Who should be working on your image?

Most local education authorities have a press office which schools can approach for advice - but don’t rely on it to get you publicity. “LEA press officers are overstretched,” says Ann Mealor of the Institute of Public Relations. She says all schools should think about setting aside money for PR in their budget - to free someone in school or to make use of a consultancy.

If you’re looking for an in-house solution, remember this person (it could be a teacher, ancillary staff or interested governor) has the potential to make or break your reputation. He or she must be confident of management support and sure that colleagues will pass on anything newsworthy that’s going on. Many independent schools buy in specialist help, but Michael Corner, a PR consultant from Corner Communications, believes more maintained schools should do the same. “Even if someone’s designated to handle PR, it won’t be their prime responsibility. And in a busy school, jobs that aren’t your prime responsibility get overlooked.”

But being at the top of someone’s agenda can be expensive. PR consultants are likely to charge between pound;5,000 and pound;15,000 a year to manage your publicity.

What is the media likely to be interested in?

There’s no way of knowing. Notable achievements by pupils, significant events, a new sponsorship deal - anything out of the ordinary could be of interest if it’s presented properly.

Try to decide on a selling point. Is it unique? Can you get a celebrity involved? In general, the media, particularly local media, like stories about people, so exploit any human-interest angle. Even if you want the story to be about the whole school, “tagging” it to an individual child may help attract interest. And try to think about photo opportunities. Editors are always on the lookout for stories that involve a bit of spectacle.

But the most important part of the process is to place your story effectively. “Some schools think it’s wonderful to be featured in the big nationals,” says Alex Curling, education press officer for Leeds City Council. “But in reality, local publicity is more important. From a PR viewpoint, local parents are your target audience.” Which is just as well, as most school events are likely to be of local rather than national interest.

Study the market - read the local press, watch the news round-ups and listen to local radio. You’ll soon develop a feel for the stories they like to run. A-level and GCSE results are a favourite. They come in a traditionally quiet time for the media - mid-August - and provide good copy. But even when you know what makes your local editor tick, don’t expect every story to get picked up. It’s often a question of timing; a minor event might make the news in a quiet week but will get overlooked when there are bigger stories around. Don’t be put off.

Always remember that journalists have pages to fill and programmes to make - if you provide them with a good story you are doing them a favour.

How do I get in touch?

Building up personal contacts is the best way. Your LEA press officer should be able to point you in the right direction. Knowing exactly who to approach reduces the risk of your story ending up on the wrong desk or in the bin. And once you’ve got your contacts, don’t be afraid to use them.

“In most LEAs 10 per cent of the schools get 90 per cent of the publicity,” says Alex Curling. “It’s no good complaining - you just have to be more proactive. If you don’t give them the story they can’t run it.”

The best way to get in touch is to email, write or fax with a “news release”. These tend to be formulaic - and you should stick to the formula. Start with a short headline, then offer a clear summary of your story in a succinct first paragraph. Only then go into detail. Keep everything - from the typography to the sentence structure - clear and simple. If possible include a quote attributed to someone involved with the story and don’t forget to include contact details - phone, fax, mobile, email, the lot. If journalists can’t get hold of you quickly they may well cover a different story.

Usually a newspaper will organise its own photographs, but if you feel a photo is an essential part of your story, send one. But make sure it’s good, and don’t expect to get it back.

Alternatively, let people know you’re willing to contribute your “expert opinion” on educational issues. Journalists always want contacts for comment, and being quoted will help raise your school’s profile. As will the occasional contribution to the letters page.

What if they contact me?

Sometimes journalists may contact you out of the blue - they may have picked up a story without you sending anything out. Think carefully about how you manage the interview. “Make sure you have a message, think about what could backfire and remember that ‘no comment’ is bad comment,” advises media trainer John Venables.

If possible, find out in advance what you’re going to be asked - not always easy- what the story is about and where your interview fits in. If you’re being interviewed for TV or radio, make sure you know if it will be broadcast live and how long the interview will last. Then you can decide on an “in-depth” or a soundbite style. It may be worth practising with a friendly colleague: look at your interviewer, don’t let your eyes wander, and try to avoid looking stiff.

And then relax. The key is to listen carefully to the questions, which is much easier when you’re relaxed. Avoid jargon and don’t assume the interviewer knows how league tables work or what happens during an Ofsted inspection. You may need to explain things simply. Try to be open, honest and spontaneous. Journalists want the facts but they also want to talk to a human being.

Feeling comfortable during an interview, particularly on TV, usually comes only with practice. That’s why having an appointed media spokesperson is a good idea, even if another member of staff is more closely connected to the story. It’s not always easy to get your message across; you may know what you want to say but you have to get the reporter to ask the right questions.

