News Values, Press Conference, Interview Techniques, Ethics and Media Relations Plans [Complete Note]

This is the continuation of our MCM 216 lecture note on Fundamentals of Media Relations in Ebonyi State University. In the previous notes, we covered meaning, strategies, tools and digital media. In this final part, we will cover news values, how the media operates, press conference and media events, interview techniques, ethics and professional issues, and how to draft a media relations plan.

Not everything that happens is news. For your press release to be published, it must have news value. News values are the criteria journalists use to decide what is newsworthy.

According to Johan Galtung and Mari Ruge (1965), who propounded News Values Theory, an event must meet certain conditions before it becomes news.

The major news values as taught in EBSU include:

i) Timeliness: News must be current. As the saying goes, news is like bread, it is best when fresh. An event that happened last month is no longer news.

ii) Prominence: If the person involved is a prominent person like the Governor, VC of EBSU, or a celebrity, it becomes news.

iii) Proximity: People care more about what happens near them. News about EBSU is more important to Abakaliki residents than news about a school in Sokoto.

iv) Impact / Consequence: How many people will be affected? If EBSU increases school fees, it affects thousands of students, so it is highly newsworthy.

v) Conflict: Man fights man, man against system — conflict is news. E.g., ASUU strike, student protest.

vi) Human Interest: Emotional stories about people, e.g., a poor student who graduated with first class in EBSU.

vii) Novelty / Oddity: Something unusual or strange. E.g., a lecturer trekking from Abakaliki to Abuja.

viii) Currency: Something that is already trending in public discussion.

As a PR officer, you must angle your story to contain at least 2 or 3 of these values, otherwise journalists will dump it.

To relate well with the media, you must understand how they operate.

1. Gatekeeping: Editors decide what passes and what does not. David Manning White's Gatekeeping Theory says editors are gatekeepers. You must make your story pass the gate.

2. Deadline: Journalists work with deadline. Don't send your press release by 10pm when their deadline was 4pm. Send early, preferably morning.

3. Editorial Policy and House Style: Every media house has its own style and political leaning. What _The Sun_ will publish, _Vanguard_ may not.

4. Newsroom Hierarchy: Reporter —> News Editor —> Editor. Build relationship with all levels, not just the reporter.

5. Beat System: Journalists are assigned beats — education beat, crime beat, politics beat. For EBSU issues, target education correspondents.

A press conference is a formal meeting where an organization invites journalists to make an important announcement or respond to a critical issue.

- When you have major news like appointment of new VC

- During crisis that needs clarification

- When launching a major project

- When responding to damaging publication

- When you have no real news (you will lose credibility)

- When a simple press release can do the job

- When the issue is too trivial

Before: Choose good venue (accessible), choose good time (not too early, not too late, e.g., 11am), send invitation at least 48 hours before, prepare press kit, prepare spokesperson, rehearse possible questions.

During: Start on time (Nigerian time kills PR), introduce spokesperson, make brief opening statement, allow Q and A session, be calm and truthful. As Ivy Lee said "Tell the truth..."

After: Send thank you message, share press release again to those who didn't attend, monitor coverage.

Media events include press tours, product launch, facility commissioning, anniversary, awards, and courtesy visits to media houses. The aim is to create an opportunity for the media to cover you positively.

Interview is one of the most delicate tools in media relations. One wrong statement can cause crisis.

Types: TV interview, Radio interview, Newspaper interview, Online interview, and Press interview (many journalists).

a) Preparation is Key: Know the topic, research the journalist and the medium, anticipate difficult questions. As Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

b) The Message House: Have 3 key messages you want to drive home, no matter the question. Bridge all questions back to those messages.

c) The Bridging Technique: E.g., "That is an important question, but what is more important is..." This helps you control the interview.

d) The Flagging Technique: Flag your important points. "The most important thing to note is..."

e) Be Brief and Simple (KISS Principle): Keep It Short and Simple. Avoid long grammar. Use 30-second answers.

f) Dress Well and Body Language: For TV, dress corporate, maintain eye contact, sit upright, don't fidget.

g) Never Say "No Comment": Instead say "I don't have the full information now, but I will get back to you." No comment sounds guilty.

h) Tell the Truth: Don't lie on camera. If you don't know, admit it.

i) The 3Cs: Be Calm, Confident and Credible.

Ethics are moral principles that guide our practice.

As taught in EBSU and according to NIPR:

i) Truth and Honesty: Don't lie to the media or public.

ii) Confidentiality: Respect client confidentiality.

iii) Fairness and Avoidance of Brown Envelope: Don't bribe journalists. It is unprofessional and kills credibility.

iv) Avoid Conflict of Interest: Don't serve two opposing clients at the same time.

v) Loyalty to Client and Public Interest: Balance both.

- Defamation (Libel and Slander) — Don't publish false information that damages reputation

- Copyright Act — Don't use someone's work without permission

- Official Secrets Act — Don't disclose government classified info

- Contempt of Court — Don't comment on a case that is in court

- Cybercrimes Act 2015 — Against fake news and cyberstalking

- ARCON Law — Regulates advertising

- Brown envelope syndrome

- Fake news and disinformation, especially on social media

- Hostile and biased journalists

- Poor funding for PR departments

- Lack of understanding of PR by management (they think PR is just propaganda)

- Digital disruption — everyone is now a journalist with a phone

This is the climax of this course. A Media Relations Plan is a document that shows how an organization will relate with the media within a specific period.

According to our lecturer, a good plan must have:

Step 1: Situational Analysis / Research: What is the current image of the organization? What is the problem? For example, "EBSU is perceived as..."

Step 2: Objectives: What do you want to achieve? Objectives must be SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. E.g., "To increase positive media coverage of EBSU by 50% in 3 months."

Step 3: Target Audience / Publics: Who are you talking to? Students, parents, government, host community, journalists?

Step 4: Key Messages: What are the 3-4 main things you want people to know?

Step 5: Strategies: How will you achieve it? (Proactive, reactive, digital, community-based etc.)

Step 6: Tools / Tactics: What specific tools will you use? Press release, press conference, interviews, social media.

Step 7: Timeline / Action Plan: When will you do what? Create a table: Activity - Date - Person Responsible.

Step 8: Budget: How much will it cost? Transportation, printing of press kits, data, hall rental.

Step 9: Evaluation: How will you measure success? Media monitoring, clippings, online analytics, feedback.

Title: EBSU 2026 Admission Media Relations Plan

1. Executive Summary

2. Situation Analysis

3. Objectives

4. Target Publics

5. Key Messages

6. Strategies

7. Tools & Timeline

8. Budget

9. Evaluation Method

In conclusion, a good PR officer is not just someone who knows how to write press release. A good PRO must understand news values so that his story will be published, must understand how media operates to know when to send his story, must know how to organize press conference and handle interviews without causing crisis, must be ethical because PR without ethics is propaganda, and must know how to draw a workable media relations plan.

Without these, you are just a press boy, not a PRO.

> _Note: This note was compiled from the updated MCM 216 lecture in EBSU Department of Mass Communication. For study and exam purpose. Includes topics on News Values, Press Conference, Interview Techniques, Ethics and Media Relations Plans._