Betsy Braziel Burkhart Communication and Media Director Contra Costa County November 2, 2016

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1 Betsy Braziel Burkhart Communication and Media Director Contra Costa County November 2, 2016

2 Nightmares...

3 Public Outreach Public Works connects with residents where it s often very tangible Engineers tend to focus on doing the work, not telling people you re doing the work Great opportunities to broaden outreach in the media

4 So what is news? And why do they always focus on when things go wrong? News has immediacy, impact and importance; out of the ordinary It is not news that we showed up and did our jobs It is news when we don t

5 So does it always have to be bad? Great opportunities exist to enhance and promote our reputation Needs to pass the who cares test would you care if something of similar magnitude happened in another department or program? Did your project or program make a difference did you do it quicker, safer, first, best?

6 Let s take an example: Everyone s winter headache: Sandbags Where to get them Do you need them What to bring when you pick them up How to fill and place them News Release? Brochure? Flyer?

7 Packaging. Makes all the difference!

8 Sometimes, we re just sharing information

9 Sometimes, we re nosing our way into someone else s story Newsjacking The art of injecting our story into or on top of coverage of other news.

10 What happens when we don t tell our own story? Someone else will; we just lose the chance to shape it. Once rumors are repeated enough, they re presumed to be facts.

11 Rules to Live by with Reporters Channel your inner Boy Scout Help them do their jobs yes, really Consider the end result and ask questions to find out what the story looks like to them Be available Establish and nurture relationships

12 Something we can t ignore It s not just reporters who are providing news content It s anyone who comes into contact with us and has a cell phone

13 Of course pictures don t lie.

14 Social Media We Tweet, We Facebook, We Instagram We YouTube, We Periscope, We Blog.

15 Because those citizen journalists are busy: They Tweet, They Facebook, They Instagram They YouTube, They Periscope, They Blog

16 We need more We to do it Government agencies, big and small, are embracing Social Media tools as quickly as possible which brings us to the question of WHY? Because we can? Because everyone else is? Because our boss s teenage daughter said we need to? Because it s more fun to create a FB page than to design and execute a carefully researched communication plan?

17 A Peek at the Future? Or Today What Boston PD did Set the new standard

18 Social Media is the new normal 1990s e-government evolves telling our story involving digital communication 2000s e-government becomes expected save me a phone call, a drive to a county office, a stamp on a tax payment Today we need to communicate our message when and how people want to receive it, not just how we want to deliver it and that means utilizing social media but in a smart way and with a business purpose

19 Does our Department or does my project need a Facebook page or Twitter account? The answer you don t want: it depends Understanding of Purpose Policies and guidelines do you have them? Monitoring unbelievably time consuming Determining best uses and starting there Making the Commitment to Do It Right

20 Preventive Medicine: be prepared Any significant program or project needs a communication plan Framework can and should be done long before anything actually hits the fan Elements are basic Your audience(s) Your message(s) Your best methods to get the message to the audience

21 Determine Your Audience(s) Media, yes but they re usually not your only audience Who else might need to be looped in? Your fellow elected & appointed department heads Your internal managers & supervisors Stakeholder Groups Contractors/Consultants Providing Service Constituents Taxpayers who pay our salaries and benefit from our services

22 Define Your Message(s) Just the facts Develop your key messages and own them Bridge back and make sure no interview ends without you reinforcing those messages Don t feel compelled to fill time or space. Answer the question, but don t offer more unless you are bridging back to your messages Practice; say them aloud; say them to someone else; look at how they look in writing these can have a life span longer than your road project or grant funded program

23 How will I get the word out? The method will vary depending upon the issue and messages no one size fits all. News Release or Media Advisory Website Update Interview with Key Reporter News Conference Social Media

24 Why do we care? Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. -- John D. Rockefeller

25 Ways to Preserve your Sanity Don t wait until there s a problem to figure out how to communicate if things go wrong Make sure follow up is included in your plan Always assume the person you re sending information to is on his/her first day on the job Ask for help

26 When you return to your office: Questions to ask back home Who handles public outreach for your department or the City/County? Who handles media outreach & do we have a policy? Crisis communications what s the game plan? Is there a game plan? How do I reach the right person 24x7? Have I set a Google Alert on my name and agency? Which reporters cover my agency/department, and how will I engage them?

27 Parting Shots and Questions? Betsy Braziel Burkhart,