Managing bad news

There is such a thing as bad publicity - but it is possible to limit the damage. Maintaining good relations with your local media only goes so far when it comes to guaranteeing sympathetic coverage, so be prepared to be open and honest in the event of bad news. “A few years ago I represented a school that was expelling pupils over drugs,” says Michael Corner. “The head wanted to keep it quiet. Instead we went to the press and it made the front pages. But there was also an editorial praising the head’s handling of it so we felt very satisfied with the outcome.”

Rumour is much worse than news, no matter how bad. Getting the facts out into the open gives you some breathing space, but remember to keep staff informed too - they should know before they read it in the papers.

It’s worth having a media strategy in place so that in the event of a tragedy or accident you can respond quickly without having to think on the hoof. Include contact details for a designated spokesperson - not necessarily the head - and background information about the school. When a pupil died, apparently after falling down stairs, at Tywardreath primary school in Cornwall, headteacher Gordon Walker was alarmed to find reporters and TV cameras at the gates within hours. He adopted a siege mentality and chose not to talk to them. “I thought we’d be able to do it in our own time, but they descended on us like vultures.” In the three days it took the coroner to report that the girl had died from natural causes, all kinds of damaging rumours had spread, including some of a school cover-up. “It might have been better to be more proactive,” he admits.

Celebrating good news

Ann Mealor says that whether or not you choose to manage it, PR will happen - “so you might as well make it work in your favour”. But even good news needs careful handling. Irene Dalton, head at Wombwell high school in Barnsley, told The TES about an exam skills workshop she had organised at a local hotel for her Year 11s. A positive feature appeared in The TES, followed up by The Times. But then the tabloids picked up on the story and found a new angle - a waste of public money. “I was besieged,” says Mrs Dalton (see case study). “But I kept them at bay for half an hour until I could get a coherent statement together, and I co-operated with them - I talked to some of the more hostile journalists to explain my reasoning. It kept the bad publicity to a minimum and the positive side of the story still came through.”

And it’s worth making the most of your good news. In general, perceptions about a school lag behind reality by about three years. You may not have a discipline problem now, but if you did a few years ago, that’s probably the way it’s still seen - unless you’ve managed to convince people otherwise.

A positive story in the media is also much more effective than the same story in your newsletter. So remember to keep an archive of any coverage and include copies in mailings to parents. “And it’s not just parents,” says Ann Mealor. “It can boost staff and pupil morale, make recruitment easier and generate income by attracting sponsors and business partners.”

Never trust a journalist?

If you record a radio or TV interview you can’t be misquoted - although be aware that the film or tape can be cut and edited. In print it’s a different story. Unless you know a journalist personally, be wary of going “off the record” - you’re relying on a flimsy verbal agreement. If you don’t want to be quoted, don’t say it. A common compromise is to request that the quote be “unattributed”; you might like to be “the head of a large London comprehensive”, for example. If you’re still worried, you can record the conversation but, contrary to popular opinion, most journalists uphold a professional integrity.

Never ask to see the finished copy before it’s printed. Once you’ve spoken to a journalist your part in the process is over - wanting to meddle any further smacks of being a control freak. By all means ask about the expected publication date, but editors, ethics and deadlines don’t allow for you to take a red pen to the copy. It may be sound advice never to trust a journalist - but sometimes you just have to.

What if I need to complain?

Interviewees can be disappointed with what appears in print, sometimes feeling important parts of what they have said have been missed out. But the only real cause for complaint is if you’ve been misrepresented. Save any action for serious matters; one journalist recalls receiving an irate letter from a head complaining about being quoted as saying “It’s” when he was adamant he had said “It is”.

If you believe you have been seriously misrepresented or there is a factual inaccuracy, you should approach the publication without delay, setting out your complaint clearly and stating what you would like to see done to rectify the error. Most editors will take action to put things right, such as having a correction or letter printed as soon as possible - if your complaint is justified .

If you remain unhappy, TV, radio and press all have independent bodies (see resources) with codes of conduct and formal complaint procedures. But it can be a long process.

How can I improve working with the media?

Investing time and money in improving your media skills can reap dividends. Training can cover anything from television interviews to writing to the local press - but it can be expensive. Big-name television broadcasters charge pound;10,000 a day, and you should expect to pay a reputable consultant about pound;300 a day, although John Venables says that up to six people can be trained in one session. “And if only one or two people from your school need to be trained, you could share the costs with another school.”

Media training is unregulated so ask around and make sure you choose someone with wide recent experience - technology and techniques move on quickly.

And if specialist training is beyond your budget? A few hours’ practice with a tape recorder and video camera can work wonders.

Additional research: Tracey Thomas. Next week: Supply teaching.