Month: June 2023

Media Interview Got You Nervous?

Do the words “media interview” send you  running for cover?  Have you ever been interviewed by a reporter and afterward said “Never again”? Do you wish you understood more about the skills necessary to perform well during an interview? During my 35-year career in broadcast news media, I’ve seen it all – from the perfect to the disastrous and everything in between. Media training can  make all the difference. We offer help for individuals or groups that will make you media ready. So, check out our Exact workshop page, and in the meantime, here are five tips that can get you started.

Five Ways to Prepare for a Media Interview

1. Understand the media landscape

Familiarize yourself with the media outlet and the reporter who will be conducting the interview. Research their expertise,  previous work, their style of reporting. This knowledge will help you tailor your messaging and anticipate questions.

2. Craft your key messages

Determine the 1-3 key points you want to convey during the interview. Keep your messages clear, concise, and aligned with your overall goal. Focus on delivering these messages consistently throughout the interview, regardless of the questions asked.

3. Prepare for potential questions

Anticipate questions and prepare thoughtful responses. Consider both positive and negative  aspects of your topic and develop appropriate answers. Practice your responses to be sure they are concise, accurate, and align with your key messages.

4. Practice delivery, active listening, and nonverbal communication

Practice with a media trainer or colleague, record the interview, and review for content accuracy and delivery effectiveness. Listen carefully to the questions, maintain eye contact, use appropriate  facial expressions and gestures, and project confidence. Be aware of your tone of voice and body language to appear engaged and approachable.

5. Set the scene

Keep your appearance professional and appropriate, paying attention to your hair, clothing, and accessories. If using Zoom, create a pleasant setting with good lighting and no distractions.

So, when you get that request to be interviewed, don’t go running for cover. Instead, call us and we’ll get you ready in 5…4…3…2…

Marcy McGinnis is a former Emmy-award winning CBS News producer and executive.

Eat Your Wheaties

What Billie Jean King says is true for all of us, we all must keep at it to get it right. I’m lazy so I wish this were different. I wish I could just fall into something and that would be that, success would be all mine, but that just doesn’t happen. Well, occasionally it does happen, but even then, there are challenges after the initial success.

I think of Anthony Volpe, the shortstop for the New York Yankees. He played baseball for his high school team, Delbarton in Morristown N.J. He was New Jersey High School Player of the year in 2019 and was to play baseball for Vanderbilt University, but instead, he was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees. A dream come true for Volpe who was a Yankee fan all his life.

And then reality sets in and Volpe’s batting average slips.  Rumors start flying that he may be demoted to the minor leagues. This could be crushing for any rookie, but Volpe keeps playing until he gets it right.

Now I can’t look into the future, but I do know this about Volpe he has a great work ethic, and a positive attitude that will help him as he grows into the game. Is he a champion? Time will tell. But if I were a betting person, I’d put my money on Volpe.

Am I a champion? That’s way too much pressure for me, unless I change my definition of the word. Perhaps being a champion is living a full and meaningful life where you keep playing and maybe just maybe you get it right. A wise person once told me, “Life is but a day’s work, do it well”.  In that sense maybe we can all be champions.