Every day, public information officers must effectively communicate news and information about their organizations with speed and accuracy. And because most of their work is reactive, immediate access to what the news media is saying is imperative.
This makes broadcast monitoring an indispensable tool. It ensures PIOs can deliver accurate responses about important news to the public quickly, monitor emerging issues and keep leaders informed. Here are five ways PIOs can incorporate broadcast monitoring into their duties.
1. Tracking Relevant Issues
Even when the news isn’t about their organization, PIOs often need to keep track of issues that could impact their operations. For example, when a story about a large school district receives national attention, PIOs in districts around the country need to be ready with talking points. Thus, staying on top of emerging issues is an essential part of the day-to-day responsibilities of the PIO. By setting up broadcast monitoring alerts on a variety of topics and having updates delivered to his email account, the PIO can be confident he’ll be ready when the press calls.
2. Improve Spokesperson Performance
While PIOs are the primary personnel speaking to the media, they still frequently need to put other leaders and experts on the air. Regular spokesperson training can minimize errors and boost the confidence of their officials. Clips of news segments are an especially exceptional tool for trainers, who can use them to show examples of how to manage an on-air interview. Less seasoned spokespeople can learn valuable lessons about fielding tough questions, and they can learn from segments that did not go well.
3. Gather Media Intelligence
Similarly, broadcast monitoring can provide important intelligence about media outlets and specific reporters that is invaluable for pitching and message development. By analyzing coverage and assessing the particular angles each station takes, PIOs can gather useful guidance about who they should pitch, who should be avoided and who needs to be educated about the topic. In addition, messages can be evaluated for consistency and pickup, and then adjusted as necessary.
4. Crisis Planning & Management
When a crisis hits, advance preparation can make all the difference. Broadcast monitoring is a particularly effective tool for crisis planning. When a crisis hits another organization – a school district or police department in another region – the PIO can follow the situation as it unfolds and analyze the organization’s response. The lessons learned can be incorporated into a plan and can improve the outcome if the PIO is faced with a similar crisis.
If a crisis does occur, broadcast monitoring enables a speedier, more comprehensive and effective response by helping the PIO understand how his organization is being portrayed by the media. Talking points can be adjusted and misinformation can be corrected quickly.
5. Sharing Success and Coverage
Keeping superiors updated about media mentions and emerging issues is a daily task for PIOs. With broadcast monitoring, the PIO can offer their leaders valuable insight about media perception of their organization and audience data for each segment in which it is mentioned. This level of detail is important for assessing reputational impact as well as evaluating the success of the public information program.
Whether they are managing public appearances, reporting on-the-scene, or interacting with the media on sensitive issues, PIOs will find timely and historical access to broadcasts especially valuable for more effectively shaping and delivering their messages.
Learn more about broadcast media monitoring with TVEyes by requesting a demo today.
