Handling the media

1. Introduction to
Presentation Skills for Professionals
HANDLING THE MEDIA

4. THE MEDIA
 Sooner or later, you or your company will come into
contact with the media. This may be because you
need them or because they need you.
What is ‘the media’?
 The media is enormous, the media is influential, the
media has the biggest audience you will ever
address.
 ‘Media’ also includes exhibitions, seminars and trade
fairs.

5. WHO WILL DO IT?
 Whatever the size of your company or workforce, it is
very useful indeed to think (in advance) about how
interviews will be handled.
 Usually it falls to the marketing or public relations
department to formulate a plan of action.
 It is a complete recipe for disaster if no one knows who
should speak to the media, what the message is, who
in the media you will be speaking to and what the
outcome should be, let alone setting an untrained and
unprepared speaker loose on the public.

6. Questions in your mind????????????
 A competent marketing or PR department will be
able to provide (at the very least), the following
things:
 press packs containing information about your company
 up-to-date information about the personalities involved;
 the company line on any newsworthy item;
 an idea of the future direction of the company and its
products
 industry background and competitive information;
 biographies of key players in the company

7. INTERVIEW ROLES FOR THE MEDIA
 Here are some of the interview roles that you might have
to fulfil:
 Spokesperson: that is, the figurehead for the company in this
particular interview who will authoritatively put across the
company line.
 Expert: that is, someone whose professional knowledge will allow
them to speak authoritatively on the subject in hand.
 Trouble shooter: that is, the person in the company who is in
charge of damage control if your company has been involved in a
news story in a negative way.
 Involved party: that is, the person from the company who has
knowledge of exactly what has happened and can add detail to
the main story.
 Panelist: that is, someone who can add the company’s point of
view to the general topic being discussed.

8. Where will the interview take place?
 In your office –most favourable place for an
interview. We are always at ease on our own pitch.
 A shop floor, while fascinating would be too noisy
for a successful interview.
 Over the phone. You should have all the
information you need in front of you,

9. Where will the interview take place?
 At their offices. Not as easy – you are away from your
comfort zone, but as long as you have all the relevant
information either with you or in your head, this should
not be too daunting.
 Neutral ground.
 In a studio. Unless you are familiar with recording
studios this can be alarming.
 On the doorstep. Celebrities who want the exposure
and politicians who love giving interviews.

10. Preparing for an interview –
THE FIVE-STEP PREPARATION PROCESS
Step 1
 Decide what you want to say. Limit this to no more
than three or four points. The public won’t
remember more than this. What is your main
point?
Step 2
 Find evidence to back up your main point,
evidence that will persuade the listener or reader
to believe you.

11. THE FIVE-STEP PREPARATION PROCESS
Step 3
 Practice your main points by saying them aloud in at
least three different ways and make notes. You may
not need these notes at the interview, but writing them
down will make them stick in your memory.
Step 4
 What are your limits? What subjects are out of bounds
and why? Think about what you are actually going to
say if faced with off-limit questions.
Step 5
 Decide what you will say at the end of the interview
and practice it.

12. TECHNIQUES
 If there are any techniques in being interviewed, they
are the following:
 Do not lie – ever!
 If you don’t know the answer, say so !!!
 Stick to your point
 Don’t be drawn into an argument
 However – outright misinformation must be corrected, as
soon as possible and with dignity.
 Be unfailingly polite