How much value in media training?
How much value is there in media training? On the face of it this may sound like a pretty daft question. Of course, you wouldn’t want to put one of your partners in front of a journalist without any preparation, even more so if it involves television or radio. The ‘cock-up potential’ is just too high. Even so…
Media training can be an expensive undertaking. A half a day session with specialist media trainers covering print and radio for three or four fee-earners can cost upwards of £3,000, and even more if television is to be included. And this doesn’t take into account time out of the office for those fee-earners participating.
The training will be thorough and comprehensive. The importance of key messages, bridging, flagging and reputation will all be hammered home. It is likely to involve facing the proverbial grumpy journalist (John Humphreys on a Monday morning battling political correctness) and the cub reporter looking for his or her first big scoop. And importantly it does provides familiarity to what is an artificial environment.
All good stuff if you are a politician, football manager or CEO of a listed company with a camera or microphone regularly shoved in front of you. But for the lawyer or accountant who might be lucky enough to do a handful or so such interviews a year? I’m not so sure.
Anything learnt in these sessions is quickly forgotten if it is not put into practice shortly afterwards, and for many attending such sessions this is unlikely to happen, even with the very best PR support.
A far better approach which is far more cost effective and one we at Coast Communications recommend are bespoke sessions tailored to the interview at hand. Such a session can take place the day before an interview, allowing time for rehearsal and preparation or just before the interview is scheduled to take place.
A good PR can offer his or her client advice and support that is specific to the imminent interview. Actual and anticipated questions can be discussed and answers prepared. Key messages can be discussed and rehearsed. Low ball questions can also be explored and a way of responding prepared. All should leave the interviewee comfortable and prepared for the interview.
But what about a grumpy John Humphries or Jeremy Paxman’s aggressive interviewing style? Again a good PR should be able to gain some insight into the nature of the story, the interviewer and his or her agenda. If it is likely to lead to awkward questioning or an overly aggressive interview it would be worth questioning the value of the interview in the first place. It is also worth remembering that most accountants and lawyers are interviewed for their ‘expert opinion’ rather than as the subject of the story; the approach a journalist will take in questioning them will be different and they are unlikely to be given a hard time.
Admittedly there is no substitute for experience in front of a camera or in a radio studio, but again a good PR should be familiar with these environments and be able to provide guidance and advice.
Now if an individual is being regularly asked to appear on the TV or on radio – such as a regular slot of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme or on local radio answering listeners’ questions - then formal media training might be appropriate. But that is a different and rather pleasant position to be in!
Matt Baldwin is the managing director of PR consulting firm Coast Communications. He can be reached by email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
If you have a creative news article or industry comment you would like to share with MediaTree members, please send it to us here.
Stay up to date with industry news and take part in member discussions by adding your own comments to articles. Help your fellow members by offering creative and media advice and guidance.
Comments