There’s often much to be learnt from the way others perform in media interviews.
“Here’s a clip of an interview you might be interested in for your media training blog.”
That was the message I received from an old comms colleague.
And he wasn’t wrong.
The clip contained footage of a calamitous TV interview and a bewildering approach to managing questions on a subject you don’t want to speak about.
As bad media interviews go, it’s a bit of a hall of famer.
It features Lord Falconer and his appearance on Sky News.
The Labour politician appeared on the programme to discuss the assisted dying bill.
But inevitably, given the timing of the interview and his background, the journalist also wanted to ask about Peter Mandelson’s sacking as an ambassador to the US.
And it did not go well.
When presenter Kamali Melbourne first told Lord Falconer he wanted to ask about Mandelson, the peer said: “Would you mind if I don’t go there?”
And, when the journalist asked the question again, he replied: “I’m talking about assisted dying today, which is such a big issue, so I’m afraid I won’t go there.”
Here’s how the attention-grabbing exchange developed:
Melbourne: “You are not going to comment at all? We did speak for at least five minutes about assisted dying and…
Falconer: “No, I’m not going to comment at all. I’m really sorry.
Melbourne: “Is that because you have had a conversation with him?”
Falconer: “No, I want the focus to be on assisted dying.”
Melbourne: “We did speak about that for at least five minutes, and we went through it in quite a lot of detail.
Falconer: “It’s a ‘no’. I’m really sorry.”
Asked again if he had spoken to Mandelson, Lord Falconer replied: “Sorry. Can we leave the focus on Mandelson and go to assisted dying?”
And when the journalist continued his approach, Lord Falconer decided to try to answer a different question to the one he was asked:
Melbourne: “As the Government seems like it is in turmoil, having to sack its man in Washington – a man you well know – I thought you might want to say something in his defence or about the situation we find ourselves in.
Falconer: “For the people who have been wanting change on assisted dying for years, whose own relatives have really suffered in relation to it, this is a really important day. And, from my point of view, I’m trying to make the change for those people. That’s what I thought I was coming on to talk about.”
A memorable exchange – for all the wrong reasons.
In total, the journalist made eight attempts to get Lord Falconer to comment on the Mandelson situation.
So, what media training lessons can you learn from this?
Well, it is a perfect example of the importance of spokespeople being prepared and briefed for questions on other subjects that could be brought into the interview.
Yes, as he said many times, he was appearing on the channel to discuss assisted dying.
But journalists often also want to explore other topical issues during media interviews.
As the journalist mentioned in one of his questions, Mandelson was the “topic of the day”. So, why wasn’t Lord Falconer better prepared to answer them?
During our media skills training courses, we tell our delegates they should avoid saying anything that may detract from their main message when they face these types of questions.
But equally, refusing to answer the question altogether also becomes a big distraction. It suggests the spokesperson is defensive and uncomfortable, and gives the journalists the opportunity to repeatedly ask it.
Lord Falconer’s approach meant those watching would have remembered what he didn’t say about Mandelson more than anything he said about assisted dying.
So, what should other spokespeople do if they find themselves in this situation?
Firstly, preparation is vital.
Ensure you - or your media spokesperson - are familiar with other issues connected to your sector or organisation that are in the news. And having an answer ready for any questions about them is essential.
That includes knowing how to answer awkward and uncomfortable questions you don’t want to face.
And that approach cannot be to refuse to answer questions or argue that you are being interviewed about a different topic.
Instead, spokespeople should use the bridging media training technique.
It enables a spokesperson to respond to difficult or challenging questions by using a form of words to move the conversation back to the topic they want to discuss.
Some example bridging phrases include:
“I’m sorry, I don’t know, but what I can tell you is that…”
“That’s a good point, but let’s not forget that…”
“I have heard that, but keep in mind that…”
“I can’t speak on his / her behalf, but what I do know is that…”
“That’s not something I’m an expert on, but what I do know is that…”
“I can understand why people may have those concerns, but our research shows that…”
When bridging is used well, it sounds natural, and it can be difficult for the audience to detect.
In Lord Falconer’s case, it is difficult to put words in his mouth.
But he could potentially have said something along the lines of: “Obviously, I have worked with Mandelson for many years. But I’ve not spoken to him about this issue. I have been focusing on this assisted dying bill, and what I can tell you is…”.
If he went on with that answer to give an example of someone the assisted dying bill could help, he would have been likely to have regained control of the conversation.
If he was still pressed by the journalist on the Mandelson issue, he could have added something like, “I understand the interest in this story, but I think it is vital we do not lose sight of…”.
It is worth highlighting that in his multiple attempts to avoid questions about his former colleague, Lord Falconer also fell into the trap of repeating the journalist’s negative language.
Asked if he was “embarrassed” by what had happened, the politician replied, “I’m not remotely a bit embarrassed”, before inevitably adding, “I really do want to focus on assisted dying”.
While it is not the biggest failing in this interview, repeating or agreeing with the negative language used by the reporter means they can be used in headlines, social media posts, and story angles, rather than the message you intended to get across.
And that can be embarrassing.
But not as embarrassing as refusing to answer a question eight times.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with nearly 40 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
Click here to find out more about our media training.
Subscribe here to be among the first to receive our blogs.
