The media training bible, p.1
The Media Training Bible, page 1
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2013 by Brad Phillips
Mr. Media Training® and The ATMs® are trademarks of Phillips Media Relations, LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please email the publisher at Books@SpeakGoodPress.com.
SpeakGoodPress
1050 17th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
ISBN-10: 0988322013
ISBN-13: 978-0-9883220-1-1
LCCN: 2012917377
PRAISE FOR THE MEDIA TRAINING BIBLE
“The Media Training Bible is a must read for learning best practices for creating, delivering, and staying on message with the media—a reference you’ll want on your top shelf.”
Wayne Bloom, CEO, Commonwealth Financial Network
“If more politicians read The Media Training Bible, there would be many fewer embarrassing stories about them featured on Political Wire.”
Taegan Goddard, Founder and Publisher, Political Wire
“In a chaotic media landscape, Brad Phillips offers a thorough and engaging guide to getting your message out authentically and effectively. Take Brad’s advice to heart. The little things do matter. I’ve witnessed a man’s ill-chosen words on national television implode his career, and a woman who handled a difficult interview so well she transcended the controversy swirling around her. Brad can help you avoid the former and execute the latter.”
Richard Harris, Former Director of Afternoon Programming, National Public Radio and Former Senior Producer, ABC News Nightline
“Through a perfect mix of lessons, case studies, and exercises, Brad Phillips unlocks the secrets of becoming an effective spokesperson. I refer to The Media Training Bible before every interview—and you will too.”
Tod Ibrahim, Executive Director, The American Society of Nephrology
“Everyone who speaks to the media—and anyone who might—should read The Media Training Bible before even thinking about doing another interview. Executives and other professionals will want to keep this invaluable resource within reaching distance for many years to come.”
Russ Mittermeier, President, Conservation International
“The Media Training Bible is the most comprehensive and well-reasoned resource on this topic I have ever read. Well-organized and thorough, it contains everything necessary to prepare readers for contact with the media, regardless of whether they are a novice or a seasoned veteran. Brad Phillips leverages his unique background as an ex-member of the media and an active media trainer and commentator to create a powerful resource that can be used again and again. Public relations professionals—and the executives they serve—shouldn’t be out there without it.”
Linda Carlisle, Corporate Communications Manager, Elkay Manufacturing Company
“The Media Training Bible goes far beyond the standard media training guides and is must-reading for anyone who would be the least bit frightened by an unexpected knock on the door from the local TV news crew. Brad Phillips’ 101 lessons will arm you with everything you need to know to be interviewed by even the toughest bulldog reporter and not only survive, but thrive, in the spotlight. More than three dozen case studies show you how to avoid costly mistakes made by celebrities, politicians and others who didn’t understand the confusing rules of the media game. (The media know the rules, but they don’t want YOU to know.) Don’t pitch stories and don’t accept requests for media interviews until you read this book.”
Joan Stewart, Publisher, The Publicity Hound
“Brad Phillips’ book will become THE Media Training Bible for CEOs, leaders, and spokespersons who want to be a winner with the media. Phillips shares what reporters need, how to craft your message, and how to deliver it simply and effectively in every medium. It’s loaded with practical, tactical and proven advice from a true media training pro. After 30 years of PR consulting and media training myself, I’ve never seen the topic so well organized and practically delivered.”
Jeff Domansky, The PR Coach
“Brad Phillips has produced an excellent resource with The Media Training Bible. It does in fact live up to its promise with over 100 lessons in what to do, say, and think (or not to do, say or think) before ever embarking on the often treacherous journey into ‘MediaLand.’ The book is very comprehensive, a compelling read, and very practical. I highly recommend it—a must for anyone contemplating a media spokesperson role.
Jane Jordan-Meier, Crisis Coach and Author, The Four Stages of Highly Effective Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in the Digital Age
“The key to success with media interviews is preparation. The Media Training Bible is one of the most insightful and easy-to-use resources for communications professionals and business executives to prepare for any type of interview.”
Dave Groobert, U.S. General Manager, Environics Communications
“The advice in The Media Training Bible is both timely and timeless, filled with hands-on guidance that can be applied immediately.”
