Paranormal Groups and the Media
By Sonny Charette
It’s probably safe to say that
most groups have had at least one
encounter with one representative from
the media. Whether it was from the local
newspaper, radio or television station,
many groups have been exposed to the
media in one way, shape or form.
Sometimes it has been a positive
experience, sometimes not so much.
Some groups that have had bad
experiences tend to shy away from the
media afterwards. They tend to fixate on
the popular mindset of other groups
(with their own negative experiences)
that the media is only out to
sensationalize and denigrate the work
that most legitimate paranormal groups
are involved in. After a bad interview,
news item, or report, groups generally
tend to believe that they were
intentionally made to look foolish or
unprofessional. Once again, sometimes
this may be the case, other times this
may have been merely how the group
had inadvertently chosen to present
themselves.
What can be done to take a
possible nightmarish experience and turn
in it into a positive one? The answer, or
answers, are more easily found and
learned than one may expect; and most
are plain common sense. With the proper
care, research, and preparation, the
average paranormal group can maximize
the effect of any encounter with the
media and capitalize on portraying
themselves as they wish to be; Thus
beginning a long and mutually beneficial
relationship.
Contacting the Media
Groups from all over have all
taken that extraordinary step when they
first become organized (or perhaps later)
to introduce themselves to the
community and promote the services
that they offer. This can even include the
announcement of an event in which the
group is participating. But more
decisions are necessary to ensure
maximum coverage and minimal risk for
the group.
As everyone knows, first
impressions are the most important.
Although, a good first impression
doesn’t necessarily involve sending out
an enormous amount of media releases
to every media outlet in your region. A
properly prepared media release and an
organised selection of primary media
contacts (via mail or fax) is normally all
that is required. For instance, the media
release should be short and to the point;
no more than one page. A longer media
release is like sitting through a four
minute commercial on television. The
audience either changes channels or does
something else until it is over.
In dealing with the media, a
primary contact person (or
spokesperson) from within the group
should be selected to be available when
and if the media responds. Their contact
information and that of the paranormal
group should be included in the release.
The decision as to who should represent
or speak for the group is one that needs
to be made carefully, as the wrong
choice could result in a less than optimal
result. The right choice for the job is
someone who communicates clearly and
effectively, and can adapt quickly when
faced with unexpected questions
Finally, when a response comes
in a broader summary of the release and
what the group hopes to accomplish is
all that is generally required. This and a
list of available dates and times for an
interview if the reporter chooses to
follow up. If caught off-guard, the group
spokesperson can always ask to call back
in a little bit to confirm a date and time.
Anything longer than half a day and the
group risks missing their opportunity to
promote themselves or their activity or
event. Paranormal groups must always
remember that the media is a very fast
paced business. With deadlines and
reporters multi-tasking on various stories
at once, the reporter may move on to a
different story if the group delays too
long.
Do not be discouraged if no
response to the release is received. The
media is run on certain types of stories,
and are dictated by what will sell papers
or get more viewers or listeners. It is no
secret that the different branches of the
media “feed off” of each other by
running similar storylines, breaking
news, and in-depth studies and reports.
When breaking news happens in the
world or nationally, all the big papers
will carry almost the same story with the
same picture. The television reports will
carry the same reel footage, even though
the report’s narration may differ slightly.
Remember, what interests the
paranormal group may not seem
interesting to the media. Unless of
course it is Halloween or there happens
to be a particular ghost story surrounding
a certain location.
For the new groups promoting
themselves or their events, the best and
cheapest way to do this is to go on the
internet. Promoting the group, an event,
or the groups’ website can be done by
visiting local community online
information boards and event calendars.
Be careful of the sites you post on. Some
request personal contact information
which is generally not required on
legitimate sites.
The Media Contacts You
For any paranormal group, the
one time of year that the media usually
takes the initiative to contact us is right
before Halloween. Not that this is a bad
thing, but it can sometimes conflict with
other plans that the group has made in
advance regarding an investigation,
another Halloween-related event, or
family and personal obligations. There is
nothing that can be done about this when
it happens. But simply saying, “No, we
can’t do it for then.” also doesn’t help. It
is true that reporters are busy and really
appreciate it more if a response is given
immediately. But, once again, asking for
a little extra time to call back to allow
for a careful consideration of the request
and all the options available is a much
wiser approach.
Arranging an interview with the
media can involve a little negotiation. If
the media has contacted the group, then
there is generally already a pre-selected
date and time in mind. This isn’t the
reporter’s fault since the date and time
was arrived at to first fit their schedule in
order to meet their deadline. If a
scheduling conflict begins to emerge,
being cooperative and providing
alternative solutions will make the
process go along more smoothly.
