Mistakes happen in media interviews.
In fact, you are unlikely to see or hear an interview where something could not have been improved or changed if there was the opportunity to do it again.
But then there are interviews that are littered with mistakes, almost from the start, and all that the audience can do is focus on those errors.
I saw an interview that fits this description on Monday.
It came when Tom Wheeler, director of regulation for the Oil and Gas Authority, appeared on Channel 4 News to discuss fracking and earthquakes (You can watch it here).
And it was an interview which got off to a particularly shaky start.
Asked whether the organisation was ‘misleading’ people about the possible consequences of gas extraction and fracking, Mr Wheeler provided a short answer which simply repeated the negative language.
He said: “No I don’t think we are misleading anyone about that.”
On our media training courses we stress these are two things spokespeople must avoid. Short answers simply lead to spokespeople facing more questions and the pressure being ramped up, while repeating the negative allows the journalist to put unflattering words in your mouth.
You don’t have to repeat negative language to rebut it. Something as simple as ‘No, not at all, in fact what we have done is…’ would have answered the question and allowed Mr Wheeler to get to the messages he wanted to get across in the interview.
Unfortunately, the interview didn’t get any better from there. In the next question Mr Wheeler was asked about a report on his organisation’s website about the consequences of fracking in Holland.
Mr Wheeler provided another short answer, with no real attempt to steer the conversation and told Ms Newman he was not ‘exactly sure’ on what was said in that report.
When he was pressed on this point, he introduced his own negative, by saying he ‘wouldn’t pretend to be an expert in the geology of the Netherlands or here’.
This, if you pardon the pun, put him on unstable ground, and was not a sentence likely to inspire much confidence among the audience.
And it was a point Miss Newman could not miss. She later said to him: “I’m rather alarmed to hear you don’t consider yourself to be an expert in this field given that you are the Oil and Gas Authority.”
This then resulted in more backtracking from Mr Wheeler, but the damage had been done.
“I wouldn’t pretend to be an expert of the geology of the Netherlands or here” - hmmm... https://t.co/dm3s0VAhpo
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) November 12, 2018
Well that gave me full confidence in the regularity organisation. NOT!
— Maria Kingston (@newsfrompenrhos) November 13, 2018
An extraordinary interview, which to put it mildly didn’t give me any confidence in the control of the fracking industry. The Director of Regulation of the Oil & Gas Industry really needs to know something about his industry.
— Andy (@randrewbuchan) November 12, 2018
Oh Dear #TomWheeler evidentally he's "Director of Regulation, the Oil & Gas Authority". Rabbit in Headlights who claims to be "absolutely certain" yet admits to having huge gaps in his understanding.
— Arfatweetsake (@Arfatweet) November 13, 2018
Channel 4 News 12-11-18 https://t.co/SoFKAdc3Z8 via @YouTube
Has UK gov’t even looked properly at what’s gone on in Holland? This interview by @cathynewman with Oil & Gas Authority head of regs does not inspire confidence. Says he’s been told by third-party experts the geology there is “quite unusual”. Is that it? https://t.co/2mX6qO5ltg
— Emily Gosden (@emilygosden) November 13, 2018
As the interview went on, Mr Wheeler began to sway from side to side. This, like bouncing on your toes, is a common error in standing media interviews. It is also one that I have been guilty of in the past, particularly in the first TV interviews I carried out.
This is a habit which can be hugely distracting for the audience and can also suggest unease and make spokespeople look shifty.
Planting one foot slightly in front of the other can help spokespeople avoid this habit.
Loved how he was swaying throughout, as if experiencing a minor earthquake himself
— Omer Ali (@oms_ali) November 13, 2018
I think it is worth pointing out that Mr Wheeler appeared nervous and uncomfortable in this interview, even before it started to go wrong.
So how could he have handled those nerves?
Focus on your breathing
Take a few moments to focus on your breathing before a media interview to help you relax. Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth while doing relaxation exercises like shoulder roles.
Remember who you are really talking to
The key thing with any media interview is to remember that ultimately it is not about talking to a journalist.
The reporter is a conduit between you and the audience – your customers.
Body language
Even if you feel nervous, it is important you appear confident. Maintain good eye contact with the journalist and smile unless you are delivering seriously bad news.
Fidgeting with hair and glasses or shifting from one foot to another, or swaying, when standing also suggest nerves and should be avoided.
You’re the expert
It’s important to remember that you are the expert (another reason why you should not say you aren’t) in the interview. You will know more about the subject than the reporter and they want to talk to you because of your expertise.
Media training
The best way to improve the confidence of spokespeople and remove those nerves is through realistic media training which exposes them to current working journalists in a safe environment.
This will give them the skills and opportunity to practice controlling messages and honing messages.
If you have had training before, it is worth remembering the media world and the techniques and methods used by journalists changes quickly and it is important to keep pace with these developments.
Being a media spokesperson is like any other skill – the more you practice the better, less nervous and more successful you will be.
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