BIV Magazines: Adpages 2008

If you find yourself faced with a microphone and a reporter’s questions, you had better be prepared. Saying too little – or too much – could land you in hot water.

“Anybody who is going to speak on behalf of a company has to be ready to do the interview,” said Zdenka Buric, partner, National Public Relations. “Like anything, there are people who will be better and more comfortable than others. I truly believe that with practice, everybody can be better.”

Media training is about providing spokespeople with the skills to negotiate media interviews. Reporters have been trained in their craft; media training provides the tools to level the playing field. It’s about developing a respectful relationship with the media.

Usually, it starts with some theory. Spokespeople need a good understanding of the media in B.C. and each market and every different outlet has preferences on what they like to cover. And what they all like, without fail, is a story.

“Do you have a story to tell?” Buric asked. “Map out the story, then practice conducting media interviews.”

Media attention can help a company to build a profile. Proactive media relations – building a good relationship with the media before a crisis – can help after the fact. “In the event of a not-good story, they have a solid understanding of where the organization has been and what the issue means in context of everything they’ve covered about you,” said Buric.

Spokespeople have to remember, said Linda Bilben, senior counsel with Reputations Corporation, that a media interview is not a conversation; the media is a conduit. Reporters are there to gather information and statistics and quotes.

“The job of a spokesperson is to fulfil the needs of a reporter looking for reaction, information or confirmation,” she said. Media training helps these people better formulate their messages for a better emotional connection with the public.

“It’s a terrific opportunity for many organizations to reach the public in a credible format. News media is more credible to the public than advertising,” she said. It is especially vital that, in a crisis, the public and all stakeholders attached to that company see the spokesperson as being in control of the situation.

Universally, she said, the biggest challenge is that a spokesperson will want to fill dead air. “They talk; they ramble about things they are not there to talk about.” By being long-winded, key messages may not be vivid or memorable and may well be left in the cutting room floor. Another pitfall for some is misunderstanding when they are on – and off – the record. “They don’t understand the camera is rolling even if they are not directly in front and actively engaged in the interview.”

She said she typically tells clients that print reporters are the most prepared as they’re not on the run with a camera crew and can do more in-depth research. If possible, she suggested, do a pre-interview with a reporter so you are better prepared with information. And if it’s a TV reporter who will be asking the questions, she encourages people to take a few minutes to relax.

“Take a few breaths – you are on camera as an expert. Think before you speak,” said Bilben. “And don’t wear stripes.”

Being prepared, whether for a broadcast interview for radio or television, or an interview for a print story, is vital, said Norman Stowe, managing partner of the Pace Group. In fact, the whole idea behind media training, he said, is to make sure the spokesperson is prepared.

A TV piece may run less than two minutes; a radio story – maybe 40 seconds. In them, spokespeople may only have a seven- to eight-second voice clip. “It’s very different than a newspaper interview which may be 15 minutes, half an hour or an hour. It’s very different,” he said. “Radio and TV is constrained by time. You have to use it to the fullest.”

One of the biggest mistakes he sees is people believing the best spokesperson for the organization is always the president. “It’s not always the case,” said Stowe. “The best spokespeople are people who are able to communicate most effectively. The best spokespeople tell a good story.”

Some organizations have specialists on staff, each with specific skill sets. Others have one spokesperson for every issue. Either way, don’t come armed with too much information.

Stowe believes that when you do an interview, have three key things to say. If you deliver 10 points, the reporter has to go back and figure out which of the 10 they will use. “Likely, it will be three important things – but maybe not the three things you thought were important.”

Stowe also said many people get nervous when they receive a media call – and immediately go on the defensive.

“They’ve seen too many episodes of 60 Minutes,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. Media know their business and ask tough questions but the knee-jerk reaction to be on the defensive? I don’t agree with this and haven’t seen a need for it.”

Another thing to avoid is, well, avoidance. “If you don’t return the call,” he said, “it doesn’t mean the story goes away.” And a spokesperson should never guess an answer. “Tell them you don’t know and get the information,” he said. “People think, if the camera is rolling and I’m the expert, if I don’t know, I will look like an idiot.” If you guess, he said, half the time you will be wrong and that’s hard to fix after the fact.

And his number 1 caveat?

“Never lie, ever,” he said. “Once it’s on camera, in the public record, it’s there forever. Never, ever lie.” •

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