<< ROLE PLAYING BY PUTTING YOURSELF IN THEIR POSITION: EXAMPLE:
THE PRESS: >>
Putting yourself in the position of a newspaper reporter, you could
imagine that you would be looking for an interesting story or an good
angle on
an ordinary story. As a reporter you would like to see your editor
decide to
give your story good coverage, perhaps placement on the front page.
The
editor wants to sell papers and needs articles that attract readers.
<< ROLE PLAYING: REVISED VIEW AFTER GAINING MORE INFORMATION:
THE PRESS: >>
After contacting people who had more experience in dealing with the
press, it was learned that advertisers are often a more important source
of
income to a newspaper than the readers. Editors may de-emphasize some
articles that might offend their advertisers. For example, the newspaper
serving the area around a military base in a low altitude flight issue
could
be expected to give ample opportunity for presentation of the military
side of
the issue, since many of its advertisers depend on the base for income.
GET MORE DETAILED INFORMATION FROM YOUR INTEREST GROUP:
To get a better understanding for Role Playing go out to members of
your Interest Group (people interested in the issue but not yet actively
involved) or people you know who may have closer contact with the groups
that
you've decided to Role Play. If possible talk with members of the Key
Group.
You are looking for 2 types of information:
1) What pressures and influences are members of this group under?
2) What have they done in the past?
CORE GROUP MEMBER RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
One or more members of the Core Group could volunteer to be
responsible for gathering, or contacting others to gather, more information
on
each of the Key Groups. The Interest Group would be a good place to
start.
Maybe a member of the Interest Group would volunteer to gather information
for
the Core Group on a specific Key Group. For example, people who follow
local
issues in the press would be a good source of information on the news
media
and individual reporters. (Many are aware of a general fondness of
the press
and the public for the `little guy vs the Big Bureaucracy' angle on
a story.)
ROLE PLAYING LIMITED TO CORE GROUP:
Remember, Interest Group members are gathering information for the
Core Group to use in Role Playing. It is usually not appropriate to
involve
people outside the Core Group in the actual Role Playing of a proposed
action
because with more people knowing about a proposed action the possibliliy
of an
inadvertent release of information increases. Interest Group members
can be
involved after Role Playing has come up with a proposal that looks
good.
Interest Group members could then be asked for their reaction to the
proposal
before taking action to make sure you have a good base of support in
your
Interest Group.
SPECIAL NEED FOR PRESS COMMITTEE:
Most information to be used in Role Playing can come informally from
the Interest Group (and others) to the Core Group member responsible
for
gathering information on that group. However, a detailed understanding
of the
local media is essential and it would be a good idea to consider gathering
people from the Interest Group into a Press Committee. Initially their
job
would be to gather information on each of the local and regional newspapers
for use by the Core Group in Role Playing (radio and TV might be included
as
needed). After a proposal for action has passed Role Playing in the
Core Group
then the Press Committee could help the Core Group in dealing with
the press.
Working with the Core Group member responsible for the media, the Press
Committee could help in preparing press releases and serve in an advisory
role
on press related matters.
GUIDELINES FOR PRESS COMMITTEE:
CREDIBILITY IS HARD WON AND EASILY LOST: Double check everything you
plan to
say for accuracy and have documentation ready for statements that may
be
challenged. Avoid the temptation to overstate the facts. Role Play
all
actions in regards to the media.
SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE: After your group has decided to take a position
or
action, then your spokesperson will make any statements and answer
questions
from the press. (Have plenty of extra copies of the statement for the
press
and others) Make it clear that only the spokesperson speaks for your
group
and that individual members speak for themselves but do not represent
the
group's position.
FOCUS COMMENTS: Limit the information you supply to the press to the
aspects
of the issue at hand. Supplying too much unrelated information may
tempt
reporters to take an interesting angle on the story that changes the
emphasis of your position.
DEVELOP A WORKING RELATIONSHIP: Develop a personal working relationship
with
members of the media. Show by your actions that you are reliable, honest,
and ready to stand by what you say.
IS YOUR ROLE PLAYING CONSISTENT WITH OTHER INFORMATION?
After gaining more information from your Interest Group and others,
decide if you have a good grasp of the group you are Role Playing.
Are the
Key Group's actions consistent with your understanding of the group?
For example, are you getting the coverage in the press you expected?
IF YOUR ROLE PLAYING IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH A GROUP'S RECORD: TAKE NEW
VIEW:
What influences and pressures are members of the group under that you
may not be aware of? Would subdividing the group into 2 separate groups
give
you a better understanding of their behavior? If it is a formal group,
what
people actually make the decisions in this group? Are these individuals
under
different pressures than the group? (For example, are decisions influenced
by
personal involvement, outstanding character traits, or long term personal
goals like: public office, promotion, personal ideology, etc.?)
Groups and Organizations don't make decisions, people in those groups
make the decisions. In a formal group, find out who makes the decisions.
For example, you expected good coverage in the local paper because
the
reporter was very interested in your position, but no article appeared.
Take a
new view of the newpaper by Role Playing separately the reporter and
the
editor. In the end it is the editor who decides what appears in print.
EXAMPLE: NEW VIEW OF KEY GROUP:
The initial identification of Key Groups involved in a low altitude
flight path issue divided the rural people under the flight path into
2
groups: Farmers and Rural Non-farmers. After going out to their Interest
Group and other people in the flight path, it was observed that the
Rural
Non-farm group was actually made up of 2 very distinct groups. The
`Locals',
(people from families that lived in the area for a long time) and the
`Outsiders', (people who moved into the area usually from urban areas
to be in
a rural setting). `Locals', in general, had a strongly pro military
attitude
based, to a large degree, on the fact that rural areas have traditionally
seen
the military as an educational and economic opportunity. In addition,
`Locals' often viewed opposition to the flight path as opposition to
the
military. In sharp contrast, many `Outsiders' showed a tendency towards
an
anti military position and commonly expressed opposition to the flights
as
part of a larger opposition to the role of the military in society.
The
`Outsiders' comprised a very small percentage of the people in the
flight
path. This strong difference in attitude in the 2 groups made it necessary
to
Role Play the groups separately.
READY FOR STRATEGY:
If the information you've gathered from your Interest Group and others
is consistent with your Role Playing then you are ready to move on
to a
consideration of Strategy.
< SUMMARY 7 > MORE INFORMATION FOR ROLE PLAYING: THE PRESS AS AN EXAMPLE:
<< ROLE PLAYING BY PUTTING YOURSELF IN THEIR POSITION: EXAMPLE:
THE PRESS: >>
Putting yourself in the position of a newspaper reporter, you could
imagine that you would be looking for an interesting story or an good
angle on
an ordinary story. As a reporter you would like to see your editor
decide to
give your story good coverage, perhaps placement on the front page.
The
editor wants to sell papers and needs articles that attract readers.
<< ROLE PLAYING: REVISED VIEW AFTER GAINING MORE INFORMATION:
THE PRESS: >>
After contacting people who had more experience in dealing with the
press, it was learned that advertisers are often a more important source
of
income to a newspaper than the readers. Editors may de-emphasize some
articles that might offend their advertisers. For example, the newspaper
serving the area around a military base in a low altitude flight issue
could
be expected to give ample opportunity for presentation of the military
side of
the issue, since many of its advertisers depend on the base for income.