Media Training Manchester. At Marvellous Media Training, we believe an interview on TV, radio, or a podcast, shouldn’t be something to fear, (although, it’s normal to be apprehensive.) We believe it’s something to get excited about. It’s a golden opportunity to build your brand and establish thought leadership.
How can I incorporate my organisation’s values or mission into a TV interview? Many business mission statements are incredibly dry, don’t attempt to shoe-horn a pre-scripted mission or value statement into an interview. Frame your values in natural language and real terms.
Media TrainingBook a no-obligation discovery callHow can I use data or statistics effectively in a media interview? Unless you have been specifically requested to take part in an interview to share lots of facts and figures, use data and statistics sparingly. Aim to talk about just one or two headline figures. Avoid trying to remember and then discuss lots of …
63% of people remember stories. Only 5% remember statistics. (Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath) To be more engaging you must illustrate your points with brief anecdotes and real-life visual examples. Because of time constraints with broadcast media, these must be concise.
Watch or listen to their programme, or for print journalist read their reporting online. This will give you a steer on their style, tone, questioning and topics of interest. Most journalists are on Twitter, again follow them here to see what they post and comment on to get a better understanding of their work.
Dress appropriately. Watch the TV show or news channel in advance to check what their dress code looks like. Brush your hair and check nothing is stuck between your teeth.
For men, you can’t go wrong with a suit. Go tieless or in shirt sleeves if you want to appear more relaxed.
You just say no, journalists aren’t the police, they don’t have any special powers, they’re just regular people working for a news organisation. It’s important to query your reasons for declining.
Don’t jump to the conclusion that it’s because you have done something wrong (unless you have), the vast majority of interview requests are from journalists looking for insight, help and expertise, not combat.
Journalists don’t like to give questions in advance. This isn’t because they want to catch you out.
In live TV news, they’re unlikely to give you a list of questions because they can be changed by the presenter at the last moment. This could leave you stumped or confused if you’d prepared your answers in advance.
The vast majority of TV news interviews aren’t about giving you a hard time, catching you out or making you look foolish. It’s more common for journalists to want to hear your opinion and expertise. Prepare five things to say and expect to say three of them. Say your best stuff first. Make sure you include a couple of interesting facts, share your comments and opinions on the subject being discussed and make sure you have some good examples, stories or brief anecdotes to bring your facts and opinions to life.
You’ll be expected to speak on live television. You’ll need to be concise and to the point and make your best points first in a compelling way. Prepare for five questions and expect to answer three. Offer a few facts, comments, opinions and examples on your subject. Your airtime is limited so don’t waste it with waffle, like “That’s a great question” or “I’m so pleased you asked me that.” Avoid yes-no answers and be as expansive as possible in the limited time. Remember, an interview is about question-and-answer turn-taking so don’t ramble on, make your point and wait for the next question.
