WCTCS Bridges to Opportunity

1
WCTCS Bridges to Opportunity

• Spokespersons Training Trainers
• Seattle, Washington Jennifer Hahn
• November 15-17 Rebecca Edwards
• Bob Ipcar

2
Overview of Agenda

• Review basic rules of engagement for working with
  reporters
• Discuss messages for community and technical
  colleges
• Practice sound bites
• Participate in various media scenarios
• Playback and critique of work

3
Rules for the training

• Interrupt when needed
• Please stay with us throughout the session -
• What goes around comes around
• Be kind with your criticism and suggestions
• Have fun!

4
Basic Rules of Engagement for Dealing With
Reporters

• Its not the questionits the answer.
• You never see the question on TV.
• They never play dead air.

5
Basic Rules of Engagement for Dealing With
Reporters

• Its not the reporterits the audience.
• Your primary relationship is with the readers,
  listeners and viewers.
• Use and be used.
• You are the source.
• You are entertainment.
• Get something for your organization.

6
Basic Rules of Engagement

• Frame or be framed.
• They cant use what you dont say.
• Frame the issue in a way that works to your
  advantage.
• Never lie.
• Reporters get even.

7
Basic Rules of Engagement

• Never say no comment.
• There is always something you can say.
• Never go off the record.
• Anything you say can and will be used against you.

8
Basic Rules of Engagement

• Say I dont know.
• You can always refer them to your website or send
  them an e-mail or fax later.
• Making up facts or guessing is like lying.
• Pass them on.

9
Basic Rules of Engagement

• Be a good source.
• Get back to them quickly.
• Speak in sound bites.
• Conform to the rules of engagement.

10
An Interview is NOT a Conversation

• You should
• Have your own agenda.
• Come prepared with your messages.
• Be prepared to repeat yourself.
• Not allow the interviews questions to dictate
  the entire interview.
• Not expected to be asked the right questions.
  Be ready to say whats most important.

11
Rules of engagement when dealing with legislators

• Remind legislators of the issues in their
  district and the role of two-year colleges
• Which two-year colleges are in their district?
• What college do most students in their district
  attend?
• Whats the workforce situation in their district?
• Is there a high unemployment rate?
• Has a major employer recently left the district?

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Rules of engagement when dealing with
legislators (cont.)

• Make YOUR priority relevant to the district the
  legislator represents.
• Make the issue one of relevance for the
  legislator politically.
• Know where the legislator is electorally
• Is there are election coming up?

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Laying out the connection

• Since Tacoma is in your district, Senator Smith,
  you know very well that students have been
  struggling disproportionately here..
• As a parent of a college student, you can
  understand that
• As a product of the community college system,
  you fully understand the importance of our 2 year
  colleges.

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The Dos and Donts

• Do
• Refer to them by their title
• Let them finish their, often long-winded,
  questions
• Thank them for hearing your testimony, whether
  you wanted to give it or not
• Acknowledge concerns, whether in fact you believe
  they are valid or not.
• Answer to the best of your recollection and as
  I remember it.
• State you dont recall if you are uncertain or
  not sure of anything.
• Try and take control of the hearing by getting
  the points across that you were hoping to
  regardless of the questions being asked.

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The Dos and Donts

• Dont
• Answer definitively, unless you are prepared to
  stand by the statement indefinitely.
• Deal in hypotheticals or set up straw men.
• Do not provide answers to questions that were not
  asked.
• Get defensive.
• Interrupt.

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Values and Community Colleges

• Successful messages call up values
• We know from our survey that people identify with
  major value opportunity
• Most commonly used word opportunity
• Better than others we tested
• Community
• Fairness
• Work
• Access is a close second and a part of
  opportunity

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Suggested national message platform

• Opportunity
• Access
• Expansion

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WSCTS Problem Statement

• Too many native Washington residents lack the
  skills and credentials necessary to meet the
  demands of employers and as a result are unable
  to fully contribute to the states workforce and
  economy.

19
Supporting Problem Statements

• Without strong support for the community and
  technical college system, Washington State will
  not develop a home-grown workforce necessary to
  positively contribute to the states economy.
• Washington State employers are forced to hire
  out-of-state workers to fill positions that too
  many Washington residents do not currently have
  the skills for.

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WCTCS Solution Statement

• The Washington Community and Technical College
  System provides an opportunity for residents to
  gain the skills and credentials necessary to
  positively contribute to the states economy.

21
WCTCS Supporting Solution Statements

• Policy makers need to make access to our
  community colleges a priority so that we can
  better train workers, help them update their
  career skills or launch them toward a four year
  degree.
• Everyone deserves an opportunity for higher
  education in the state of Washington and
  community colleges are there to provide that
  opportunity.
• Policy makers and residents should work toward
  expanding access to the Washington Community and
  Technical College System so that the entire state
  will benefit.

22
WCTCS Action Statements

• By supporting the Washington Community and
  Technical College System, residents are provided
  with the opportunity to gain the skills necessary
  to positively contribute to the states workforce
  and economy.

23
WCTCS Supporting Action Statements

• Support the efforts of Washingtons community and
  technical college system in providing access and
  opportunity for all residents in the state.
• Work with your neighbors and community to provide
  the necessary support for the Washington
  Community and Technical College System in its
  goal of providing an affordable and quality
  education for all residents of the state.
• Make access to two-year colleges a priority for
  you, your neighbors, and your state by calling on
  policy-makers to support the opportunities that
  the Washington Community College System provides.
  
• Build support for community colleges in your own
  community by highlighting the economic benefits
  of community colleges to Washington families and
  the state.

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Question Answer Sessions with Legislators

• When helpful, repeat the question.
• Watch your body language.
• Address the entire audience.
• Pass, if need be, to an expert.
• Plant key questions.

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Bridging

• Use tough or off the mark questions you are asked
  to bridge back to a message you want to give.
• Do NOT repeat the negative frame. Restate the
  question to set up a different frame.
• Good bridge language
• You may be interested to know
• Lets look at this in context
• The purpose of the study was
• Our experience tells us that

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Highlighting

• Signal the reporter and the audience that your
  main message is coming. Use highlighting
  language.
• Good highlighting language
• It is important to note that
• Our key message is that
• Id like to stress that
• The real issue is
• The bottom line is

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Practice, practice, practice