1 National Association For Court ManagementCourt Community Communication: Fundamentals and Foundations for Court Leaders National Association For Court Management Insert information for your workshop. Customize the title and other information as needed.

2 Court Community CommunicationPublic Opinion and Communication Techniques Assessing Stakeholder Views and Matching Programming Working With Media: with PIO and without Communications Strategies This slide gives an overview of the 2.5 days and the instructor should go through each of these items along with the pre-printed agenda.

3 Public Opinion About CourtsWhat are the opinions? How do people form those opinions? Why do we care about public opinion? What is the role of media in formulating public opinion about courts? This breaks down the initial questions to be addressed in the seminar. Go through each question and explain that we will try to get answers as we proceed.

4 Public Reaction: Long AgoAnger and Hostility Know little to nothing Cases take too long Cases cost too much Gender and Ethnic Bias Judges: Prejudiced, calloused, uncaring There were two major national surveys. The first was done in 1978 and the public reaction was two-fold: Ignorance and Hostility. 75 percent of the public knew little to nothing about court functionings Then go down through the list…This slide is animated and each item will come up one at a time.

5 Modern Surveys: RECENTAnger and hostility Cases take too long Cases cost too much Gender and Ethnic Bias 44% say judges out-of-touch 81% Judges are political For about 20 years, courts developed communications programs and we thought the information would change opinions about courts… In the late 90’s another national survey was done and the results were not too significantly different from the former survey… Show results on this animated slide one at a time.

6 Old Methods of Forming Opinions61% Newspapers and Magazines 60% Television News 40% Schools 24% Television Entertainment Shows So we must investigate – using both surveys – the information sources for court information that the members of the public used to formulate opinions. This slide indicates what people used to formulate their opinions for the 1978 survey… It is animated and each item will appear separately…

7 New Method of Forming Opinions60% Electronically 50% Print 26% Television Dramas 18% Reality Court Television This shows the information sources used to formulate opinions in the late 90’s. The instructor must note the major decline in print and comment on the increase in the importance of electronic media. The instructor also must elaborate on the creation and rise of “Reality Court Television” -- especially after the O.J. Simpson criminal trial.

8 Changing Landscape Newspapers decline 1% per year for past 18 yearsNightly newscasts declined 34 percent in last decade Local television news declining too The instructor needs to emphasize the changing landscape of media over the past five years so that the participants can understand that the news media is constantly changing and that people are getting information differently today than they did five years ago. This slide shows the decline in some forms of media.

9 Upward Trends in Media Online traffic in news increased 70 % in one year 90% of Americans still get some news from radio Local newspapers and special papers are thriving. This slide shows the rise of some forms of media. Spanish Language newspapers have seen circulation more than triple to 1.7 million papers a day… National Public Radio has seen its audience double in the last 10 years…the majority of the audience is 25-54, with college degrees. The audience votes and half have household incomes of $75,000 or more… WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED: THROWING INFORMATION at the public doesn’t work MORE does not necessarily mean better More information does not equate to more understanding. TO BE EFFECTIVE – COMMUNICATION EFFORTS NEED TO BE TARGETED TO AUDIENCES, SUSTAINED, AND CONTINUALLY EVALUATED FOR EFFECTIVENESS.

10 “People Don’t Trust What They Don’t Understand!”This quote is a truism…It appears in animated format.

11 Why Should We Care? Budget Connection Constituency BuildingLeverage with Other Branches Public Trust and Confidence Programmatic Reasons Overall Court Functioning So…if people think negatively of courts -- our past communications efforts have not been good – and the media landscape is ever changing – WHY SHOULD WE CARE… This slide provides a list and appears in an animated format. The instructor should solicit other reasons, if any, from the audience…

12 Six Keys to Better CommunicationDevelop and Convey A Positive Message Be Credible in What is Produced Be Honest in Response to Inquiries Be Accessible in 24 Hour Information Cycle Be Open Be Understandable The instructor must explain that all forms of Court Community Communication are supported by six foundational elements to communication. Develop and Convey a Positive Message – We are the best court system in the world but we do a terrible job telling our story…We need to promote positive stories about courts instead of always reacting… Be Credible in What is Produced – Do not produce material for the public that is error filled or overblown Be Honest in Response to Inquiries – If you cannot talk, explain why. Use fairness as a basis for not talking…it wouldn’t be fair to respond. Do not lie or coverup. Be Accessible…in a 24 hour news cycle have someone available to answer questions at all times… Be Open – Make sure everyone on staff knows the region’s Public Record Laws…If it is public…GIVE IT Be Understandable…Do not speak in Legalese…USE Exercise ONE as a means of discussion.

