Slideshow is the epitome of media relations
I spent the better part of a decade working at post-secondary institutions in communications. Which means that I did a lot of work around politicians visiting campuses. New buildings, new labs, funding announcements, safety blitzes, policy unveilings… I’ve done ‘em all.
And one evergreen part of the event is the walkabout. This is the part of the event where the politician, accompanied by his or her entourage as well as officials from the institution, leaves the podium and then wanders around an area looking at stuff that’s related in some way to the announcement.
Talking about water purification? Check out this demo: EcoVu water purification. Announcing new money for education? Hit a classroom or computer lab. Health care announcement? Check out a nursing lab.
This gets done for a couple of reasons. The most important one from my perspective has always been that it’s hard for TV to cover an announcement with just pictures of the politician speaking. You need stuff on tape that the reporter can write over. And in some cases, the politicians are actually interested.
But this morning’s Daily Intel slide show is the epitome of the photo-op: A History of Obama Feigning Interest in Mundane Things. If you’re a communicator or a political aide, view and chuckle knowingly. Or weep. Or both.
Obama feigning interest in a screw
FreshBooks – the amazing time tracking / invoicing / project management solution
I think he wasn’t faking it in some of those shots… clearly someone has explained to me him the art of standing in the right spot. However…
(Great advice Ian.)
As someone who has been on and organized countless of these walk-abouts. Here are my tips:
1) Make sure the politician is interested in some aspect of the tour, if not. Cancel it.
2) Practice the tour with the people giving it, think like a TV camera person. What’s behind, above and below you? Noise a factor?
3) TV likes everyone facing them; use this to your advantage by playing with depth of field and placement of people/objects in the background
4) Radio loves sound, radio reporters like to be told what kind of sound to expect
5) Really, if you know the boss/the walk-about subject really isn’t interested in flux capacitors, or whatever tech thingy-bob you are trying to show them – find some people for them to talk to instead (politicians do that pretty naturally, sometimes).
Fun post Bob.
Ian.