216: The 3 Mistakes Most Spokespeople Make in their Media Interviews (and how to avoid them)

If you say the wrong thing in front of the press, it could live online for years to come and greatly damage your reputation. This episode takes a look back at a previous podcast episode and webinar with media trainer extraordinaire Warren Weeks, where he broke down the three mistakes that most spokespeople make in media interviews, why these faux pas can be so damaging, and how to avoid them. From not treating an interview like it’s a conversation to identifying and avoiding the traps set by reporters, learn how to perfect the art of the media interview and protect your brand. Also covered are some helpful tips for the preparation of “quotable quotes” to ensure that you don’t just avoid saying the wrong thing, but also get the right message across.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The challenges faced by spokespeople in media interviews and how they are based on fear. 
• The practice and patience required to craft the right messaging to protect yourself in a media interview.
• Why you should never treat a media interview as a conversation and why people do this. 
• The awkward pause, what it is, and how journalists use this against spokespeople.
• How to avoid falling into the trap of the awkward pause. 
• Why spokespeople often avoid repeating themselves and why they shouldn’t.
• Why you shouldn’t repeat the reporter’s words in your answer and how to avoid this reflex.
• The importance of discipline and control. 
• The Indestructible PR® Tip for the day regarding the preparation of “quotable quotes.”

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Warren Weeks 

Media Training Toronto

Molly McPherson 

If you work in strategy or communication, join Molly on December 17 at 12 PM ET for a 60-minute live media training that breaks down a crisis in real time. RFK Jr is being hit from two sides at once. Now Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir is out, weeks after Tatiana Schlossberg’s essay landed a punch. We'll walk through the headlines, the data, the sentiment, press coverage, then map out what a competent response would actually look like. Click here to attend. 

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