13 Understandable Courts and Community OutreachThis is the opening slide for after lunch on Day One.

14 Assessing Stakeholder ViewsAudit of Whether Your Court is Understandable Identify Court Stakeholders in Community Determine Stakeholder Interests Develop Programming to Meet Stakeholder Needs Evaluate Effectiveness of Programming. In addressing Court Community Communications, there are usually three audiences – Court Users, Court Employees, and the Community-at-Large. This slide provides a checklist of issues that must be addressed to have an effective community outreach and education program. Each of these issues will be broken down and discussed further.

15 Understandability AuditAre Language Needs Met? What is Telephone Access Like? What is your Internet capabilities? Access?? Customer Service? Is the Process Broken Down in Understandable Parts? Glossary of Terms? To determine how best to communicate with people who use the court, each court should conduct an understandability audit of itself. This slide provides questions that must be answered as part of that audit. Each line appears separately through animation.

16 Understandability Audit, con’t.Educational Tapes Videos Online Multi-media Understanding Level of Court Employees Educational Program Internet Course Video Vignettes This slide also is animated. It not only addresses an audit of what is available to the court-using public, but it also asks each court to assess the level of understanding by court employees. It also asks what materials are available to help educate court employees.

17 Who Are the StakeholdersPublic Officials Opinion Leaders Community/Neighborhood Leaders Religious Leaders Educational Leaders Social Service Organizations Law Enforcement Youth Groups Senior Citizen Groups Once the audit has been complete, this animated slide will allow the participant to determine the stakeholders in his/her community. Which one of these groups might be a target audience and why? Who might have the biggest stake in obtaining understandable court information?

18 Audit of Community Relations ProgramsWhat programs do you have? What audiences are you targeting? Cost of the Programs Cost Effectiveness of Programs What stakeholders are you missing? In your mind, what would be the next group to reach? Once there has been an Understandability Audit and once Stakeholders are identified, a court must determine whether its current community relations programming is addressing its needs. This audit should be completed as Exercise THREE. This will be used to determine whether the court’s community relations programming is sufficiently targeted or whether it is scattered. Targeting is key and this is a good tool to fine tune the targeting effort.

19 Bringing Community Groups TogetherBring stakeholders together to explain their needs and interests Neighborhood Meetings Meet the Judge Programs What is on your mind and how can we address it LISTEN – LISTEN – LISTEN To plan effective community relations programming, courts must assemble stakeholders and Listen to what they say. Some courts have effectively used neighborhood meetings…others have used meet the judge programs… But the key is for the courts to listen… Also, participation allows stakeholders to buy into a program.

20 Target Audiences and Prioritize Programming“You can’t do everything for everybody” After a court hears from Stakeholders, it must target and prioritized…Scattered programming is a recipe for disaster.

21 Programming for Certain AudiencesEducation K and Elementary High School College Courts in Schools Curriculum Reading Adult Education This begins a section on giving ideas about specific programming that might be developed or adopted. The category of education encourages programming at multiple levels from kindergarten to adult education. Have participants share their programming…You share some programming that you know. Encourage mock-trials – one of the most effective way of teaching about courts. Talk about taking courts to schools. Suggest perhaps developing reading programs that attack literacy issues and give information about courts. Also…adult education programs often need information about courts.

22 Special Topics Becoming Adults Information Important to TeensRights and Responsibilities This is a fertile area for court information… There are venues to use this information in schools, neighborhood centers, etc. This can be a major public service.

