Media training: Journalists are not out to get you
Sweaty palms, racing heart, and an empty head…sound familiar? You are not alone. It is estimated that nearly half of the British population has a fear of public speaking (YouGov Poll 2023).
Add a camera to the equation and the knowledge that millions of people will be watching your debut – live on the six o’clock news – it’s understandable, you may experience an overwhelming desire to run away and hide under your desk. Or in a wine cellar.
At Black Letter Communications, we regularly train and guide lawyers through their first, second, or fifteenth radio or TV interview to make sure they are primed to do what they do best – offer expert opinion to provide authoritative insight and credibility to a news report.
As a former journalist, one of the things I love about legal PR and litigation PR is helping lawyers get ready to share their expertise in a way that is digestible to the average person on the street.
In a newsroom, your deadline was an hour ago. You don’t have time to listen to reams of professional jargon as a lawyer tries to explain the intricate details of Article 1 of Protocol 13 of the Human Rights Act. Doris down the road doesn’t understand what that means, and why should she?
She wants to know why it matters to her and her family within minutes. A journalist’s role, therefore, is to get to the human story quickly, so they can inform and educate their audience on why the story matters.
And to do this, they need competent legal experts they can rely on, time and time again.
This is not Paxman
You’ve worked hard to get the right result for your client. Your PR team has worked hard to get the news coverage it deserves and secured a top-tier, live interview.
But the fear kicks in and thoughts turn to what can go wrong.
It is a common misconception that journalists want to see you fail. You will not get under the studio’s bright lights and suddenly get peppered with a Paxman-style grilling.
Journalists need the interview to work as much as you do. Even the audience is willing you to do well, so quash the thought that this is all a ruse to embarrass you in front of your peers.
You have control
Another common misconception we regularly hear is that the interviewer holds all the cards. This is not the case. Although the news presenter and the news organisation will have their agenda ironed out before the interview, there is a lot that can be done to even the balance of power.
Most of this work takes place before you step in front of the mic. If handled correctly, you will have already shaped the structure of the interview with the information you provide ahead of time. Ideally, this imperative prep will be handled by your expert legal PR team, but if you are going it alone, there is one key tool you can use to remain in control and, in turn, guarantee a successful conversation.
Three really is the magic number
At the root of every successful media interview are three key talking points.
I like to refer to these as your anchor. Your anchor to the subject matter, the points you want to make, and a tool to bring you back on point if the dreaded mind blank kicks in.
These three short talking points should summarise what it means in simple terms, why it matters, and the action you want the audience to take.
Memorise them. Rehearse them ahead of time so they feel comfortable and natural and can be rephrased easily. Never read from a script – everyone can tell if you start reading verbatim from a piece of paper like a robot, and it instantly removes your credibility.
By having these key points set in stone, you can bring the conversation back to the points you want to make, no matter the question.
If you want to learn more about acing your next media interview – including how to copy the slick politician’s bridging technique get in touch to hear more about our media training.
