WASHINGTON, D.C., May 29, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Social conservatives can win in the media by putting “your best person on camera,” says media expert Beverly Hallberg.
Hallberg, the founder and president of District Media Group, recently trained dozens of attendees at the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation's 2014 Summit. She told LifeSiteNews that while “people may say, 'I'm never going to be on Fox News, or CNN, or MSNBC,’ you can have a great impact in your community.”
“It's important to affect change on the local level,” says Hallberg. She says media training is effective for bringing about this change because people often “present their worst self on-camera.”
“People freeze up” and “often they lose clarity of their message,” Hallberg says. “Clarity is figuring out what you want to say ahead of time, and making sure that you can work that into your interview.”
When asked about the 2012 fight over the so-called “War on Women” and the Obama administration's contraception/abortifacient/sterilization mandate, Hallberg said that reframing the debate is critical.
“You have to think through 'what could I be asked in this interview,'” she emphasized. In doing so, Hallberg says it's important to focus on “never repeat[ing] a negative accusation.”
“People often respond with, 'I'm not this,'” she said, but instead interviewees should “rephrase to say what you are. Don't tell me what you're not. That alone can change the conversation.”
“So what I would encourage people to say on any issue related to the War on Women is that you start with 'We are for women.' Then go to your talking points on how you are for women. Tell me what it is you are for.”
Hallberg says conservatives are “often very defensive in media interviews, talking about what they're not,” and that “when questions are worded in a negative way, it takes us down a wrong path.” She says that “being prepared, rephrasing to say what you are for, and making certain that you don't sound defensive” are the keys to a successful media appearance, because “you are able to get to your talking point much more quickly.”
Any TV appearance must be harnessed to the advantage of the guest, says Hallberg, and this is done by answering the question “What do you stand for?” Catholics accused of being “anti-gay” should respond by answering the question in a positive way, in order to change the direction and tone of the interview, she said.
When it comes to media bias in interviews, Hallberg says that knowing the outlet is critical. “Don't do a show until you've done a little investigation. You don't want to end up on a comedic show without knowing.” She also advises considering interviews even with hostile outlets because “stories are going to be written whether you contribute to them or not.”
“Topics, segments on TV, stories are going to be there whether you contribute or not. I find it's much better to try to add to the narrative, or potentially change the narrative, as much as possible,” she emphasized.
“So as long as you know this is a reputable media outlet, prepare — go through media training! — and do the interview. On the local level, I encourage people to get to know their reporters. So let's say you're dealing in the religious community, find a writer who writes about religion in your local newspaper.”
Even normally hostile outlets and members of the media can be open to new perspectives if approached the right way, according to Hallberg. “Maybe you want to meet a producer at a local, liberal TV station, just so they know who you are, what your organization is. Start to build that relationship. Even if a reporter doesn't agree with your position, if they like you as a person, they will often be fairer to you. Or, at least, at times they will.”
Hallberg says conservatives should not have a war mentality going into media interviews. “I had a client once say 'I am going to war.' It was clear in his body language, and his word choice was abrasive.”
“You can be in the driver's seat, but there is a discipline involved in that. It's important to add to the narrative or possibly change it by contributing. Remember, they can't make you say anything you don't want to. Take the mentality that this is an opportunity, not war.”
One of the most local of all pro-life efforts is 40 Days for Life, which has a presence in all 50 states and over 20 other countries. Hallberg says that when 40 Days for Life groups approach local media, they should do so with effective tactics. “I would designate a spokesperson — one or two, whoever has the most experience, the most natural ability to speak to a media reporter. But let the media sources know about your events, who the spokespeople are, the gatherings you have planned, etc. ahead of time.”
“And always get back to them in a timely manner. I think that's extremely important.”
Personal connections are critically important to getting TV viewers to listen to any argument, says Hallberg. However, the limitations of television make it difficult to make the connection and get a substantive cultural or policy point in. She recommends “using a personal anecdote that relates to the topic. Often, people are working on issues that match their experience.”
“For example, if you're pro-life, and you've been a doctor before, you are a doctor. Mention that when you're talking about the medical procedure of abortion. Or, if you know people who have been affected by this — family members, friends — is there a way to talk about that personal approach, that personal side to it.”
Another tactic, says Hallberg, is to find “common ground with the other side, especially with a potentially hostile interview. Is there a way to find some common ground? And then get to your point about it.”
“This doesn't mean that you change your perspective, or change your position, but is there a way to start with 'We want women to be healthy?' That's something both sides want, we want women to be healthy, we want women to have good health care in this country, and then you can go into whatever your point is on it, to show where the difference is. This is a good way to take some of the steam out of the other side, when they try to make you seem unreasonable.”
“It's important to appear reasonable, not radical, with social issues,” says Hallberg. “And finding that common ground, using the personal anecdotes, is a good way to show there is a reasoned approach to your position. It's not radical.”