adam: Bill. Thanks.

Russ: Appreciate it, Bill. Thank you.