Whether you dream of becoming a go-to expert whenever the media covers your industry – or you dread the day a phone call comes requesting an interview – handling the media well is an essential skill for today’s business leader.
Today, we unpack five key strategies to ensure your company benefits from media attention and to safeguard your reputation during a crisis.
When the Media Comes Calling
There are three likely scenarios for interacting with the media:
- You have news to share
- You have expertise to share
- You have a crisis
News to share means you’ve probably got a new product launch, a significant new hire, or a major acquisition – and you want everyone to know about it. Sharing news through “earned media” (aka, free publicity) can be the most effective part of your communication strategy, but you must do it well.
Thought leadership (expertise to share) involves contributing expert-level insight and data to a journalist’s story, even when the story has nothing to do with your company. While this kind of media coverage may not be focused on your company, it can be very valuable exposure that builds name recognition and credibility, especially over time.
The third scenario for media interaction is often the most challenging: handling media during a crisis. In this case, you’re dealing with reporters while trying to get out “in front” of a story or (worse yet) out “from under” one. Crisis media can be very stressful, but it can also strengthen your brand and restore trust in your company, if you do it right.
In all three cases, the following key strategies will help you master your media interaction.
#1: Prepare in Advance
As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” The first and most obvious step in successful media interaction is to have a plan to begin with.
Have you noticed that top political leaders always have “talking points” they focus on, no matter what reporters ask? Savvy business leaders do the same thing. Before you respond to an interview request, and certainly before you go on camera or on the record, think through the 3-4 key talking points you want to convey. Whether you have news to announce or are battling a crisis, identify the 3-4 key things you want to communicate in advance. It’s also worth rehearsing them. (Bonus points if you film your rehearsals with your phone’s camera and do “film study” reviews.)
When a crisis hits, you’re in triage mode, which is why you should develop a crisis communications plan now, before any crisis occurs. Decide now who your designated speakers and subject matter experts are. There may be different folks, depending on the nature of the crisis, but create your list now, organized by topic, so you can quickly know who will field questions when they come. Make sure your team is adequately trained to deal with the media, and do that training now, so you won’t be caught unprepared. And make sure every person in your organization knows how to respond to incoming calls, texts, or emails from the media during a crisis. Provide everyone with a very short script, such as, “Thank you for your inquiry, please give me your name and contact information and I will make sure the right person gets back to you promptly.” The last thing you want is for someone on your team to “wing it” and provide the wrong message, creating an even bigger crisis.
#2: Frame Your Message as News
“Earned media” is a great way to get your message out, but just remember: Journalists are looking for news. They can sniff out a puff piece quickly. So make sure to frame your news as something of interest to the general public. For instance, instead of talking about your new product, start by talking about the problem your new product solves. This shifts the focus from you to the reader/viewer – and that’s who the media cares about.
For example, let’s say your new product enhances employee retention and satisfaction. You might start your media pitch with data from contemporary workforce research. Nothing gets journalists’ minds buzzing like statistics they can leverage into catchy headlines like this:
“Three out of five employees left their jobs in 2024 because employers neglected this key factor.”
(PRO TIP: Whenever possible, cite third-party data instead of proprietary research. If you conducted the survey you are quoting, make sure you’ve used an independent research firm, or the media will suspect bias.)
Journalists aren’t in business to help you sell; they tell stories and break news on timely topics. The more you can link your message to news of the day, the better chance you have of getting good and full coverage.
#3 Do Your Research
Journalists are people, too. Which means they come to the interview with their own bag of preconceived notions, track record, and understanding of the topic. The more you know about them, the better prepared you will be to navigate the interview well. Before your interview, read, watch, or listen to the journalist’s previous work to understand where they’re coming from. Study the publication or show, and be familiar with what it regularly discusses or covers.