Michael Sebastian, Managing Editor, Ragan’s PR Daily
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by Michael Sebastian, Editor, PR Daily
Preface: The State of the Media Today
Introduction
SECTION ONE: EIGHT GROUND RULES FOR WORKING WITH THE MEDIA
1 The Rule of Thirds
2 Meeting a Reporter’s Deadline Isn’t Enough
3 Why “No Comment” Is a No-No
4 Comment Without Commenting
5 Why It’s Risky To Go “Off the Record”
6 If You Go Off the Record Anyway
7 There’s No Such Thing as an “Official” Interview
8 Know Your Rights
SECTION TWO: MESSAGES AND MESSAGE SUPPORTS
9 What Is a Message?
10 CUBE A: C is for Consistent
11 CUBE A: U is for Unburdened
12 CUBE A: B is for Brief
13 CUBE A: E is for Ear-Worthy
14 CUBE A: A is for Audience-Focused
15 Types of Messages
16 Exercise: Craft Your Messages
17 What Is a Message Support?
18 Stories
19 Statistics
20 What Are Sound Bites?
21 How to Create Sound Bites
22 Using Message Supports During Interviews
SECTION THREE: THE INTERVIEW
23 Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
24 Don’t Educate the Reporter
25 Talk Short, but Not Too Short
26 The Reporter Isn’t Your Audience
27 The 12-Year-Old-Nephew Rule
28 Use Strong Language
29 Don’t Bury the Lead: Start at the End
30 Why + What
31 Speak In Complete Sentences, Unless…
32 Be a Better Media Guest in Three Seconds
SECTION FOUR: ANSWERING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
33 Introducing the ATMs
34 Transitioning
35 The Seven-Second Stray
36 Three Dangerous Types of Reporters
37 Stay Cool, Baby!
38 They’ll Beat You With a Stick
39 The Ambush Interview
40 Answering Questions When You Don’t Know the Answer
41 Answering Questions That Call for Speculation
42 Answering Questions That Seek Personal Opinions
43 Answering a Paraphrased Question
44 Answering Questions That Present False Choices
45 Answering Questions from Left Field
46 Answering Questions Containing a False Premise & Questions Seeking a Guarantee
47 Answering Questions About Your Competition & Questions Containing an Indirect Attribution
SECTION FIVE: BODY LANGUAGE AND ATTIRE GUIDE
48 Why Body Language Matters
49 Energy
50 Eye Contact
51 Gestures
52 Posture
53 Voice
54 Eliminate the “Uhhhs” and “Ummms”
55 Overcoming Fear
56 General Rules When Dressing for Television
57 Attire
58 Makeup
59 Hair
60 Dressing for High-Definition Television
SECTION SIX: THE DIFFERENT MEDIA FORMATS
61 Email Interviews
62 Phone Interviews
63 Radio: Seven Ways to Rock Your Next Interview
64 Radio: Five Things Bad Guests Do
65 Television: 10 Things You Need to Know
66 Television: Know Your Background
67 Live vs. Edited
68 Long Interviews and Features
69 Press Conferences: An Introduction
70 Press Conferences: Opening & Questions
71 Social Media: An Introduction
72 Social Media: Six Best Practices
73 Social Media: You’re Always “On the Record”
74 Social Media: Once You Say It, It’s Out There
75 Blogs and Bloggers
76 Online Video, Podcasts, and Skype
77 Five Additional Media Formats
SECTION SEVEN: CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: THE 10 TRUTHS OF A CRISIS
78 What Is a Crisis?
79 Truth One: You’re Going to Suffer at First
80 Truth Two: You’ll Be Cast as a Good or Bad Guy
81 Truth Three: You Must Communicate Immediately
82 Truth Four: The Media Will Side With the Victims
83 Truth Five: The Spokesperson You Choose Speaks Volumes
84 Truth Six: Your Receptionist Needs Media Training
85 Truth Seven: Burying Bad Parts of the Story Makes It Worse
86 Truth Eight: Social Media Can Make or Break You
87 Truth Nine: You Need to Apologize the Right Way
88 Truth Ten: Your Lawyers Can Make Crises Worse
89 What to Do When You’re Not Guilty
90 How to Prepare for a Crisis
91 Responding to Bad Press Before the Story Runs
92 Responding to Bad Press After the Story Runs
SECTION EIGHT: FINAL INTERVIEW PREPARATION
93 Step One: Complete Your Message Worksheets
94 Step Two: Create File Cards
95 Step Three: Interview the Reporter
96 Step Four: Do Your Research
97 Step Five: Develop a Q&A Document
98 Step Six: Conduct a Practice Interview
99 Step Seven: Select Three Areas for Improvement
CONCLUSION
100 How to Select a Media Trainer
101 Go Out There and Get Em!
Acknowledgments
Sources
About Phillips Media Relations
About the Mr. Media Training Blog
Brad Phillips Bio
Foreword by Michael Sebastian, Managing Editor, PR Daily
We live in the age of the headline.
To grab a person’s attention, news organizations have roughly the time it takes a person to read a headline before their eyes are pulled somewhere else. With such frayed attention spans, today’s news consumer increasingly wants their information packaged and sold to them in seven-second sound bites and 140-character tweets.
Even in today’s fast-paced media culture, there are ways to present a cohesive message. But it requires training and practice, even for straightforward interviews with a reporter you know well. You want to answer the reporter’s question honestly while conveying your message, and do all of it without sounding canned or robotic. It’s a tricky business.
