About “media training,” and why you need it!
My last post, “Of speeches and the delivery thereof,” was well received and led to very meaningful discussions on LinkedIn. Most of those who reacted to the post emphasised that Nigeria’s public office holders need “media training.” In line with those responses, I decided to write about media training because the term can be somewhat confusing to non-public relations practitioners.
Media training is not a workshop organised for journalists or the media, rather it is designed to train spokespeople on how to effectively handle media interviews whether on television, on radio, for a print publication, at an event such as a news conference or even when accosted on the streets.
The skills garnered from media training are also useful in public hearings or screenings. One of my favourite pastimes of 2020 was watching the US presidential debates and the screening of Amy Coney Barrett as a US supreme court justice — it was not by a stroke of luck that Justice Barrett came out of that screening unscathed. She was adequately prepped, among other things. So, it is worth noting that media training is not a one-off activity but one that must happen routinely, because as the adage goes: “practise makes perfect.”
Surprisingly, many spokespeople or public office holders in Nigeria are unaware of the need for media training. They believe that the only requisite skill for facing the media is the ability to speak good English. However, it takes more than good grammar to be an effective spokesperson, especially when you are faced with tough questions in a crisis.
Olivia Pope, in the American political thriller series “Scandal,” ran a crisis management firm. She knew that crises evolve rapidly, gain high media interest and so, a key factor for effective crisis management is to have adequately prepped spokespeople. Consequently, Ms Pope always ensured that her clients underwent media training before any media engagement.
So, what does media training entail?
In episode three of the fourth season of Netflix’s historical drama series, “The Crown,” Lady Diana moves into Buckingham Palace leading up to her marriage to Prince Charles. During that time, she is groomed into a princess by her maternal grandmother Lady Fermoy. She learns about the history of the British royal family, rank and precedence, deportment, where to sit, what to wear, when and how to speak.
During an etiquette session, Lady Fermoy ties Lady Diana’s hands to restrain her from excessive gesticulations. The reason? She says: “Gestures reveal us; whether we’re anxious or agitated or cross. It’s best not to give that away.”
Similarly, media training equips business executives and public figures with media handling etiquette. Although most speakers gesticulate for emphasis, during a television interview, it is also advisable to minimise hand gestures because, in addition to Lady Fermoy’s point, you do not want the audience looking at your hands but listening to what you are saying — picture a woman with lovely red nails and rings on four fingers. At best, it is distracting.
Media training covers the dress sense, posture, comportment, and delivering talking points succinctly without rambling so that when you walk away, the audience would have understood your key messages and bought into your ideas.
Communication is both verbal and non-verbal hence the emphasis on body language vis-à-vis good comportment during media engagements. Spokespeople are expected to be an exemplar yet, they are human and capable of losing their tempers. Last week, we saw this happen with U.S. President Joe Biden when CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins questioned him on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva. Thankfully, President Biden’s public relations instincts kicked in and shortly after losing his temper, he apologised.
