Media Training January 2014
TODAY S AGENDA Help you understand the media Review current state of the media landscape, what they are looking for and what it means to you Equip you with techniques to make the most of media opportunities Give you tools and best practices for speaking with the media Interview simulations Simulate mock interviews and provide immediate feedback 2
Understanding the media Your concerns, issues and experiences 3
Knowing today s media and its role Inform and educate Act as a watchdog there to regulate Interpret societal values, trends Unveil new ideas Entertain their audience Meet strong commercial objectives Beat the competition 4
The changing media landscape Print Media The Sun newspaper has more ABC1 readers than the FT! More business publications than consumer titles Online media Broadcast Regional Mail Online has overtaken guardian.co.uk as most popular online media site with 45.3m unique users per month guardian.co.uk is the 2nd most popular (although print circulation is below 300k) Over 750 TV channels available and counting 511 radio stations 1,300 regional, local, weekly, daily, free and paid for newspapers 5
The social media explosion 15-20 million active Twitter users in the UK over 200 million worldwide 40% have never sent a tweet but are listening 100 hours of video uploaded to You Tube each minute Most retweeted tweet 840,000+ News travels fast 6
Print vs. Online I get 900k+ visitors a week to the website and 127k readers a month to the magazine but people still think that the magazine is much more valuable to be in. Editor, trade magazine 7
Understanding its agenda What Overall decision maker News analysis Features How The Editor News Editor/Reporter Features Editor What are they looking for? commercial/agenda driven needs a story more in-depth/influential/news/ features vs. other features Profiles Specialist Editors need to know their market Leaders Leader Writer opinion and digest Regular columns Columnists topic/issue-led Letter page Letters relevant, topical feedback 8
Making the most of media opportunities 9
Key principles of media relations Know your media Focus: Understand the issues Take control/be proactive Consistency 10
Types of journalists The Antagonist Preconceived notions; looking for dirt Speak slowly and with confidence The Best Friend Talkative; amiable; offers to go off the record Engage, but don t be drawn into revelations The Know-It-All Impatient; a name-dropper; a smart aleck Don t try one-upmanship. Maintain your patience. 11
Types of journalists The Listener Quiet, unemotional, potentially dangerous Turn the tables: Ask questions to draw him out The Fisherman Wanders around the topic; discusses rumours Stay precisely on the immediate subject The Professional, or the Promising Novice Accurate, straightforward, pleasant Invest some time to build a lasting relationship Become a reliable source for the future 12
Preparing for interview 13
Left and right brain functions Unemotional State Left Brain Right Brain Logic Detail Auditory ST Memory Language Intuition Whole Visual LT Memory Emotion GREAT THINKING GREAT IDEAS GREAT PEOPLE 1
Left and right brain functions Emotional State Left Brain Right Brain Logic Detail Auditory ST Memory Language Intuition Whole Visual LT Memory Emotion GREAT THINKING GREAT IDEAS GREAT PEOPLE 1
Getting ready for the interview Gather your support materials Facts, figures, reports Visuals - pictures & graphics Customer references/anecdotes Familiarise yourself with the publication/ journalist, campaigns, points of view, background and experience Do you need third party support? 16
The Message Platform: Bring it to life HEADLINE: GREATER THEME MESSAGE #1: anecdote MESSAGE #2: example MESSAGE #3: facts and figures GREAT THINKING GREAT IDEAS GREAT PEOPLE
Practice interview 1 18
Feedback 19
Tactics to throw you off message Rapid-fire questions Asking several questions in one Constant interruptions of your answers Paraphrasing of your answers Accusatory questions Oh yeah, just one more thing 20
Avoid the traps and pitfalls Try to recognize when you re being baited Avoid off the record it never is Don t say it if you don t want to see it Don t comment on rumour or speculation Don t comment on competitors Don t answer a question that wasn t asked Don t be afraid to say I don t know Don t disclose proprietary or confidential information 21
Baiting It will happen often Unintentional vs. intentional baiting Recognise when it s happening and bridge immediately Refute false claims/assumptions immediately Correct inaccuracies immediately Don t let them paraphrase or put words in your mouth 22
Interview techniques Bridge Reinforce Deflect tough questions Keep interviewer and yourself on track Don t repeat the negative Acknowledge the question, but move on to your point or action taken Repeat key messages Flag your key messages Demonstrate that you are happy to be there Bridging techniques That s an interesting question, but first can I put that into perspective I m glad you asked me that, because it brings me to a point I ve been wanting to make You re right to ask me that, but I think what is more interesting I don t have precise details about that, but what I do know is I m often asked that but If I understand your question correctly What I think you mean by the question is Flag your key messages Here are the top three reasons why If our customers only remember one thing it is this This is what it all boils down to... 23
On-camera interview techniques Bridge to key message immediately Think and react in sound-bites / keep your answers succinct Always look at the interviewer, not the camera (one exception) Use your hands, but not in front of your face Be engaged and pay attention to your body language Don t swivel or slouch Sit on coattails 24
Take control of the interview It is your interview It is not their interview, even if they think it is You can take control of the discussion If you re effective, they won t even realise it Assert your messages to change the typical interview format 25
Interview 2 26
Feedback 27
Thank you 28