You can find plenty of media training blogs about the words and phrases you should avoid in media interviews.
We are responsible for quite a few of them.
But are there words and phrases that a spokesperson should look to use?
Well, every interview is different and it is crucial spokespeople don’t appear scripted.
But there are some words and phrases that can make interviews more impactful, signpost to the audience that they need to pay attention and help steer spokespeople away from dangerous ground.
Here are 11 phrases that can help improve your media interviews:
“I feel strongly that…” – this signals to the audience that this is the start of an important point and that they need to pay attention. It also shows passion for a subject, a key feature in media interviews, without using the clichéd “I’m passionate about”.
“What few people really realise is…” - the ‘unusual’ element is a crucial factor in what makes a story newsworthy. This phrase is a good way of signalling to an audience that you are about to tell them something they may not know. In the case of print interviews, it also sends a clear message to the reporter what the new angle is and where you think the focus of their article should be.
“The size of a…” – statistics and figures are often quoted in media interviews, but rarely are they memorable. In most cases they are instantly forgettable, confusing and boring. The reality is that while you may think figures play an important role in supporting your message, audiences struggle to visualise numbers and put them into perspective. And the bigger the number, the harder it typically is to really understand. But numbers can be powerful if they are used creatively and put into context. As I write this there is a story that covering 70,000 of hectares of new woodland across the UK every year is needed to help tackle climate change. Hard to visualise how big an area that is isn’t it? But, if that is presented as being ‘an area nearly half the size of London’ it suddenly becomes memorable. Comparing something to the size of a car or house also works well.
How to make statistics memorable in your media interviews
“I” and “you” - these words are really powerful in media interviews. Spokespeople who are prepared to provide a personal context for their story from their life, tend to resonate with an audience. We also find spokespeople who discuss personal stories often appear more confident, fluent and natural. Once spokespeople start to talk about ‘we’ their content becomes less specific and generalities do not capture an audience in the same way.
“In my experience…” – It is important to remember that you are the expert in a media interview. You know more about the subject than the reporter and they want to talk to you because of your expertise. Using this phrase to introduce a point in a media interview reinforces that expertise and adds to your credibility.
“Before we move on to that I need to stress…” – Spokespeople need to start interviews strongly and get to their key message at the start. But this is a useful phrase to use if they feel the journalist is trying to move the conversation on to other issues too quickly.
“I wouldn’t put it like that…” / “What I would say is...” - Questions laced with loaded or negative language cause spokespeople plenty of problems. Many fail to resist the urge to repeat the journalist’s language as they try to rebut. It’s a natural reaction and something we do in everyday conversation. But the problem with this is that negative language can be attributed to the spokesperson, which can lead to some negative headlines. Instead of repeating the language you are trying to avoid, use phrases like ‘On the contrary’, ‘I wouldn’t put it like that’, ‘You might say that – I would say’ or ‘What I would say is’.
Spokesperson caught out by negative language trap
“I’m convinced that…” – We often see and hear spokespeople who use phrases like “I believe” and “I think” in media interviews. While it may sound natural in everyday conversation, in an interview it sounds tentative and creates an unnecessary element of uncertainty. It can detract from their expertise. Using “I’m convinced that…” sounds more certain and assured. If you are dealing with a crisis, for example, does it sound better to say “I think we did everything possible” or “I am convinced we did everything possible”?
“A good example of that is…” – examples are so important in media interviews in supporting key messages and bringing them to life. The most powerful examples are those which are personal to the spokesperson and that connect with the audience and take them on a journey. Personal stories and anecdotes also help to make a brand relevant, provide a human side to the organisation and help spokespeople grow in confidence.
“I don’t know, but what I can tell you is…” - don’t believe those who say you must avoid saying ‘I don’t know’ in a media interview. It may not be ideal, but it is a far better approach than getting drawn in and speculating on a question you don’t know the answer to. But if you are going to say ‘I don’t know’, go on to tell us what you do know. This will help to ensure you still sound helpful and cooperative. Additionally, just saying “I don’t know” on its own surrenders control to the journalist and is likely to lead to a barrage of questions.
“That is a concern, but what our customers tell me is more important is…” – this is an example of a bridging phrase which can help spokespeople steer interviews away from uncomfortable areas to subjects they want to talk about. When this media training technique is used well it is difficult for most people to detect. Other examples of bridging phrases include, “That’s not my experience. When I talk to our customers…”, “We need to confirm all the facts before we can talk in detail about that. What we do know is…”, “I’m not sure about that. What I do know is…”.
14 bridging phrases for your next interview
So, don’t just spend your time worrying about saying the wrong thing in media interviews – remember there are a number of phrases that can help you get your messages across with confidence, clarity and control.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 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 bespoke journalist-led media training courses. Or book a place on our next media training open course.
