By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

CLINTON, N.C. — During a time when agriculture seems to be the target for often negative mainstream media attention, the National Pork Board recently offered a few key tips on working with the media during a training program in rural North Carolina.

“Many in agriculture are apprehensive about talking to the media and some feel they’ve been treated unfairly or will be,” said Al Eidson, president of Eidson & Partners, who facilitated an Operation Main Street training for pork producers in Clinton, N.C. “It’s a great opportunity to tell your story, and my best advice is to prepare your messages and be ready for any situation.”

Eidson educated a group of OMS attendees last week on understanding the media, the role of message points, best practices and pitfalls, blocking and bridging and other forms of media relations.

“The two points to always remember when working with the media is that it is your job to deliver messages, not answer questions. It is not a message if it is not written down and practiced, it is just a concept,” he added.

Role of message points
According to Eidson, message points are the thoughts “you most want the audience to remember.”

“Think headlines – conclusion first, followed by supporting facts,” he added.
When thinking about message points, Eidson encouraged producers to first, identify the audience – “it’s not the media, they are a conduit to your audience and it’s not the activists – they can’t be moved.

The audience is more than likely, customers, employees, neighbors, shareholders, potential customers or the public in general.”

Next, develop the message points.

“These words are the tools we use to shape perception,” Eidson said. “Choose the right tool for the job. No jargon. Use analogies to drive home your point.”
Eidson encouraged use of values-based message points in agriculture.
“To build trust, agriculture must engage in values-based communication that is grounded in ethics and supported by science and economics,” he said. “Shared values are four to five times more important to build trust than technical skills.” Next Eidson discussed the use of blocking and bridging in conducting media interviews.

“Blocking and bridging is the use of smooth connecting phrases to move the conversation from an unproductive, hostile or irrelevant area back to your message points,” he said.

Examples of blocking and bridging phrases includes: “That’s a good question. What’s important to remember is …” or “That’s a popular misconception. The real fact is …”

Additionally, Eidson encouraged producers working with the media, either television, newspaper or radio to keep messages concise.“Deliver your message and then stop,” he said. “I know the instinct is to keep talking, but that’s when you can get in trouble.”

In summary, Eidson said to review messages, anticipate topics and practice. Also, he encouraged participants to be enthusiastic and flag key messages throughout the interview by saying things like “the most important point” or “what people should really know is.”

Additionally, he said to regularly engage the media, especially when issues in animal agriculture arise (such as H1N1), by sending in letters to the editor or contributing to opinion columns.