Although these alternatives may not be
accepted, it will show that the group is
still interested and will not reject the
request outright. Be careful not to
commit to anything unless absolutely
certain, a last minute decision on a
previous commitment to the media may
look unfavourably upon the group in the
future.
The principle aspect of the entire
situation is that if the media request
cannot be faithfully honoured, then it
cannot be honoured. There is no use
fretting about it. But do take the contact
information of the reporter and remind
him/her to contact the group if and when
a similar opportunity arises.
Tips When Dealing with the Media
When we all get that phone call
or e-mail from a reporter, whether we
are expecting it or not, we need to keep a
calm and cool head on our shoulders.
The paranormal group and the reporter
have to work together to establish their
position on key points.
Expectations rise to the top of
this short list of points. What the group
expects and what the reporter expects
can be two completely different things.
The group may expect to sit and talk
with the reporter, while the reporter may
expect a more practical experience in the
field during an investigation. If the
reporter is asking to participate in, or
witness an actual or simulated
investigation, the group shouldn’t
scramble around at the last minute
looking for a potential location. It
usually takes longer than a few days to
find a location, and that isn’t even
including interviewing the property
owner and gathering the necessary
background and historical data on the
location. Common sense would also
dictate that private residence
investigations are definitely out of the
question when involving media. It is
highly unlikely the owner of a residence
would want a reporter, or worse, a
television crew in their home
documenting everything for public
consumption. If a location isn’t readily
available then propose an appropriate
alternative. The group shouldn’t change
its protocols or operations all in the
name of self-promotion. Last minute
preparations, rushed and disorganized,
are easily recognizable and will be
noticed and undoubtedly related by the
reporter.
Duration is the last key point to
address. This may be dependant on
expectations as well. Reporters relate
information to the general public and
have fixed deadlines for stories, articles,
and television segments. The size and
length of a column in a newspaper is
also dependant on the subject matter and
on the medium used in the interview. It
is completely possible to see a thirty or
forty minute interview encompass a few
paragraphs, or two hours of video
shortened to a ten to fifteen minute
segment.
The Interview
The time finally arrives where
the spokesperson and the reporter finally
get to sit down face-to-face and conduct
the interview. There are many ways to
approach this sometimes awkward
aspect of the group promotion.
Sometimes the reporter gives the group
an idea of what he or she is looking for
in terms of information: On the odd
occasion even asking the group what
kind of questions they should ask. The
group should be careful in this case as
the reporter might use these easy
questions to get the spokesperson
comfortable before asking the more
difficult ones. The main task for the
spokesperson is to remain positive, listen
carefully to each question before
answering, be patient and friendly, and
follow a few simple rules in order to
present themselves and the group
accordingly in order to get a fair
rendering in the article or segment.
The first rule for spokesperson is
to be well briefed in all aspects in what
the group is involved. Knowing what the
group is doing, what it plans to do in the
short term, and its mandate are key to
giving an accurate overview of the
group’s activities and goals. The
spokesperson should anticipate difficult
questions from the reporter and prepare
for them. If an issue comes up in the
interview that wasn’t anticipated, it’s not
a crime to admit that you are not an
expert in every field of the paranormal.
If you don’t know the answer, say so.
Misleading and inaccurate information
will only come back to haunt you (no
pun intended). Referencing another
member is acceptable as permission has
been granted.
Another important rule is to keep
it simple. The reporter is not an expert
on the paranormal, so employing the
widely used and excepted expressions or
acronyms may not go over as well as
expected. General explanations should
be used, but don’t talk down to your
reporter.
The last, most important rule is
quite simple and, once again, plain
common sense. Before answering any
questions, remember not to say anything
you don’t want to be printed, heard on
radio, or seen on television. There is no
such thing as being able to say, “off the
record”. That simply doesn’t exist in real
life and the group spokesperson should
be mindful of that. Also, it is tempting to
volunteer anecdotes and stories from
past investigations, (and these do make
effective tools in promoting your
group’s professionalism and level of
experience) but do remember to take
precautionary measures that those stories
from private investigations should be
avoided. If it isn’t possible, then
generalized facts should be used about
the places and names should be left out
completely. Other instances of
investigations should be handled the
same way unless otherwise indicated by
the clients. Even though this interview is
to promote your group and its activities,
the clients’ privacy is always the most
important cornerstone of any reputable
paranormal group.
It is quite the experience for the
paranormal group to get the attention of
the media. It is a process that is filled
with unexpected twists and turns and
that can either positively or negatively
affect the group. But, if handled
correctly, both parties can walk away
from the experience satisfied that they
got what they expected to get out of it.
Works Cited
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