23 Special Topics Issues facing Senior Citizens Estate PlanningHealth Issues Long-term Care Basic Probate Issues For some courts developing and distributing this type of information is critical. Partnerships can be obtained with the local or state bar associations. Senior Centers can help distribute the information.

24 Using Media Without ReportersNewspapers Radio Audio Video Television This is an animated slide. The slide demonstrates the importance of using media without going through reporters. Talk about each medium. Newspapers = guest columns, op-ed pieces Radio=Short programming explaining legal terms Audio= More extensive sound libraries, mp3s and podcasts about courts Video=DVD’s about courts and court processes Television= Use of community access television stations and local cable stations to promote courts.

25 Brown County Project Research Assessment Targeting Pamphlet ColumnsAudio Video Website This was a model communication program in Ohio. It was funded by the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University produced the product. It is a multi-dimensional approach to court communication. Research was done by the University of Cincinnati to see what people of Brown Co. wanted and needed to know about local courts and how they would most likely obtain that information. An assessment was done of the research and local stakeholders were assembled. Different forms of communication were targeted. A pamphlet about all the local courts was produced and distributed through schools, realtors, chambers of commerce and civic organizations. Some 29 newspaper columns were written to be distributed by local judges to local newspapers to explain legal procedures. Some 55 one-minute audio sports were created to explain legal terms. These were put of CDs and distributed to libraries, schools, and local radio stations. All of the elements are combined through a website. This county project was so successful that it was replicated statewide in Ohio.

26 Working With Media With or Without PIOThis is the opening for the Media Relations Section.

27 Assessing Overall Communication NeedWhat are needs beyond Community Education and Employee Communication? Positive Production of News? Responding to Media Inquiries? Handling Crisis Situations? Overall Media Relations? High Visibility Cases? This is an animated slide that raises questions that need to be answered about a court’s media program.

28 Creating and Delivering Targeted Proactive InformationWhat stories about you court would you want to be told? Who would act as spokesperson? What authoritative data are available? Which news entity might be more likely to publish or broadcast this information? How can the information be most effectively packaged? This is a checklist for participants to determine a court’s needs in delivering targeted positive information and not just reacting to media inquiries. The slide is animated and each line will appear separately…

29 “You should make things available to them because, ladies and gentlemen, the media are lazy. They need to have it on a placard. And as George Wallace used to say, you have got to put the corn down where the hogs can reach it, which means you have got to dumb it down a great deal.” Lyle Denniston This is a quote from the senior correspondent at the Supreme Court of the United States. It is advice on how to talk with media either in planting a positive story or reacting to an inquiry.

30 Advantages of a PIO Professional handling mediaInternal media assistance Prevention of media issues Protects judges and administrators Crisis Manager It should be recognized that not every court can afford to have a public information officer. However, if a court does not have a public information officer, someone should be assigned and trained to assume these duties.

31 Understanding the Daily Workings of the News MediaTelevision = Visuals Radio = Sound Internet = Multimedia Newspapers = Graphics Deadlines Media Hierarchy Someone at the court must understand the daily workings of media. This will assist the court in planting positive stories and also will help a court in responding to media inquiries or negative press. To respond to TELEVISION, one must think visually…How can the story be told visually? To respond to RADIO, one must think of sound or background noise that will assist telling the story. If one considers communicating through the Internet, then one must think of the use of multi-media. If one considers the use of newspapers, one needs to think of graphics that will help tell the story. Deadlines for various news operations must be known. One also needs to know the editors, news directors, and assignment editors.

32 Media Plan Without PIO Who speaks for the court and on what issues?Who, if anyone, generates positive press How are media inquiries to be handled and by whom? Who is in charge during a media crisis? How are high visibility cases handled? These are questions that need to be answered in Exercise Five. A brief media plan needs to be developed for each court.

33 Be AWARE of Public Records LawsBe AWARE of Ethics Be AWARE of Public Records Laws In developing a media plan or learning how to respond to a media inquiry, these two considerations must be kept in mind.

