As a busy media training course director, the most important thing I find to get across to our delegates is the fact that a media interview is not something to be frightened of. It is an opportunity for you to speak to a broad audience about your messages.
Media Training by TNR Communications at the Press Association
Click here to see The Guardian’s hilarious take on Media Training.
Whether you have been asked to respond to a reactive situation or you have managed to get an interview off the back of stellar PR work from the press team, you have a fantastic opportunity to tell people what you think they need to hear.
How much money would a 3 minute radio ad cost during an LBC breakfast programme, or a 30 second ad on Sky News? How many people would be involved in preparing those and how much time would be spent ensuring that it was completely right for that audience at that time?
Now, not everyone has that time to put into every interview they do, but preparation is key to making sure that no matter what comes your way in terms of questions, you will always be able to stay in control of the interview and get across what you wanted to say.
Each media opportunity should be approached differently, for example, the Evening Standard paper in London is going to have a very different audience and readership to the Daily Mail and the Today Programme will require a different preparation to an interview on a regional BBC midmorning phone-in show. Research and an understanding of what you will be appearing on/in is essential in getting the right tone for the interview.
How many times have you listened to politicians being interviewed and wanted to throw your shoe at the radio/tv because they are not answering the question! Gordon Brown’s latest tangle with Sky’s Adam Boulton is a classic example of how a media interview can go wrong if you do not stay in control or acknowledge the question being asked.
Click here to watch interview.
We will see what the damage will be from that interview, and the subsequent one for the BBC, but it shows that no matter how experienced you are, you can never let your guard down in front of the camera!
Post by Suzy Richards (Head of Training for TNR Communications)
Insider’s tips on selecting the right spokespeople for your PR campaigns
Since joining the Broadcast PR industry nearly a year ago, I have found a common hurdle PR’s face is selecting the right spokesperson for the right campaign.
Whilst a celebrity can be a great pull for any TV or radio campaign, their ability to stay on message or perhaps commit to the media schedule can present challenges in itself. Even a company representative can be problematic at times, often not seen as independent of the story and too subjective.
After working with PR and Communications teams over the months as well as the TNR team, I have learnt some important considerations when choosing a spokesperson:
I asked a top PR agency recently about their experience using a spokesperson;
“I would say that the relevance of the chosen spokesperson, both in terms of their background and how they relate to the intended audience, is most important. People are all too quick to question the use of, let’s say an ex soap star, realising that their involvement is probably down to availability and price and not any connection to what is being promoted.
We are all also much more aware of over exposure these days with using someone who just happens to be hot at the time, and therefore associated with numerous brands and campaigns, distinctly less credible.
One of our clients, Karen Pickering MBE, acts as a spokesperson for London 2012 related campaigns – as an Olympian and with her on-going involvement with the BOA and LOCOG and as Chair of the British Athlete’s Commission, she is able to fulfil a role that not only is she passionate about but that she can truly deliver on, and that is key.”
Lucy Hackett, Founder, Marmalade PR
Having sat in the studio myself and being put through my paces by one TNR’s top Media Trainers and renowned journalist, Gill Pyrah, I’m by no means saying it’s an easy feat for someone to represent a story and cover all bases in 5 minutes of air time. Give your story a head start by choosing a spokesperson that can truly relate and represent the overall message of your campaign. Oh; and fully briefing your spokesperson with no more than three key messages will only stand the campaign, story and spokesperson in good stead for positive coverage.
Post by Elizabeth Herridge (Project Manager at TNR Communications)
Tags: broadcast, campaign, Celebrity spokesperson, Elizabeth Herridge, insider comments, Media, Media Training, mulitmedia, Photographic Consultancy, PR, PR agency, PR Media, Radio, spokesperson, TNR, TNR Communications, TV
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