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Mainstream media and missing children 2014
- 1. Mainstream Media &Missing Children Maximize Media Exposure
- 2. • My approachto media was forged on the day after Polly was kidnapped at 10:30 pm on Oct 1, 1993 • We stayed up all night interacting with law enforcement and Polly’s mom • At 6:00 a.m. KCBS News Radio station announced that Polly had been kidnapped • By 9:00 am We had arrived at Polly’s home in Petaluma • I declined my first interview request • The reporter said she could get more publicity with 10 seconds on the evening news that I could nailing flyers on telephone poles for 100 years • I did the interview • That moment represented a revelation: an epiphany.
- 3. Mainstream Media •Mainstream media consists of broadcast/cable television • Foreign language television • AM & FM Radio Stations • Print newspapers & magazines • Print magazines • More than 95% of American households have access to Broadcast Television • Our target is the local affiliates and independent stations within your media market.
- 4. Broadcast Television •4-networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) usually have local affiliates • All media markets have independent television stations not affiliated with big 4-Networks • Median age for viewership is 51 • Best for local event coverage • Cultivate your contacts • Reporters & producers have covered missing cases throughout their careers and want to be part of the solution.
- 5. Cable News Networks • Must have content to provide 24/7 coverage • Missing children/crimes against children are a constant staple • Appraised as high in newsworthiness because crimes against children are rare, morally abhorred, and constitute high deviance • News stories with child victims typically have human interest elements and are likely to elicit viewers’ emotions.
- 6. Foreign Language Networks • Latino’s account for 16% of the U.S. population • Univision reaches an audience comparable to ABC, CBS, & NBC • In 2011, Univision announced the launch of a 24-hour Spanish-language news station • Learn Spanish or find a Spanish language spokesperson.
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- 8. True Crime Television • Becoming ubiquitous across television platforms • Pseudo-documentary recreations of true crime • Always interview individuals who are involved in or work cases • If you are called upon to participate in one of these programs stay on message.
- 9. Radio • PrimaryAmber Alert delivery mechanism in original plan • Captive audience on the road • People in cars listening to radio receive pertinent information delivered in a timely manner are able to aid in the recovery of a missing child.
- 10. Newspaper • Comprehensive& in depth coverage • Investigative reporting • Revive historical cases • Revitalization as online subscriptions close the circulation gap.
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- 12. When Children AreKidnapped • 76% of abducted/murdered children were found within a 12 mile radius of their last known location • 46% of abducted/murdered were found within a mile and a half • 50% of alive/murdered cases the child was located within 10 miles • 75% of alive/murdered cases the child was located within 32 miles
Editor's Notes
- #4 In broad strokes Broadcast Television is free, and is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) It derives income through advertising Transmission is generated through radio waves More than 95% of American households have access to Broadcast Television Our target is the local affiliates and independent stations within a media market According to the Pew Research Center (non-partisan, non-advocacy public opinion fact tank) of people who watch TV, 71% receive their news from local TV news
- #5 In broad strokes Broadcast Television is free, and is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) It derives income through advertising Transmission is generated through radio waves More than 95% of American households have access to Broadcast Television Our target is the local affiliates and independent stations within a media market According to the Pew Research Center (non-partisan, non-advocacy public opinion fact tank) of people who watch TV, 71% receive their news from local TV news
- #6 Must have content to provide 24/7 coverage Missing children/crimes against children are a constant staple Appraised as high in newsworthiness because crimes against children are rare, morally abhorred, and constitute high deviance News stories with child victims typically have human interest elements and are likely to elicit viewers’ emotions According to the Pew Research Center (non-partisan, non-advocacy public opinion fact tank) of people who watch TV, 38% receive their news from Cable TV news
- #7 Latino’s account for 16% of the U.S. population Spanish is the 2nd most used language in the United States 37.6-million Latino’s speak Spanish at home Univision reaches an audience comparable to ABC, CBS, & NBC In 2011, Univision announced the launch of a 24-hour Spanish-language news station This is a hugely untapped demographic, so learn Spanish or find a Spanish language spokesperson
- #8 To reiterate: according to the PEW Research Center of people who watch TV, 71% receive their news from Local TV News 65% receive their news from Network TV News And 38% receive their news from Cable TV News To state the obvious, people do not depend upon one source for news.
- #9 Pseudo-documentary recreations of true crime are hugely popular as is evidenced by the number of programs and cable networks that rely upon True Crime TV Always interview individuals who are involved with or work on the cases If you are called to participate in one of these programs please stay on message
- #10 Amber Alerts simply wouldn’t exist without Radio Primary Amber Alert delivery mechanism in original Amber plan Captive audience on the road makes radio is perfect for drive time interviews Presumption is that people in cars listening to radio receive pertinent information delivered in a timely manner that can aid in the recovery of a missing child News Talk radio
- #11 Comprehensive and in depth coverage Investigative reporting Revive historical cases Large staffs and seasoned beat reporters
- #12 Newspapers influence is shrinking as they struggle with 21st Century technology Between 2000 and 2012 newspaper circulation in the USA declined from 53% of households to 32% of households After years of declining circulation, ad revenues, and staffing newspapers are beginning to rebound as online subscriptions close the circulation gap
- #13 Think local. Remember that despite the intense national coverage some cases receive, kidnapping is a local issue Most children who are kidnapped are taken by a non-custodial parent or someone known to the family Even in stereotypical stranger abductions, the child is usually located close to home.