The challenge is the same for all of us. How do we make our story stand out? How do we keep it simple? How do we make it memorable? I was recently conducting a media training session for a Chamber of Commerce. One of the attendees worked for the local library. She was in the session because the library was about to start a public awareness and fundraising campaign and she wanted to be ready for the media. I asked, “who needs a library any more? After all we have the Internet!” I was blunt about it the way I did when I was a reporter. She stumbled and fumbled and tried to come up with an answer that made me and the rest of the people in the room care. All of her reasons were the same ones we’d heard for years – no one cared. So – as a group we went to work on the topic. We all agreed the Internet was chipping away at public perception about why libraries were needed. Then over the course of the next few minutes little gems started to trickle out, one person volunteered they like to go to the library to tune out the rest of the world. Another said, that while it was true they could find much of the information on-line they had no one to turn to for help when they got stuck. Another person observed that while we are connected on-line we’re not connecting. In less than 15 minutes we took a heap of information and boiled it down the two key messages. 1. in an electronic world we need the library more than ever – the library is a place where you connect – with information, with people and the world at large 2. the library is a place of sanctuary – a place to turn off all of the electronics and think. Are these knock your socks off key messages? No, but they work, they’re simple and they’re easy to remember. As well, if you break these statements down you actually have more than two. As a television reporter I would be happy to grab the first 11 words of message one as an opener to my story. Open with Librarian on camera “in an electronic world we need the library more than ever” Cut to images of people on their phones talking, texting, at a café with laptops but not talking to the person next to them. Voice over Oh we’re connected for sure, but we’re not connecting. Go to any mall and you’ll see teens on a bench texting one another but not talking to each other. Cut to shots at the Library Voice over continues At the Library, texting is a no no, talking on the phone is frowned on, but contrary to what you’re grandmother may have told you, talking is allowed – in fact it’s encouraged. (now comes part two of message one) Clip the library is a place where you connect – with information, with people and the world at large From the perspective of a friendly reporter this is an easy story to do and it’s an easy one to buy into. That’s because all reporters want to support the concept of the library and books and a place of high thought. Libraries are a metaphor for SMART and we all want to be smart.
