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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER: DECEMBER 2007 ISSUE
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CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE NEWS MEDIA
BY JOE NATHAN
CENTER FOR SCHOOL CHANGE, HUMPHREY INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
BY JAN KRYGIER
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The success or failure of any organization or movement depends in part on how well the public understands its mission, activities, and results. Charter school advocates, from educators in individual charter schools to leaders in state associations, can’t expect the public to naturally assume that charter schools are good for public education. A thorough, well-planned strategy for communicating with the broader public is a vital part of gaining public support and building a successful charter school movement.
Charter schools introduce a major paradigm shift into public education. Many educators, journalists, and community members do not yet fully understand the value of the charter school movement. The broader public does not fully comprehend that charter schools are public schools. In order for the charter school movement to succeed, the broader public must have a favorable opinion of charter schools. Positive stories in the news media, which reach thousands, if not millions, of people, help influence public opinion. Public opinion influences legislators, school boards, and community groups--all of which can help or harm the charter school movement.
Working effectively with journalists can benefit individual charter schools. Sending information to journalists for use in their stories can help attract students to a newly established school. Sending additional information to generate positive press after the school opens can help attract even more students. Positive stories can enhance charter schools’ credibility. In one case, a newspaper story about a charter school attracted the attention of a major national musician, who donated more than $100,000 to the featured school. In another case, a television story about a successful charter program helped to convince a foundation to support the creation of many now successful charter schools. Both stories also helped build public knowledge and support for the charter movement as a whole.
Charter school advocates should not wait for reporters to call them; they should actively promote their cause. We want to help charter advocates:
• Learn to work more effectively with journalists—not only reporters, but also editorial page writers, freelance authors and more;
• Develop strong working relationships with the news media;
• Increase the possibility that the media will cover many of the successes, and even some of the challenges that the charter school movement experiences; and
• Expand knowledge of different forms of news media with which charter advocates should work.
Since charter schools are so new, it is important to start from square one. Journalists and their readers, listeners, or viewers may know nothing about charter schools or very little about the charter school movement. They need the best available information, articulated clearly and concisely. Therefore, it is important to determine the key messages about charter schools and carefully identify those who will most effectively deliver these messages to members of the news media.
Ten Principles For Communicating With The News Media
First, it is important to understand journalists’ responsibilities, as well as their worldview. Journalists report news. Their stories can provoke, criticize, challenge, question, or praise. Journalists try to get readers, listeners, and viewers interested in what they write or report. A journalist’s job is not to give your school, or the charter movement, good publicity. Journalists at times may even frustrate your organization. But if you are successful at communicating with them, you will be delighted with what they can produce.
Here are ten general principles to consider when working with the news media.
1) Understand the pressures and needs of members of the media. On a daily basis, they are inundated with breaking news, press releases, deadlines from editors and demands to finish stories. You will be far more successful if you
recognize the demands placed on them and if you put their needs first, rather than yours.
2) Be responsive. Newspaper and television reporters usually have less than a day to complete an entire story. This includes deciding on story ideas, conducting interviews, and writing and editing their stories. Contacting and responding to them promptly increases the likelihood that your position and positive message will be more accurately reflected.
3) Be proactive. Don’t wait for someone in the media to contact you. Your school or organization should reach out in a variety of ways. Prepare information. Inform journalists of special developments, accomplishments, or awards. Write guest columns. Offer to meet with journalists at their offices. Invite them to visit your school or organization.
4) Be concise and to the point. Respect a journalist’s time. Members of the media are especially busy people.
5) Consider the journalist’s audience. Some focus on a particular ethnic community. Some see their audience as a rural community. Some target the business community. Others focus on a broader statewide or national audience. A message that resonates with one journalist may not interest another.
6) Do your homework. Prepare one-page summaries of important information. Provide phone numbers of key contacts. Have copies of important documents available. Be prepared to do research for members of the media. Journalists remember those who help them.
7) Always be honest. Never say something to a reporter that is untrue. Also, recognize that anything you say to a reporter may be used.
8) Members of the media hear from many sources. This includes those who see charter schools as a threat. This makes getting your message across critically important. Negative news stories on charter schools may originate from an individual or organization with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
9) Patience and persistence are important. If you continue sending information to a journalist regularly without being a pest, sooner or later you will get coverage.
10) Be grateful. After a positive news story appears, let the reporter or writer know that you appreciate their effort. Reporters hear complaints all the time; gratitude is rare and is generally appreciated.
Conclusion
Remember that working with journalists takes a lot of work, but this effort can produce many benefits. Dealing with reporters takes plenty of planning, clarity, responsiveness, and perhaps most important, plenty of internal communication within your organization. Working with the news media should be a high priority for every charter school and for every advocacy group. It doesn’t take a masterful communicator to accomplish this, just an understanding of the news media and a commitment to deliver.
Joe Nathan is the Director of the Center for School Change at the
University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
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