People going into a media encounter invariably think that
it's the journalist's interview and that they are powerless
to do anything to help themselves. They place themselves at
the journalist's mercy and, often, come out of the
encounter second best because of that misplaced trust.
Standing up for yourself is mandatory in any media
interview but it also pays to try and help the journalist
before, during and after that interview.
The actual interview is only part of the encounter. It
really started when you or your PR person received the
phone call from the media outlet asking for information
and/or an interview (Or when you or your PR person made the
phone call in a pro-active way rather than reactive
manner). You must never launch straight into dialogue with
the journalist before you prepare so you can tell him or
her a white lie (you've caught me in a meeting, what is
your direct phone number and I'll call you back in 10
minutes) and also use the excuse of checking the latest
details to bide time for that preparation. This is helping
you, rather than the journalist but you can tell them that
you'd hate to mislead them with information that wasn't up
to date and that will make them think that you're helping
them.
If you're putting out a media release about, say, a media
conference at an accident site, let the media know the
directions to get there, if a helicopter landing site is
nearby or if there are any restrictions on the media
presence and why. As a former chief of staff at four TV
stations, I can tell you that this information will be
appreciated by the COS who will be organising the
journalist/crew to get to you.
Younger journalists particularly will appreciate any
information you give them. Their inexperience will mean
they will have trouble filtering a lot of information so
you can do that for them. I always advise preparing a
single piece of paper with the heading Main Points and a
list of four or five dot points on the main points as you
see them. This is not a media release, which is often seen
as a whitewash by journalists, but a simple sheet of paper
with just dot points on it ' it can even be handwritten for
that extra touch of simplicity. Any journalist, young or
not, who has not had the chance to prepare for the
interview (they could have been diverted from another story
by their chief of staff) will appreciate that gesture.
How else can you help the journalist? If the subject matter
is complex, ask them if they would like a simple
explanation prior to the interview. This also gives you the
opportunity to put your spin on the material (perhaps more
even than the journalist's) before the microphones are
switched on.
Do you have any charts, diagrams, models, video or stills
that might help the journalist tell the story better. If
so, use them. Let the journalist know as soon as possible
because it may alter the way he/she will construct the
story.
Finally, think about using a Video News Release for TV
exposure. Today's news crews and daily current affairs
journalists do not have the luxury of time to capture the
better shots. You and your tame crew can do just that to
help the media out and at the same time, place control of
the shoot firmly in your quarters so you know what images
will and will not go to air.
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Graham Kelly has a background in journalism and media
training and knows just what help a journalist might need.
His advice is being used by the thousands of business
people he has media trained over the past 22 years. Details
at http://www.kelly.com.au . You can read about his book,
Managing the Media at http://www.mediatrainingebook.com .
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