Two very different spokespeople, but one almost identical outcome.
Yes, two more spokespeople have shown suspect temperaments by storming out of media interviews.
What once was a rare incident appears to have happened with increasing regularity in recent weeks.
And we can now add Extension Rebellion organiser Robin Boardman and UKIP leader Gerard Batten to the people who have walked away from interviews when they don’t like the questions.
If we look at Mr Boardman’s performance first, there is little doubt that it was a tough, hostile interview as he answered questions about the climate change protests and disruption in London.
One of the provocative questions he faced saw presenter Adam Boulton ask “You’re a load of incompetent middle-class, self-indulgent people and you want to tell us how to live our lives - that’s what you are, aren’t you?”
Many spokespeople would struggle to cope with that type of approach and it proved too much for Mr Boardman. Somewhat comically he listed a number of things he wouldn’t ‘stand for’ before standing up and storming out of the studio.
Campaign coordinator for Extinction Rebellion Robin Boardman walks out of an interview with @adamboultonSKY
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 17, 2019
Meet the people taking part in the current environmental protests ▶ https://t.co/IuLm9hTKvN pic.twitter.com/h7p1xlEZ3y
At the other end of the political spectrum, UKIP leader Gerard Batten gave another example of ‘how not to do it’ as he reacted angrily to questions about defending the social media actions of one of his party’s candidates.
Reporter Kate McCann asked Batten to clarify his statement about the comment being ‘satire’ and he became quickly exasperated before eventually asking “how many time are you going to ask me the same question?” before storming off.
I tried to ask Gerard Batten about his defence of a Ukip candidate who said he “wouldn’t even rape” @jessphillips but I didn’t have much luck earlier. Perhaps I’ll get an answer during the Q&A shortly ... pic.twitter.com/sXqvCV0gyz
— Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) April 18, 2019
If you have been regularly reading this media training blog, you’ll know we have recently highlighted another couple of instances where spokespeople have walked away from interviews.
Extraordinary interview shows the importance of composure
One of the aspects that we perhaps did not focus on in those posts is that if a spokesperson feels a journalists is giving them a particularly harsh time or taking an overly aggressive approach, they should stay calm and trust the audience to make their own assessment of the reporter’s actions.
Audiences are quick to share their views on social media when they think someone has been treated unfairly and they are likely to be more sympathetic to a spokesperson who has retained their composure.
A great example of this came last week when a huge backlash to a ‘patronising’ and ‘condescending’ interview with a housing campaigner saw Sky News presenter Jayne Secker subsequently issue an apology on social media.
Clearly yesterday I got the tone and content of an interview wrong and it has upset many people. I am sure many of us will have made a mistake at work - unfortunate for me mine is a lot more public than most. Please be assured I have taken the many comments on board. Mea culpa.
— JayneSeckerSky (@JayneSeckerSky) April 16, 2019
The big issue with reacting angrily and storming away from interviews, apart from making spokespeople appear petulant and defensive, is that it becomes the story, ensuring that anything that has been said before is lost.
Look how these recent examples were covered by other media:
Posh eco-warrior who stormed off Sky News in strop after being call ‘incompetent & middle class’ is globe-trotting ‘poet’ from £17,500-a-year boys’ school The Sun
Extinction Rebellion activist storms out of interview after Adam Boulton accuses him of ‘patronising self-indulgence’ iNews
UKIP leader Gerard Batten flounces out of interview over ‘rape satire’ questions Mirror
UKIP leader leaves interview after being asked about rape comment Indy100
And in the modern social media world these clips are shared widely.
So if walking out of an interview is a really bad look which must be avoided, how should spokespeople handle an interview that becomes hostile?
Preparation
This is crucial. Part of effective media interview preparation needs to focus on the journalist a spokesperson will be speaking to and the outlet they work for. What kind of reputation do they have? Are they known to be hard-hitting? Similarly, anticipate the negative question and wider issues that could possibly come up and practice how to you will respond to them. Most questions that lead to spokespeople storming out are entirely predictable.
Composure
Easier said than done perhaps, but maintaining composure and self-control is vital. It’s not just walking out that can be damaging. Showing frustration, getting angry or overly emotional does not work well and suggests unease or that spokespeople have something to hide.
Don’t dodge
One of the main reasons interviews become hostile is when the journalist feels the spokesperson is dodging questions. This will almost inevitably lead to the pressure being raised a few notches and perhaps even a bit of rudeness creeping in. It is vital that rather than answering the question they would prefer to be asked, spokespeople answer, or at the very least acknowledge the one posed before they look to move the conversation on.
Media training
Good quality media training is a must. It will help those with suspect temperaments control how they respond under the intense scrutiny of a media interviews and show them the best techniques for dealing with challenging questions.
Not all interviews are hostile
It’s worth remembering that the vast majority of interviews will not be hostile and spokespeople should not get into the mind-set of thinking every interview is going to be a terrifying grilling and that journalists are out to get them. Typically, it is when something has gone badly wrong that that the pressure is really raised.
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