Most reporters will tell you what topic they want to discuss so you can think through your answers beforehand. It’s fair game to request their questions ahead of time, but they’re not under any obligation to do so. And of course, whenever a reporter requests an interview, be responsive, appreciative, punctual, and polite. A little kindness always goes a long way.
#4 The Art of Bridging
All this preparation is vital, but what do you do in the midst of an interview when you get a question you weren’t expecting? It’s time to bridge. Bridging is the technique of steering journalists’ questions and comments back to your key points. It’s not easy, but here are a few phrases you can use:
- “That’s an interesting question, and it brings me back to…”
- “I’m not sure I’m the best person to answer that, but what I can tell you is…”
- “What’s important to remember is…”
All three of these phrases can then be followed by one of your key talking points.
As comedian George Carlin once quipped, “‘No comment’ is a comment.”
When the media hear “no comment,” they often interpret that as admission of guilt or a red flag that you have something to hide.
Instead of “no comment,” a good bridge for issues you cannot address is: “I’m not at liberty to talk about that, but what I can tell you is this …”
If you genuinely don’t know the answer, we recommend saying:
“I can’t answer that question right now, but I’d like to get you more information. Can you tell me your deadline? I’ll make sure you get an answer before then.”
Be sure to follow through and provide an answer before their deadline! Timeliness is key for the media.
#5 Watch Out for Reporter Traps
Sometimes, journalists use trigger topics, tactics, and words to extract a story, especially if they’re pursuing a specific narrative. Be on the lookout for:
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- Dart throwers who come at you with antagonistic questions.
TIP: Never repeat a falsehood that they have included in their question, and pivot back to your core message. - Hypotheticals like to ask, “What if this happens?”
TIP: The correct answer is, “I can’t speak about hypotheticals or what ‘might’ happen.” - Machine gunners pepper you with several questions in the same sentence before taking a breath.
TIP: Cherry-pick the question you prefer to answer, which helps you bridge back to your message. - Interrupters never let you get to the end of your reply.
TIP: Say, “Please let me finish.” - Paraphrasers incorrectly paraphrase what you told them.
TIP: Say, “Actually, what I said is …” - Silencers sit there and stare at you, hoping silence will make you so uncomfortable it will “compel” you to speak out of turn.
TIP: Fill the space with your message, or sit there and mirror the silence. - Phantom experts use ambiguous, sweeping statements like “experts agree” or “people are saying,” without ever revealing the identities of either one.
TIP: Ask, “Who are these people/sources? I can’t comment on information based on sources I don’t know.”
- Dart throwers who come at you with antagonistic questions.
The Media Benefit
Done right, media exposure can be a valuable tool for promoting your brand. You can help make the most of any media hit by sharing, promoting, and featuring the story on your website, social media channels, and anywhere else you can find people willing to spread the word.
Do you feel prepared for the day your business receives media attention? No matter how comfortable you are on camera, it’s worth evaluating to see if you’re prepared when the phone rings and a journalist is on the other end of the line.
Tarkenton Companies’ marketing team at Liger, helps companies build rock-solid media strategies, so they can leverage exposure into brand awareness, recognition, and trust.
Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with a member of our business development team today.
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In Week 4 of the 2014 NFL season, the New England Patriots had one of the worst losses of the Brady-Belichick era. The Kansas City Chiefs beat them 41-14 in primetime on Monday Night Football. Afterwards, head coach Bill Belichick gave one of the most iconic post-game news conferences of all time. No matter what question reporters asked him, Belichick gave the same answer: “We’re on to Cincinnati.” He gave some variation of that answer 15 times in the brief news conference!
Bill Belichick had his key point that he wanted to get across, and nobody in the world was going to get him off message that night. Whatever else coach Belichick may have said to the team behind closed doors, it must have worked: they went 13-2 the rest of the year and won the Super Bowl.
Maybe the “on to Cincinnati” press conference was a bit over the top, but it’s an example of what one of our close partners talks about in this article: when you’re working with the media, you need to know what your message is and stay on it!
Fran Tarkenton
