The So What Test
- By Gemma Carey
- Published 04/22/2011
- Ezines and Newsletters
- Unrated
We are often asked to run media training abroad, even when those spokespeople aren't focussing on UK media. The reason they want a UK media training company is that it's generally considered that if interviewees can handle interviews with UK journalists and get their messages across well, then they can probably handle journalists from anywhere in the world.
UK journalists are often considered to be tough, aggressive, impatient and even difficult but this tends to be by those people who don't know how to handle them and the interviews they embark on. A far more apt description of your 'typical' UK journalist would be; stressed, rushed, short of time and other resources. This combined with a healthy cynicism that is always asking 'so what?' in their heads can make for a clash with spokespeople if they don't get what they want from interviews. What can solve this potential problem? One simple word: preparation.
Going into an interview thinking you can handle whatever is thrown at you is a dangerous attitude to take and there are plenty of examples where this has gone badly wrong for spokespeople. We advise our delegates to prepare for every interview by thinking about the:
* Audience they are ultimately addressing (obviously doing your research on the specific journalist or their paper/broadcaster as well is highly recommended), then make sure what you are saying will resonate with that group.
* Message they want to get across - unless you have something of value to say there's no point doing the interview - what do you want people to remember about you?
* Examples that will back-up what they are claiming/saying, without stats, fact and figures your messages will just seem like empty statements.
* Negatives they may get asked. Whether it's skeletons in the closet or just tricky issues facing your organisation - make sure you have answers to these or at least make sure you can handle them properly if they come up.
The above acronym (AMEN) is the preparation that delegates should do, and this needs to 'combat' the agenda (TRUTH) that journalists will have:
* Topical - is what they are hearing a topical story?
* Relevant - is this relevant to their readers?
* Unusual - does this story stand out?
* Trouble - readers/viewers are interested in conflict and it sells (this is obviously an area that spokespeople want to avoid - unless they can provide a solution to the trouble)
* Human - the best stories have a human element, normally even the driest topics can have a real person interwoven within it.
These are mantras we want our delegates to remember as they will help you to make even the toughest interviews a success for you and whether UK journalists are tough or not, only those spokespeople who have prepared properly should deal with them. This preparation is not about being able to avoid answering questions and certainly not a dark art designed to prevent spokespeople from being honest - it's all about making sure you can have a meaningful exchange with a journalists, that gets across information that you actually want to communicate, and that the journalist thinks will be of interest to their readers. If that takes place it really can be the start of a beautiful relationship!
UK journalists are often considered to be tough, aggressive, impatient and even difficult but this tends to be by those people who don't know how to handle them and the interviews they embark on. A far more apt description of your 'typical' UK journalist would be; stressed, rushed, short of time and other resources. This combined with a healthy cynicism that is always asking 'so what?' in their heads can make for a clash with spokespeople if they don't get what they want from interviews. What can solve this potential problem? One simple word: preparation.
Going into an interview thinking you can handle whatever is thrown at you is a dangerous attitude to take and there are plenty of examples where this has gone badly wrong for spokespeople. We advise our delegates to prepare for every interview by thinking about the:
* Audience they are ultimately addressing (obviously doing your research on the specific journalist or their paper/broadcaster as well is highly recommended), then make sure what you are saying will resonate with that group.
* Message they want to get across - unless you have something of value to say there's no point doing the interview - what do you want people to remember about you?
* Negatives they may get asked. Whether it's skeletons in the closet or just tricky issues facing your organisation - make sure you have answers to these or at least make sure you can handle them properly if they come up.
The above acronym (AMEN) is the preparation that delegates should do, and this needs to 'combat' the agenda (TRUTH) that journalists will have:
* Topical - is what they are hearing a topical story?
* Relevant - is this relevant to their readers?
* Unusual - does this story stand out?
* Trouble - readers/viewers are interested in conflict and it sells (this is obviously an area that spokespeople want to avoid - unless they can provide a solution to the trouble)
* Human - the best stories have a human element, normally even the driest topics can have a real person interwoven within it.
These are mantras we want our delegates to remember as they will help you to make even the toughest interviews a success for you and whether UK journalists are tough or not, only those spokespeople who have prepared properly should deal with them. This preparation is not about being able to avoid answering questions and certainly not a dark art designed to prevent spokespeople from being honest - it's all about making sure you can have a meaningful exchange with a journalists, that gets across information that you actually want to communicate, and that the journalist thinks will be of interest to their readers. If that takes place it really can be the start of a beautiful relationship!
Gemma Carey
Gemma Carey of Bluewood Training - Media Training and Presentation Training experts. Communicators from Journalism and Public Relations backgrounds (UK and International), working with our clients to assist in media training or presentation training
View all articles by Gemma Carey