Meet the Press: How a Prominent Leader Handles the Media

Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, honed his skills in dealing with the news media as an official in the Obama White House and as a business entrepreneur. He has been especially skilled in persuading journalists to cover the rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes and was in the spotlight after the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings in October. Here, he offers tips to other nonprofit CEOs and advocates.

Choose appropriate news outlets.

Don’t feel that you have to answer every call for comment. “I try to be very intentional and careful about when I speak. I want to be very clear about where our focus is,” says Greenblatt, who often appears on the Sunday talk shows and elsewhere to discuss hate crimes, anti-Semitism, and more.

Maintain your focus.

Don’t stray from the main points you need to make. “Don’t feel as though you have to comment on everything.”

Be balanced.

People appreciate advocates who are fair and open. “You have to show up when it counts, but you can’t be outraged all the time.”

Use precise language.

“The times demand you be sophisticated and thoughtful.”

Stick to your group’s core principles.

“You have to remember to be purposeful. For us, that means focusing on anti-bigotry efforts, the importance of maintaining the separation of church and state, and the plight of immigrants and refugees. Anything outside of that, we’re very careful about.”

With Twitter producing 6,000 messages per second and Facebook generating 2.5 billion pieces of content per day, nonprofit leaders are better off avoiding the urge to create as many public messages as possible. There’s no need to keep up.

“The noise ratio is deafeningly high. You have to be smart and strategic about how you communicate.”