Public Affairs
The Academy conducts an extensive public affairs program, including media relations, public relations, and conference support. The public affairs staff offers support to other departments by developing and managing media and image campaigns, media training, speechwriting, and conference program logistics.
Media Relations
Media relations is the craft of matching information to the right media outlets, in the right package, at the right time, so that the media outlet will consider it newsworthy.
Proactive media relations involves the creation of specific campaigns to generate coverage. The three cardinal principles of proactive campaigns are:
- Establish newsworthiness. The job of a media outlet is to deliver to its readers the information it promised to deliver to them. The media are audience- driven, audience-centered and audience-sensitive. Therefore, a story is newsworthy as defined by the news outlet (not the news source). Campaigns must be designed so that the information can be presented per the needs of the media outlets’ markets.
- Packaging. Targeting journalists with a sharp, attention-getting message focused on the outlet’s audience is the key to getting the media’s attention. The information must be easily accessible (both technically and intellectually).
- Timing. The campaign needs to be planned and timed to match the prevailing news cycles of the issue.
The Academy has established itself as a reliable news source to numerous media outlets, particularly in the trade press. In order to be an effective news source, it is important that it is constantly prepared to respond to journalists’ inquiries. In all cases, giving a reporter a good answer quickly is far better than giving him or her a complete, precise answer too late.
The key principles of reactive media relations are:
- Respond quickly. Because most journalists are under tight deadlines, it is critical that responses to inquiries be prompt.
- Be honest. If you can answer their questions, then do it quickly. If you can’t, tell them right away.
The Academy’s media relations program capitalizes on the Academy’s assets and available resources, which include:
- Credibility as a source of independent and objective policy analysis
- Nonpartisan reputation
- Broad expertise and superior technical knowledge and skills
- Information gathering and dissemination capabilities
The Academy employs numerous tools to provide media outlets with information of value to their audiences. Some of the tools used to reach out to the media include:
- Media advisories
- News releases
- News conferences
- Briefings
- Op-eds, letters to the editor
- Articles
- Interviews
1. Inquiries for comment by an Academy representative should be directed to a member of the media relations staff (page 28). Each call is logged for tracking purposes.
2. Media relations staff will follow up with the reporter for additional information, such as:
- Story deadline
- Interview topic, slant, and audience
- Background on the media outlet
If the inquiry is not appropriate or relevant, the reporter is redirected to a better source.
3. Staff will work with the appropriate volunteer(s) to identify a spokesperson and arrange an interview. In some cases, the inquiry is quickly routed to an “official Academy spokesperson” (someone authorized to speak with the media on behalf of the Academy). In other cases, the inquiry is vetted among leadership and staff to determine how the inquiry should be managed.
4. Any questions about how to handle the inquiry are discussed with the relevant practice council vice president(s). If the topic is deemed particularly sensitive, the Academy president and members of the President’s Advisory Committee may be involved in the decision-making process, along with members of the Academy’s senior staff.
5. Staff will then arrange the interview, providing the spokesperson with the necessary background on the media outlet and the issue.
6. Staff typically contacts the spokesperson after the interview for a debriefing and to determine if follow-up is needed. Academy Communications staff may be present for an in-person interview or on the line for a telephone interview. This is not to participate in the interview, but to ensure interviewer and interviewee are asking/answering the same question, to provide background information, as appropriate, and to note issues and information requests to be followed up after the interview.
7. All media inquiries are tracked and included in media relations activity reports that are distributed to Academy leadership. Significant media placements are reported in the Academy’s newsletter, Actuarial Update, and on the Academy website’s newsroom.
When being interviewed as an Academy spokesperson there are a number of important points to always keep in mind.
1. Keep an actuarial focus. Many of the issues on which the Academy may comment are multidimensional, which opens the door to questions beyond the actuarial domain. For example, changes in a social insurance program may have significant impacts on government budgets, the economy, the stock market, etc. Academy spokespersons should stick to actuarial issues, ideally within the scope of an existing public policy work product or work group, and not be lured into responding to questions on non-actuarial subjects.
2. Remember that the Academy is a professional association. It is not a trade or industry group. Spokespersons should be careful not to present the position of a specific industry, segment of an industry, or company. Spokespersons should base their answers on current Academy public statements and work products only. They should identify themselves as speaking on behalf of the Academy, not their employer.
3. The Academy is nonpartisan. Spokespersons should be careful at all times not to appear to be endorsing a particular political party, ideology, or candidate—especially during the campaign season.
4. Avoid commenting on litigation. As a general rule, the Academy will not comment on situations involving litigation because, in part, of the danger of affecting the litigation inappropriately. On occasion, a spokesperson will be asked to respond to a media inquiry about a case in litigation. In such cases, the Academy spokesperson should comment only on general topics, not specifics of the case.
To improve the Academy’s media relations capabilities, a special program for Official Academy Spokespersons was launched in 2002. The program identifies, trains, and offers support for volunteers who will act as official spokespersons on specific issues. Candidates for the program are selected by the council vice presidents.
Spokespersons are given media training to learn interview techniques and message point development for print, radio, and television. The Academy’s media relations staff also works closely with each spokesperson in fielding calls, scheduling interviews, and writing background and follow-up materials.