Top 3 Tips for Placing Op-Eds

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Given the chaotic news cycle, placing an effective op-ed is more challenging than ever. DMG has three quick tips to improve the chances of getting your work published at your desired outlet.

#1 — Before putting pen to paper, ask yourself: Is my voice credible on the topic?
If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are you’ve felt that passionate urge to voice your opinion about a news story. The first thing an opinion editor asks when they review a submission is whether the source is credible. Even if you’ve written a beautiful op-ed, you likely won’t get published if you don’t have any professional expertise or credibility on the topic. For example, if you’re authoring an op-ed on a controversial SCOTUS case, your background should be related to the subject of the case in some way — as either an attorney or an activist. The closer you are to the issue you’re writing about, the better the chances are that your work will be published.

#2 — Select an outlet to pitch and know your audience.
If your dream is to be published in the Wall Street Journal, then you should be studying the contents of the WSJ opinion page daily. You need to be familiar with the topics the WSJ covers — and in order to be familiar with those topics, you should be familiar with their audience as well.

#3 — Count your words.
Unless it’s a long-form magazine, most online news sites don’t publish op-eds that exceed 850 words. DMG usually suggests op-ed word counts land somewhere between 750-800 words. Oftentimes opinion editors won’t even consider running a piece if it’s too long.

How to Get on TV

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#1 — Know Your Goal

Whether your goal is to sell a product or become a talking head on cable news, you need to clearly identify what it is and have a plan to achieve it. Your goal needs to become your TV identity.

#2 — Biography + Headshots

Every professional should have a polished 200–300-word biography. This biography should include everything from your current position, major career accomplishments, educational background, and any other details that help push your TV goals forward. For example, if you’re currently a professor at a local college but your TV goal is to discuss political news of the day, you need to include as much of your political experience in your bio as possible. Whether you’ve been a political appointee, run for office, or worked on a major campaign, those positions are key to creating your TV identity.

Every professional also needs a presentable headshot. One or two high-resolution photos of your face and upper body in work attire are crucial to landing a TV interview — especially if you don’t have any previous TV clips.

#3 — Take It to the Internet

Social media and the Internet are amazing ways to showcase your TV identity. If your goal is to be on TV, you should be using social media as a branding tool. TV bookers can easily pull up your Twitter page to see what your thoughts are on trending news stories.

While social media accounts can be somewhat limiting, DMG always recommends that you create a professional website for yourself. Using a simple template through WordPress or Squarespace, you can create a landing page for your TV identity — which should include your biography, headshots, social media accounts, and links to any writing you’ve done. When bookers Google your name, it’s super helpful for them to see your TV identity neatly laid out in one place.

#4 — Hire DMG!

When you have these three marks in place, it’s time to hire DMG! Our account executives are well-connected to some of the best TV bookers in the biz! DMG secures coverage for clients on some of the most influential cable news shows out there — and we work with you throughout the whole process — including personal branding, messaging strategy, and even media training — everything to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward and accomplishing your goals on TV.

Filler Word Fixes

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Filler words happen to the best of us, including new White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki:

There are steps you can take to rid yourself of filler words, and we highly recommend the following two measures:

#1 — Work on eliminating filler words in daily conversation. There’s enough to focus on when you’re live behind a mic, so it’s best to save your brainpower for talking points rather than trying not to say “uh.”

#2 — Enlist the help of someone else. Take one meal a week to eat with a friend, coworker, roommate who is willing to hold you accountable. Ask them to hit the table, or call you out, or notify you however you prefer every time you use a filler word.

You should see noticeable improvement within a month if you incorporate both measures!

Politics Doesn’t Have to Be a Raging Fire

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At DMG, we agree with President Biden that in America it is about the right to “dissent peaceably.” But many in our country do not think that free speech applies to ideas they disagree with. DMG will continue to defend free speech—ideas that we agree with as well as those we don’t—and help our clients stand on the biggest platforms to use their voice. As the fight for free speech is front and center, consider hiring DMG to amplify you and your message in print, on radio and TV.

We wouldn’t be doing our job if we ended this email without a tip, so here’s an important one:

If you want your voice heard on radio and TV, op-eds are crucial. Radio and TV producers put the content and people they read on their shows. Plus, op-eds are gold for your media booking team.

How to talk about the ERA

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In February, the House of Representatives voted to reconsider the Equal Rights Amendment. And just this week, FX is set to launch a mini-series detailing conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly’s fight against the same in the 1970s. For these reasons, it’s a timely issue to message.

But it’s also a tricky issue to message because arguments in favor of the ERA are highly politicized and emotionally-charged.

Here’s how we suggest you talk about it, with the help of the Independent Women’s Forum:

#1 — Start with common ground.
Even though we don’t support the ERA, we agree that women should be treated equally under the law. The good news is: women already enjoy equal treatment under the law as it’s illegal to discriminate based on sex. But you first have to state that equal treatment of women is important to you BEFORE you transition to why the ERA is bad legislation so people don’t immediately dismiss your argument.