Brad Phillips understands this, because he is a former journalist, having served under ABC News’s Ted Koppel and CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. In The Media Training Bible, he’ll share what he learned both inside the newsroom and in the media training studio room. You will find tips that will make you a more effective spokesperson, rules of the road for working with journalists, and important advice on body language and attire. You’ll learn how to create a winning message that appeals to journalists and the public. You’ll also find guidance on how to prepare for and manage a PR crisis, an essential component of any spokesperson’s job—especially in the age of the headline.
Often, an organization will stumble into a PR crisis because the person speaking on its behalf is not prepared to talk to the media. Sometimes, even well-prepared speakers can commit a blunder by briefly straying from their message. This is what the media likes to call a “gaffe,” and it will haunt spokespersons and CEOs.
Take, for instance, the Deepwater Horizon disaster. In April 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers aboard and unleashed an oil spill that lasted for three months. To date, it is the largest accidental marine petroleum spill in the history of the oil industry.
The incident also stands as one of the worst PR disasters in modern history. BP, the company that owned the well from which the leak sprung, committed a series of blunders that made it look incompetent, reckless, and tone deaf. Chief among them was this jaw-dropper from then-CEO Tony Hayward:
“I’m sorry. We’re sorry for the massive disruption it’s caused their lives. There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I’d like my life back [italics mine].”
Hayward was trying to apologize. Instead of the reporters echoing his mea culpa, they repeated those five words—“I’d like my life back”—in endless rotation. It’s a juicy sound bite for TV, and the ideal length for a tweet.
Organizations and public figures must prepare for media scrutiny. This preparation isn’t about spin or subterfuge but instead media training. It’s about knowing who will speak to the media, what they will say, and how often they will say it. An ethical, media-trained spokesperson should serve as a resource for journalists, not as a roadblock. Journalists will respect a spokesperson who is informed, upfront, and honest.
Media spokespersons and public relations professionals can pull The Media Training Bible from the shelf to prepare for media interviews and refer to it when drafting their crisis communications plans. The advice is both timely and timeless, filled with hands-on guidance that can be applied immediately. I am confident that The Media Training Bible will prove a useful resource for organizations of any size, public or private, nonprofit or for profit.
Preface: The State of the Media Today
Are the traditional media—newspapers, radio stations, and television networks—breathing their last breaths, barely clinging to life as the “new” media steal their audiences?
It would be easy to make that case. Hundreds of once-popular U.S. newspapers have either collapsed or shifted to an online-only platform over the past 20-some years. Others have watched their audiences evaporate. Since 1990, newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times, and the Boston Globe have seen their circulations slashed by at least half—and they’re far from alone.
The decline in viewership for the network evening newscasts is just as stark. In 1990, 41 million viewers tuned in to ABC, CBS, or NBC each night to watch the evening news. Two decades later, just 22 million did. Why rush home by 6:30 p.m. to watch a news program when you can now watch one at 7 p.m. instead? Or 8 p.m.? Or anytime, online and on demand?
Whereas we once depended upon Tom Brokaw to deliver the news of the day, we now reach into our pockets, grab our smartphones, and select the news for ourselves. We read, listen to, or watch the news stories we want from the sources we choose—around the clock, at our convenience—on blogs, DVRs, iPads, podcasts, Twitter feeds, and countless other devices.
According to some media observers, even the biggest news organizations—The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time magazine—could soon be gone, at least in the forms they currently exist.
Not so fast. It’s true that the traditional media are hurting, and the shift away from traditional media is indeed profound. In 2011, for example, Americans got more of their news online than from newspapers for the first time ever.
But traditional media continue to wield enormous influence over our national debate and will do so for decades to come. Newspapers, radio stations, and television news programs still reach more than 100 million Americans each day through their traditional forms—and tens of millions more through their online outlets. Readers give stories from traditional news outlets additional reach by sharing them with their social networks, expanding the audience of local news organizations to people in other cities, states, and nations.
To be sure, the impact of social media on news has revolutionized the entire media landscape. No longer is news the exclusive province of a paternal newsman. Blogs often break news first (sometimes due to lower standards for confirming information), citizen journalists occasionally provide the first bloody pictures of national revolution, and public figures frequently make newsworthy pronouncements using their own social media accounts.
Still, it’s an overstatement to claim the traditional media are dying while their younger brethren are taking over. A more accurate description would account for the symbiosis between the two; the old media feed off of the new media and vice versa. Bloggers analyze news first reported by “stodgier” newspapers. Radio newscasters report on a controversial remark someone made on Twitter. Facebook users share a link to a story they originally saw on a cable news program. Network newscasts show video that first went “viral” on YouTube.
Today’s traditional and new media live side by side, strongly influencing the tone, pace, and content of the other. And that means that the lines separating the two aren’t always clear.
