Manage your Message Media Training

RIM's new CEO: A man without a message

2012-01-24T14:19:31-05:00

Research in Motion missed out on an important opportunity this week to define the next chapter in their corporate history. As RIM's co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie stepped aside and COO Thorsten Heins took the reins, the company had a chance to set the stage for the future by putting these changes in context and charting the course for the next 12-18 months.

Rob Ford: Media relations bully and soon-to-be one-term mayor

2011-10-27T12:55:21-05:00

Rob Ford is on his way to becoming a one-term Mayor. And one of the biggest reasons he'll lose any future election bid is his staggeringly awful handing of the media. Mayor Ford has shown on numerous occasions that he has little time or respect for the media (outside of a few boosterish, right-wing outlets). His infamous radio interview with CBC the morning after his election win (yelling to his football players and cutting the interview short) was just one example of his rough media relations skills. But this latest CBC 911 call debacle brings his media relations ineptitude to a whole new level.

How media interviews are like American Idol

2011-09-13T10:09:26-05:00

Love it or hate it, American Idol has introduced the music-buying public to some very talented performers that, but for the show, might have remained in obscurity forever. At the same time, however, the popular show has served as a venue for some of the most hideous, offensive musical disasters ever to be seen on television. Those cringe-inducing songs being howled by talentless teens whose parents didn't have the courage to tell them that they suck. As a viewer, you sit there watching this acoustic transgression unfold and wonder to yourself: "How could this person possibly think they're qualified to be on this stage?" It's a perfect analogy for media interviews.

The most important media relations tool money can buy...

2011-09-01T07:30:00-05:00

What's your 'must-have' tool when preparing yourself or a client for an important media interview? A laptop? iPad? BlackBerry? Skype? Video camera? As much as I love gadgets (and I do love my gadgets), I would gladly forsake all of these for the lowly index card.

Why you should never go to lunch with a reporter

2011-08-30T08:30:00-05:00

You've finally lined up a media interview with that influential reporter you've been after for months. Rather than doing the interview over the phone, however, one of you suggests meeting for lunch (I've seen both clients and journalists initiate this idea). Great idea, right? Wrong. A media interview isn't a networking opportunity. It isn't a get-together with one of your buddies. And it certainly isn't a conversation.

How to finish your next media interview in 5 minutes or less

2011-08-29T08:30:00-05:00

Fact: The longer your media interview lasts, the less control you'll have over the quotes that appear in the story. Many spokespeople treat a media interview like a job interview. They sit there like a passenger while the reporter drives the interview, asking question after question, switching from topic to topic. The person being interviewed is like a human piñata, getting whacked with questions for 10, 15, even 20 minutes at a time.

Christine O'Donnell breaks 3 media relations rules in 60 seconds

2011-08-18T11:57:07-05:00

Last November, Christine O'Donnell gave the media relations community a gift in her 'response to accusations of witchcraft' TV spot (which I addressed in this blog post). Yesterday, she reinforced her inability to handle the media by walking out of an on-camera interview with CNN's Piers Morgan.

Orillia mayor tries to put the local media in his inbox

2011-08-10T10:04:55-05:00

It seems the Mayor of Orillia, a city here in Ontario, has had enough of those bothersome phone calls from the media. Mayor Angelo Orsi announced yesterday that he is no longer accepting phone calls from the media. A memo from the mayor's office to the media stated that "all media questions are required to be in writing and e-mailed to Orsi".

Some mind-bending social media stats for your next presentation

2011-06-22T10:46:57-05:00

While they're fresh, here are some cool social media facts that you might want to use for your next presentation:

6 ways to improve Sheen's Korner

2011-03-07T19:19:22-05:00

Anyone who bothered to check out Charlie Sheen's webcast show 'Sheen's Korner' over the past few nights knows it's virtually unwatchable. I checked it out on night #1 and was impressed to see nearly 100,000 viewers logged on before the show had started. But shortly after it began, the numbers...

AHS CEO loses his high-paying job because of a cookie

2010-12-22T16:01:23-05:00

In November, Alberta Health Services President and CEO Stephen Duckett was leaving an urgent meeting about a crisis in provincial emergency room care when he was approached by a reporter from CTV. While the camera was rolling, the reporter walked alongside Duckett and asked him to respond to criticism from a government health official. Clearly not wanting to be interviewed, the aptly-named Duckett just kept walking...down a flight of stairs, along a sidewalk and across the street. The persistent reporter and camera operator kept pace with Duckett, continuing to ask him to comment. Instead of responding, however, he repeatedly blew them off by saying he was 'interested in eating my cookie'. At one point, he actually waved his cookie (oatmeal-and-raisin in case you were interested) in the reporter's face. By the way, the video has been viewed 300,000 times and counting in the past month.

How not to respond to accusations of witchcraft

2010-11-09T10:51:53-05:00

One of the more popular stories from our newsletter this month is about Christine O'Donnell, the Republican candidate in Delaware's general election Senate race. Leading up to the election, O'Donnell's campaign was dogged by speculation about her involvement in witchcraft (speculation fueled by comments O'Donnell herself made during a 1999 TV interview). In an attempt at damage control, O'Donnell issued a 30-second TV spot aimed at convincing the public she's an ordinary person, "just like you". In a shockingly poor attempt at addressing the issue head-on, however, a smiling O'Donnell begins her ad with the following four words: "I'm not a witch."

Spokespeople need to be ready for the media's tough questions

2010-11-09T10:42:23-05:00

In our media training sessions, we tell participants that 90% of the success of a media interview is determined before the reporter asks their first question. It's in the homework you do to prepare for the interview. It's finding out the focus of the interview, researching the reporter's past stories on the topic, developing strong key messages and anticipating the questions you'll be asked (especially the 2-3 nightmare questions you hope you never get asked).

Rob Ford's CBC Radio gravy train wreck

2010-11-09T10:27:44-05:00

Rob Ford, the mayor-elect of Toronto, is no stranger to the media. In fact, he's done hundreds of interviews in the past year alone, driving home his message about stopping the 'gravy train' of wasteful spending at City Hall. But none of those interviews was as baffling as the national radio interview he granted to CBC just one day after his resounding victory.

Tony and Frodo: Separated at birth?

2010-07-26T15:13:19-05:00

Has anyone else noticed the creepy resemblance between BP's outgoing CEO Tony Hawyard and Frodo Baggins from the Lord of the Rings?

2010-07-18T10:51:35-05:00

Did Apple solve its PR problem?

Pat Burns, Facebook and the Hockey Hall of Fame

2010-07-15T20:56:39-05:00

Recently, we told you about the social media campaign we started to get former NHL coach Pat Burns inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 (Burns has terminal lung cancer). Over the course of a few weeks, more than 70,000 people joined the group, helping to generate extensive...

Student journalist schools State Senator

2010-07-15T20:40:20-05:00

Preparation is the key to success for any media interview - whether you're being interviewed by Peter Mansbridge or the kid next door. Recently, high school student Keith Wagner interviewed Arizona State Senator John Huppenthal. During the interview, the student asked a few basic questions about massive budget cuts to...

'The Decision': Ratings bonanza, PR disaster

2010-07-15T20:30:28-05:00

Whether or not you follow basketball, you probably heard about the recent one-hour TV special in which NBA star and free agent LeBron James announced which team he would be moving to.

Documents expose PM's obsession with control

2010-06-07T13:45:26-05:00

It appears Stephen Harper is even more of a control freak than everyone already thought. Read more at the Globe and Mail.