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Resources
Training Activities
Sound Bites
Purpose: To get participants to loosen their tongues early in the workshop, beginning the progression of improving the way they express their priorities.
Scenario: Out-of-town reporters are interviewing “persons on the street” to find out what are the priorities of Iowa caucus goers.
Get people into two lines, facing each other like a contra dance, so that everyone is facing a partner. One line is the reporters, each of whom asks “The Iowa caucuses are still a year away, but the candidates are already here. What’s the most important issue for the candidates to address?” The interviewee has 1 minutes to replay. Reverse roles, and repeats.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
- Was it easy or hard to come up with a “sound bite”?
- When you were a reporter, who had a particularly good sound bite? What was it?
- What makes a good “sound bite”?
Campaign event role play
Purpose: To give experience in a realistic situation so that participants start to learn what are elements of effective and ineffective questions.
Scenario: A candidate gives a standard stump speech at a local library and opens up for questions.
Characters:
- A candidate with a moderate position
- Bird-doggers
The candidate gives a short stump speech full of vague ideas passionately delivered, and finished up with her/his bland speech with a line like, “Thank you for your warm attention today. It is people like you who make our democracy so strong and inspire me to serve our great country. Let me just say in conclusion that in regards to the economy, we have to keep it growing though wise investment, robust trade, a positive business climate, and an education system second to none. Does anyone have any questions?
Candidate fields a few questions, then says, “I really must be going.”
Suggested Discussion Questions:
- If a reporter were covering this event, what would be the lead sentence in a story on the candidate’s views?
- What did other people in the room learn about the issues? About the candidate’s views?
- What would be a better way to frame the questions? (or “what were the best questions? Why?)
- What makes a good bird-dog questions?
The Radio Talk Show
Purpose: Continues progression of skill develop. Helps participants raise their hands to make a “call.”
Scenario: The candidate is on a radio talk show with a call-in segment. Participants raise their hands to make a “call.”
Characters:
- The host
- A candidate
- Caller
- The talk-show host and the candidate engage in some political banter about polls, or fundraising. Then the hosts say, “let’s go to the phones. Our first caller is caller 1. You’re on line with Presidential Candidate John Doe. What’s on your mind?”
- Caller 1 asks a question
- Candidate responds.
- Host says something and “Let’s take another call. You’re live with Presidential Candidate John Doe.”
- Caller 2 asks a question.
- Candidate responds.
- Caller 3 and response.
- Host says, “We’re out of time.”
Discussion:
- What did the listeners learn about the issues? About the candidate’s position?
- What would be a better way to ask the question?
- If you could ask a follow-up question, what would it be?
- How does a radio show format differ from a town meeting? How does that affect the way you frame your questions?
The Street Walk
Purpose: One more way to get people to interact. If candidate moves quickly, it is possible to give everyone a chance to bird-dog.
Scenario: The candidate has just toured a local University, and is walking down Main Street in a local Iowa town.
Roles:
- Candidate
- Candidate’s local campaign chair, a party activists
- Citizens on the street
- The candidate is shaking hands and exchanging greetings with people on Main Street. Candidate is approached by bird-dog 1. While they are shaking hands, the bird-dog asks a questions.
- The candidate responds
- The campaign aide hustles the candidate along to the next person.
- Bird-dog 2 approaches, shakes hands, and asks another questions.
- The candidate responds.
- If there’s time, continue until everyone has had a chance.
- Exercise continues until the campaign aide says, “We have to be moving along.”
Suggested Discussion Questions:
- How did the way the question was framed affect the way the candidate responded?
- How could you adjust this approach for house meetings, town hall meetings, coffee shop, street, or talk show?
- How would you adjust your approach based on your knowledge of the candidate’s views?
- How do you anticipate bird-dogging would change over the course of the campaign?
Tips: Campaign aides need to hustle the candidates along. This is both practical for their campaign, and also allows for more people to bird-dog.
Creating Questions
Scenario: Divide participants into small groups. Give them a limited period of time to come up with one or two good questions. Share with large group.
Tips:
- Make small groups small enough for everyone to get a chance to participate in discussion.
- Focus the group around sensible federal budget priorities. This will keep the questions focused on the issue of concern.
Dealing with the Media
Our first-in-the-nation Caucuses put the national spotlight on Iowa every four years. Media from around the world could be attending many of the same events you’ll be attending as a bird-dogger. Especially if you are able to ask a question, a reporter may want more information about the campaign or ask you for an interview.
Formal Media Inquiries about Iowans for Sensible Priorities
Please direct all formal media inquiries regarding Iowans for Sensible Priorities or the Caucus 4 Priorities project to Communications Director Liz Larson at 515/244-1207 (office) or 515/333-1608 (cell). Liz’s email address is liz@sensiblepriorities.org.
On-the-spot Interviews
Before agreeing to be interviewed, consider the following:
- Relax. Being interviewed, especially on camera, can be very intimidating. Don’t worry too much about how you look or sound. If you feel like you totally botch an answer and it’s on camera (not live), just start over. The reporter will likely edit the mistake.
- Know the message. Read all campaign materials. If you are uncertain about something, contact Liz for clarification or further information. During the interview, look for ways to interject the message.
- Keep your answers simple and direct. You will have some time to think about what you are going to say. Try to make your answers as concise and memorable as possible. The average television soundbite is only about 7 seconds long!
- Make it interesting. Reporters can get the who, what, when, and where from press releases or by attending the event. They want the personal side of the story. Sharing a story or anecdote that shows why the spending shift we suggest is necessary will go a long way in getting our message across.
- Stick to the message. Like any conversation, interviews can easily get away from the main topic. If you feel like you are getting away from the message, look for ways to steer the conversation back to it.
- Be honest. If you don’t know the answer to a reporter’s question, promise to get it to them as soon as you can. Then, actually get back to them.
- Don’t say anything to a reporter you wouldn’t want to appear in the story. There’s no such thing as “off the record,” even if it’s promised to you.
After your interview
Be sure to get the reporter’s business card (if you can), but at least the reporter’s name, contact information, and the name and location of the media outlet the reporter represents. Please send information using our web form at http://www.sensibleiowans.org/blog/birddog_form.php
Links for Bird-Doggers
The Korb Report: A Realistic Defense for America: http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/pdf/korb_report_Finalb.pdf
No One Is Accountable by Kwai Chan: http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/pdf/chan_r2.pdf
National Priorities Project:
http://nationalpriorities.org/
Budget Impact on the States: http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=275&Itemid=61
Ben & Jerry’s American Budget Pie:
http://www.benjerry.com/americanpie
Common Sense Budget Act:
http://www.sensibleiowans.org/csba/
Fiscal Year 2008 Proposed Budget: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/budget.html
Bird-dogging Tips:
http://www.birddogger.org
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