This is an interview with OECD Communicators Joelle Bassoul, Communications Manager, OECD Development Co-operation Directorate & Bochra Kriout, Outreach Advisor, OECD Development Centre
In our last post, we looked at 5 ways development communicators can work with journalists, helping them help us tell the stories that matter.
But what do those strategies look like in practice?
To find out, we spoke to two of our colleagues here at the OECD.
Joelle Bassoul, communications manager at the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate, has spent over two decades working for global development, humanitarian, and media organisations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. She believes strongly in the need to make the vast, sometimes abstract stories we tell as development communicators concrete and real for readers.
Bochra Kriout is the OECD Development Centre’s outreach advisor. She has over 15 years of experience in international communications and global affairs, and specializes in development economics, reputation management and media relations. She stresses the need to keep audience needs front and centre.
So what should development communicators keep in mind when trying to connect the dots for readers? How can digital tools like social media help? And what are their personal tips for working with the press?
We sat down with Joelle and Bochra to discuss all this, and much more.
Q: What has the shift to digital, particularly the rise of social media, changed for you as development communicators?
BK: Social media platforms are not just legitimate news channels but in fact the preferred ones now, and this shift has created entirely new need for content and formats. It has transformed the geographical and time boundaries in which communicators operate.
JB: Social media has taught us to tailor content for different platforms and different audiences. This is something we really developed during COVID-19, when we had to get creative with the little access we had to the countries where we were implementing programmes. How could we use one piece of information to tell a story across platforms, with different angles? For example, when talking about financing climate action, a technical blog for development experts could be turned into an Instagram post for students, focusing on people, not the technicalities. That gives us two different resources based on the same publications, research, or data.
BK: Images and interactivity are a must to keep things appealing on social. We need photos, videos, data visualisations and infographics.
JB: Social has made it easier to reach young people, who are often more willing to engage with things like Instagram quizzes. Young people are the policymakers of the future. They will lead on the climate crisis and gender issues. We need to incorporate the things that interest them into our communications strategies.
Another challenge is social’s constant turnover. Your target audience might miss a post. You need to follow up if you want to be sure of reaching a particular person. You can reach out with a personalised email or point them to your newsletter. The point is to use all the digital tools in our arsenal in coordination with social.
Q: As communicators, has social changed our relationships with traditional media?
BK: Some characteristics of the industry are here to stay. The news cycle is very competitive, and reporters work hard to be the first to break important news or reveal a new side of an issue in a compelling way. They are looking for facts, accurate data, interesting people and accessible insight on complex issues.
JB: There’s a misconception that social media is different from traditional media, but all traditional media outlets are heavily present on social media. For development communicators, the distinction isn’t social vs. legacy media, but how to reach both specialised and more mainstream outlets. There is still media interest in development stories, the question is how and when to pitch.
BK: That’s right. Reporters work under pressure, on tight deadlines, and in an environment of constant change and shifting audience attention – and this has only been intensified by social. We have to pique their interest, be relevant, and be succinct. But what interests us is not necessarily newsworthy for the press.
JB: The good news is that when you do find a news hook, you can break through. For example, there was a lot of media interest in the latest official development assistance (ODA) figures, because we focused on how aid was going to the Ukraine crisis, which was the biggest news story of the moment. That meant we got a lot of pick-up and reached audiences that don’t typically think about development issues.
It also helped that in highlighting how a lot more overseas aid money was , we were able to make the development story real for readers in many of our target markets.
Q: So what do we need to keep in mind when working with the press?
BK: There are two types of press engagement: defensive and proactive. The objective in both should be to promote the story you want to tell on behalf of your institution and its work. When you have content not yet picked up by press, you should proactively engage the media. When the media comes to you, the objective should be to remain open to requests, using engagement (typically on background) to correct inaccuracies and promote positive messages. In all cases, messages should be direct and short, using the “BLUF” (Bottom Line Up Front) rule. Be clear if the information is offered under embargo, on background, or off the record.
By the way, it’s always a good idea to brief journalists on background, in advance. This will help cultivate trust and collaboration. And make it personal. Do your homework and only make calls to select outlets or journalists – don’t try to reach everyone.
Don’t forget to make sure your internal clearance process is airtight. Speaking to the press puts your organisation’s reputation and credibility on the line – as well as that of the wider industry.
Beyond that, work with colleagues in your organisation to agree release dates, events and campaign formats. Figure out a system to make sure that key stakeholders in your organisation are on the same page in terms of objectives and key messages. No one size fits all in communication, and the decision to go public must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
JB: If you are going to the press, be honest as to whether you fit within the news cycle. Don’t contact the media every time you publish something.
When the media reaches out, you need to respond quickly as an organisation. If you don’t have spokespeople and experts on hand who know the key messages on a topic and understand the media cycle, journalists might not want to come to you again. Help your colleagues help you so your organisation becomes a preferred source for information.
Q: Ok, so you’ve reached out to the press and landed an interview. What advice can you give on how to prepare?
BK: First, define your objectives. Then choose two or three key, memorable points. Support each one with facts, data, or publicly available information, and be prepared to address hostile or controversial questions.
JB: Totally agree. It’s important to be clear as to why you want to sit with a journalist and explain, for example, that Africa isn’t getting as much ODA as before.
As Bochra mentioned, this links to how you build your media networks. It can mean identifying key journalists in places where you think you can have real impact.
Finally, don’t forget the human story. Sometimes sharing a story about one person in a specific country can have impact if there is global attention on that country, perhaps because of a crisis or geopolitical interest. We shouldn’t forget that at the end of the day, our goal is to make lives better for people. So let’s tell their stories!
Featured image by pch.vector on Freepik
Leave a Reply