34 Media Interviews Give yourself a Miranda warningYou have a right to remain silent Anything you say may be used… Caution when you SPEAK! This is the introduction to Responding to an Interview. Participants need to be cautioned that they do not always need to speak…but most of the time it is in the court’s best interest to have some input into a story.

35 Common Fears Public speaking is a huge fear Ambushed UnpreparedLooking stupid Saying something wrong Being misquoted This animated slide will get us to recognize the common fears we have about being interviewed… Poll the audience to see if there are any more…

36 Do's and Don'ts Do not submit to an Ambush InterviewControl the time and place to make you comfortable Try to understand reporter’s technique Gain as much control as possible Know what section or broadcast These are common do’s and don’ts of either a print or broadcast interview. Explain what an ambush interview is and how the interviewee almost always comes off badly. Explain that an interview is a battle for control between the interviewer and the interviewee. It is helpful to know what section of the paper the article is for or for what particular newscast.

37 Common Questioning TechniquesLeading Waiting Game Multiple Parts Negative in a Question Open Ended Friendly Goading Explain that a journalist’s questioning techniques are often like those of a trial attorney in court. Explain each technique on this animated slide. Explain how not to respond to each technique and how to respond. Explain that the interviewee may never lose his/her temper during an interview.

38 Interview Traps No comment = Negative Off the record can be dangerousNot for attribution can be worse Explain that “no comment” is always perceived as a negative…explain why one can’t discuss…use fairness as a basis. Explain there is no common definition of “off the record.” Do not say anything to a reporter you would not be comfortable seeing on tonight’s news or in tomorrow’s headlines. Make sure that it is explained that there is no common definition of “not for attribution.” Beware of “unavailable for comment.”

39 Preparation Fact Sheet Visuals Note Card Bullets AnalogiesStats ARE DEATH Think in Sound Bytes Clothing Anticipate Negative Question This animated slide helps a person prepare for the interview. Have a fact sheet to give reporters. Think of visuals to have available. Have note cards with no more than three points to make. Think of valid analogies that everyone would understand. Limit Stats BE BRIEF Clothing should be appropriate. Anticipate the worst negative question…it will limit micro-expressions.

40 During Interview Bridging is Important Demeanor 70-20-10 RuleMicro-Expressions Self Control SHORT, SHORT, SHORT No sarcasm No profanity Be able to bridge from a negative to something you want to talk about. A person’s perception of a speaker is 70 percent how the person looks, 20 percent how a person sounds, and only 10 percent based upon the content of the remarks. Be pleasant looking and always MAINTAIN control.

41 The Interview is not over until the reporter is gone.No off hand gestures or comments. This is the final protection. Provide stories of people who have been burned thinking that the interview is over.

42 Communication StrategiesLeadership and Program Management This is the opening slide of the final segment.

43 Assessing the Court’s Capacity to CommunicateWhat Can be Done and What Cannot be Done Part of leadership is determining what can and cannot be done. What is realistic? What are priorities?

44 Priorities Community Relations and OutreachPublic Information and Positive Press Media Relations functions of the court Can your court do all three? If not, how would you rank these three areas for your court?

45 Goals and Priorities What do you want to achieve in tangible results?What are your target audiences to be reached? What time constraints do you have on personnel and for the project? What are your budgetary constraints? Answer these questions realistically. As a manager or leader, what is realistic?

46 Biggest Bang for the $$ What programming give you the greatest impact for lowest cost? What programming address biggest audiences Targeted programming to deliver tailored messages These are additional questions that must be answered by court leaders in developing and maintaining programming.

47 Convincing StakeholdersTo support programs To utilize programming To promote programming To give feedback about programming Once you decide what programming to do, one must get buy-in from stakeholders.

48 Program Evaluation The need for measures of evaluation that all agree on. Internal evaluation of personnel and resources External Evaluation Knowledge Attitude Every program no matter how small but be evaluated. All must agree: What is success? How will it be measured?

49 The Key to Proper Leadership and Management of Programs is FLEXIBILITYand having the ability and capability to adjust. This is a summary statement that applies to all court community communication’s programming.