#2 — Use examples to show that erasing sex distinctions is harmful to women.
A provision of the ERA is to erase sex distinctions, which is harmful to women. Examples abound and will help you make this point — “separate restrooms and locker rooms in public schools; the military draft for males; Social Security spousal benefits; the Department of Agriculture’s Women, Infants, and Children program; the Violence Against Women Act; grants for girls’ STEM training; and more.” Women would lose these benefits in the name of “equality” if the ERA becomes law, meaning we would be less safe and less free than we are today.

For more information about the ERA and why it’s harmful to women, check out the Independent Women’s Forum policy focus here.

Virtual Training + Coronavirus

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Stuck at home out of an “abundance of caution” to protect yourself and others from coronavirus? Us too.

So, why not use this time to refine your media interview and/or public speaking skills? DMG offers virtual training for all experience levels from the comfort of your home.

Just like our in-person training, virtual training focuses on best practices for media interviews and public speeches. Our team will work to identify strengths and weaknesses as well as strategies to further refine visual, vocal, and verbal performance via the same real-time practice and critique as our in-person training.

If virtual training sounds like a great fit for you and your staff, email info@districtmediagroup.com for rates and availability.

How to develop talking pts

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Talking points get a bad rap because people assume talking points = scripted. But in reality, well-developed talking points = preparation. And the reason you want to prepare is so you’re able to control the interview by communicating your message regardless of the questions asked.

Below are a few tips to help you develop the best talking points for your message:

#1 — Condense. The more you know about a topic, the more difficult an interview will be because there is so much you COULD say. The trick is to determine what two or three points best sell your message to the intended audience – what do they care about? – and then physically write them down.

#2 — Don’t memorize. Once you determine the two or three points you want to make, it’s important to NOT memorize them. You’ll sound rehearsed if you try. Instead, create bullet points to summarize your talking points. You’ll stay on message and you’ll sound conversational as you allow words and phrases you’d naturally use to fill the gaps.

#3 — Internalize. Now that you’ve written out your talking points and understand how each can be summarized into bullet points, it’s time to practice out loud. You’ll find that your ability to remember and deliver your talking points is much easier when you’ve taken the time to not only write down what you want to say but to also say it out loud.

(Photo Credit: Career Employer)

The One Word Rule

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One-word answers to a reporter’s questions are never a good idea until they are.

Secretary Pompeo proved the effectiveness of this strategy in recent interviews around Soleimani’s killing. In the interest of safety and strength, he was right to answer serious questions like “Any plans to evacuate the embassy in Baghdad, sir?” and “Any plans to pull some of the 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq out?” with a simple “none.”

“None” communicated his point, left no room for misinterpretation, and underscored the severity of the situation. But it’s also interesting to note that he didn’t lean into the interview with a one-word answer. He first gave a 30-second assessment of what happened, which enabled him to be concise in his following two answers.

We often encourage clients to fill the time they’ve been given because you only get so many questions to communicate your message. But if the nature of the interview is such that national security is at risk, one-word answers are not only allowed but recommended.

DMG Adds Virtual Training

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Happy 2020!

In the first post of the new year, we’re excited to introduce something brand new — Virtual Training.

We love working with our clients in-person, but we also know that time and distance can make it difficult to schedule training when you need it most. Virtual training allows us and you greater flexibility.

Just like DMG’s media training, Virtual Training focuses on best practices for print, radio, and television interviews. Our team will work to identify strengths and weaknesses as well as strategies to further refine visual, vocal, and verbal performance via the same mock interviews and critique as our in-person media trainings. The training is capped at 60 minutes and is customizable — we can accommodate anything from a general refresher to tailored prep for a specific format or show.

If Virtual Training sounds like a great fit for your media training needs, email info@districtmediagroup.com for rates and availability.

Welcome, Brielle!

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District Media Group is excited to announce veteran publicist Brielle Colby will be joining District Media Group as the new Director of Media Relations.

Prior to joining District Media Group, Brielle worked in all different aspects of media with a myriad of clients from country musicians, authors, and comedians to politicians and CEOs. Most recently, she was the Publicity Manager for Operation Underground Railroad where she secured media on PBS, ABC Nightly News, CBS and more to help spread awareness of their work and the topic of human trafficking. Before she joined the world of publicity, Brielle began at Fox News where she produced guest segments, handled breaking news in high-pressure environments, and routinely booked high profile guests.

“As DMG continues to build its reach and influence, we are excited to welcome Brielle. Her skills and experience are an invaluable addition to the team and will only further advance DMG’s efforts” said President of District Media Group Beverly Hallberg.

“I am thrilled to be joining District Media Group. Beverly and her team have been helping their clients develop their skills and confidence while elevating their message on all media platforms. I look forward to helping their team extend their influence and reach further” said Brielle Colby.