HOT TOPIC June, 1997 By Kathleen Hessert President Sports Media Challenge This article appeared in the March/April 1997 Edition of the AFCA(American Football Coaches Association) Journal

Maximize Media Exposure with Thorough Preparation The coach, Peyton, Archie, Olivia, the SID and I were exchanging last minute glances and reminders before filing into the media room for the monumental announcement. It had already been debated for months in the media, though up until that moment the deb ate had been based purely on speculation. Now would come the facts that everyone concerned expected would draw equal numbers of proponents and opponents. Peyton Manning, a real live poster boy for college athletics, was ready to announce his decision to stay at the University of Tennessee. As big a deal that it was for Peyton, his coach, Phil Fulmer, had a lot at stake as well. National, regional and local media were there in hordes to carry the decision live and scrutinize the response. How Peyton and his coach responded to the questions could illuminate or cloud the decision, rationale behind it and ramifications down the line. Let's face it, any decision, whether the best or worst, will be received largely on how it is or isn't communicated to a variety of constituencies, and the medi a is a crucial conduit. Obviously, not all news is as wonderful for a coach to release as a star quarterback choosing his program over tens of millions of dollars and the prospect of being the number one pick in the NFL draft. Too many times, it's facing the cameras, microphone s, scribbling pens and hot lights after losing a key game, responding to criminal charges against a player, an eligibility question, etc. The questions may even revolve around whether you're being courted for another job or rumors of your ouster. So how can you best prepare? Delicate issues need delicate handling and almost everything in college athletics is delicate these days, especially when the details are filtered through the media. You might be wondering why good news has to be treated so carefully. Frankly, if the motivation behind or route to that good news is misrepresented, the value of that information can be diluted and even turned sour. To be best prepared, you have to focus on three major concepts: What specifically do you want to achieve through the interview; How can you deliver it in a convincing manner and, finally; How are the media and target audience going to receive it? Don't assume anything. For the best results, you need a game plan as specific as you have for Saturday afternoon. Without it, you're simply gambling. Start with an agenda of your own. Use the interview as an opportunity to communicate something you want to say. Make your message concise and well focused. Putting it into one simple sentence in advance helps clearly state and reinforce what's most imp ortant to you rather than being led by the media's agenda. When you weave a well focused message into the interview, you have a significantly greater chance of influencing the direction and tone of the story. Being receptive to media questions is difficult when you know that when reporters do their job well, it often makes yours much harder. Ask Phil Fulmer how difficult it was to repeatedly be asked the same question for months, "will Peyton stay or go?" and not have the answer. Dealing with the media is both part of coaching today and at the same time, when done well, an opportunity to wholesale your ideas. If you can't articulate what you think and do, then reporters will guess, interpret and ultimately spread their versions w herever they please. When that occurs, the ramifications affect team morale, recruiting, support from fans and the administration, and much more. Corporate CEOs and politicians need and routinely get media training. Coaches and student-athletes should, too. Though doing anything often helps you improve, it doesn't guarantee it. Learn how to do it right. As on the gridiron, you're not just out t here to play the game; you're out there to win. Kathleen Hessert President Sports Media Challenge