Keep it short: Tip of the week
 by Media Minds on 2010/05/26 4:55 PM
 
A working rule to keep in mind for broadcasting is three words to the second. In two minutes, you might be able to speak

as many as 360 words. Keep your answers fairly short: 30 to 45 seconds is long enough. That will give the interview pace

and allow for more questions.

Remember, broadcast interviews do not give you enough time to explain in depth. It can sometimes be better to start with

your conclusion and only then bring forward the evidence to prove your point.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds
 
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Handling the hostile interview: Tip of the week
by Media Minds on 2010/05/10 1:44 PM
 
On some occasions the interviewer is almost professionally required to be hostile: perhaps you are representing a

company that has just withdrawn food from supermarket shelves because it has been tampered with; or you are the

chairman of a bus company whose buses have just been proved to be defective following an accident involving loss of life.

The interviewer begins by saying: "How can you (your company) possibly justify this?" or "How could you allow this to

happen?"

Clearly, you must be thoroughly prepared for such an interview. What can you do to reduce the hostility, which is also

probably present in the minds of many viewers/ listeners?

 Acknowledge and accept what you can and must.
Empathise with whoever is suffering.
Move strongly and convincingly on to what you/ your company are now doing to remedy things.
 

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds

 
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Create a rapport: Tip of the week
by Media Minds on 2010/04/28 11:43 AM
 
Many people going 'on telly' or radio for their company remain in official mode.. This is not going to work very well when

you are, as it were, sitting in somone's living room. You are not just the Operations Manager or Director of this or that, but

also a warm human being.

As in any important face-to-face encounter, you wish to create a rapport. Try to think of something you have in common

with most of the audience. Make reference to a common experience everyone has had: from finding the toothpaste tube

has been squeezed dry to being stalled in traffic.

It may seem very artificial, but having one or two 'common humanity' examples up your sleeve is a good idea. Better not to

hope to think one up mid-interview, because you could find yourself saying something you didn't quite intend, or drifting

away from your agenda and so losing focus.

Funnily enough, it is crucial not to mention 'the audience' or even to think of viewers and listeners as a collective group. A

more successful approach is to imagine you are in an armchair in someone's living room and address them as 'you'.

Try to be your most charming, radiant and friendly self. This may be an interview about your professional role, but what

counts is how you seem to be as a person. Whatever is thrown at you, stay calm and remain courteous. If the interviewer

becomes heated, you gain sympathy for maintaining an even tone.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds
 
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 Be physically prepared for media interviews: Tip of the week
by Media Minds on 2010/04/20 10:53 AM
 
Try as we might, none of us could ignore the appearance of the three candidates in last week's prime ministerial leadership

debate: Clegg came across as youthful, but likeable, Cameron's tan added to the sense of his slickness and he was

criticised for not smiling enough, while Brown's steely hair gave him gravitas even though his performance lacked the Lib

Dem leader's freshness.

In the case of the party leaders, teams of advisors had no doubt worked to make them look their best - right down to their

colour co-ordinated ties.

For the rest of us, it is worth bearing in mind that bloodshot eyes, lanky hair and spots are all faithfully highlighted by

television cameras. It is worth trying to get a good night's sleep the night before an interview. Make sure your speaking

voice is clear. Having a thick cold is unattractive; to reduce the effect you can sip a glass of warm water before you go on,

or suck a cough sweet if needed, but not during the interview!

On both radio and television, voice quality is important.

 Speak as clearly as you can, opening your mouth more widely than usual.
Breathing properly is essential to good voice production.
Deeper, lower voices sound better than very high piping ones, so speak in your lowest natural tone.
Do not try to change your accent; regional accents are very attractive, provided what you say can be clearly understood.
If your mouth unaccountably dries up there are things you can do to get the moisture back: think of squeezing a lemon

and sucking in the juice. To add moisture to a dry throat, nip the tip of your tongue between your teeth.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds
 
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 Keep it simple: Tip of the Week
by Media Minds on 2010/04/14 11:32 AM
 
Following a break for Easter, the Media Minds Tip of the Week is back!

KEEP YOUR LANGUAGE SIMPLE

Why not be simple? All our trainees worry at some time about reactions back at the ranch if they simplify too much. What

will their colleagues think if their complex work is presented in a dumbed-down version? In fact, if you succeed in painting

a picture of what you all do, within the constraints of a media interview, they are more likely to admire you, and be glad

they have so effective a messenger. And if you manage to:

 attract attention by using the word 'you'
keep interest by using vivid visual examples
leave a lasting image
then no-one will complain you have over-simplified.

If you have worked out beforehand what your simple messages are, you can state and reinforce them, using that language

and the attractive and memorable examples you have come up with. This actually helps the editors do their job, for they

have to come up with the eye-catching questions and stories which will take their readers, listeners and viewers further.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds

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 Who is invited to talk to the media and why? Tip of the week: how to get invited
 by Media Minds on 2010/03/22 2:39 PM
 
There are over a hundred business schools in this country, yet you frequently find the same commentators invited to speak

on current affairs programmes. Why do the same people get asked back again and again?

Their only secret is that they are willing and able to speak interestingly about a topic in a way that fits the programme's

needs. Being available is the most important factor. If you are prepared to turn up at the studio, on time, when they need

you, and frequently at short notice - provided, of course, you then perform well - you are almost bound to be asked back

again.

So don't play the prima donna. There are others willing to take your place, either because they enjoy the limelight, or

because they or their employer see the value of having an amiable and well-informed spokesperson frequently appearing on

television or radio.

Being flexible is important:

 Fit in with what they want, be prepared to do your interview outside in the rain if for some reason this suits.
Take an interest in the constraints they are working under.
If you can do it honestly, praise their professionalism and the programme.
And what do you get out of it? The assumption is that you have some key messages you want to use the media to

convey. If you have found out how to be interesting, engaging and amusing, there is almost no limit to the number of times

you can be asked to talk to the media. The art and skill really lies in knowing how to forward your own strategic concerns

through these opportunities.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds

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Tip of the Week: Be prepared
 
 
by Media Minds on 2010/03/17 1:05 PM
 
The greatest guarantee of achieving clarity in television and radio interviews is through thorough preparation.

If you are fully prepared you know what you are saying and why. You can, if necessary, get the same message across in

two or three different ways.

Being prepared means you are not worried about blurting out something you weren't meant to say: integrity and being

honest don't necessarily mean revealing all! If you are prepared, you have worked out in advance which of the things you

could decide to say are 'green areas' and which should be approached with caution as 'red areas'.

Stay alert yet relaxed

This state is similar to the state achieved in some sports, when you are alert but simultaneously relaxed. Doing a

successful interview always has the element of a performance about it. You are alert to every opportunity to get your

message over, and relaxed because your purpose is quite clear and you have prepared fully.

From 'How to Talk to the Media' by Judith Byrne, Managing Director, Media Minds
 
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Gorkana Meets
by Media Minds on 2010/03/08 1:28 PM
 
Ciar Byrne, freelance journalist and Director of Media Minds, has written a series of interviews with leading media

executives on the future of journalism for Gorkana.com.

Her interviews with John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, Rupert Heseltine, Executive Chairman of

Haymarket Media Group and Dan Bogler, Managing Editor of the Financial Times can be found at

http://www.gorkana.com/uk/index.php/gorkana-meets/
 
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  Media Minds is now on Twitter!
by Media Minds on 2010/01/19 4:18 PM
 
Media Minds is now tweeting @ www.twitter.com/mediamindsuk
 
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