12 Media training tips | Rough House Media

We are delighted to share the wisdom of top Canadian media trainer, Warren Weeks, who recently posted his top 12 media training tips on Twitter. Warren has trained thousands of spokespeople over his 26 years as a media trainer.

Media interviews can be nerve-wracking. Here are 12 tips to help you overachieve during your next one:

1. Identify your most important audience and craft your messages for them. Writing for everyone dilutes your story. Speak to that #1 audience during your interview.

2. Google media coverage from the outlet you’ll be speaking with. Find 8-10 previous quotes from spokespeople and count the number of words in those quotes. Average them. This is the target length for your most important messages.

3. Don’t wait for the journalist’s first question to decide what your first answer will be. Based on the focus of the story and your audience, you should know what that most important message is. Start your interview with it.

4. There’s no obligation to answer speculative or hypothetical question. Simply say, “It would be inappropriate for me to speculate about what might happen.” Then transition to a point that talks about what your organization is doing now on that topic.

5. If there’s an elephant in the room, introduce it. During an interview about an issue or crisis, don’t delude yourself into thinking the reporter won’t ask about this unsavory part of the story. Understand you need to ‘go there’ and formulate your answer in advance.

6. NEVER repeat the journalist’s negative words in your answers (e.g. nightmare, catastrophe, embarrassed, etc.). This virtually guarantees the ‘negative word quote’ is chosen (at the expense of one of your more important quotes). Tell your story with your words, not theirs.

7. Don’t fill the awkward pause. Our brains don’t like pauses. We get nervous. We start talking. Usually, it’s something random or spontaneous. Instead, have a sip of coffee. Look out the window at that blue jay at the bird feeder. Wait for the journalist’s next question.

8. Never use the words “No comment”. After years of overuse by weasels, it has connotation of guilt. Instead, talk about WHY you can’t comment. “Out of a concern for the family’s privacy, we aren’t able to discuss their situation in detail. But in situations like this….”

9. It’s okay to say “I don’t know” sometimes. This isn’t Jeopardy. Say, “I don’t have that number in front of me. I’d like to make sure I provide you and your audience with the correct info. Can I email it to you after our interview?”

10. Your first interview will be your worst interview. Do one or more practice interviews ahead of time. Have someone on your media relations team simulate the interview and give you constructive feedback. Make adjustments accordingly.

11. The reporter might ask a rapid-fire series of questions. Don’t be rattled. Pick the question you like best and answer that one. Chances are they will ask a new follow-up question based on your answer and those other, previous questions will melt away.

12. A media interview is not a conversation. It should sound conversational but it is its own unique interaction. The best spokespeople understand this and use it to their advantage. Don’t let conversational habits and reflexes derail your media interview.