Media Point


	Welcome to “Media Point”, the RCI Media Training newsletter. Each issue features techniques for handling tough media interviews, building relationships with reporters, and a host of insider tips on how reporters operate. We offer tips and techniques for doing presentations as well.

	An Interview is not a Conversation Being interviewed is an acquired skill – like golf. In theory, the technique is simple - hit the ball - but like a good, clean swing it requires skill and practice. In conversations with friends, we often start with small talk before getting to our most important points. In an interview, get to your key message right away. On the Today Show, you might only have three minutes - or on CNN Headline News, six seconds for a sound bite. And print reporters may get distracted and miss information that is buried too deep in your interview. In conversations with friends, the shared goal is to communicate with each other. Our natural tendency is to answer the questions we are asked. In an interview, the reporter's goal is to get a story. Your goal is to communicate specific information to your target audience - the reporter's readers or viewers. When those goals conflict - the reporter asks you to confirm a rumor that your company is considering major lay-offs, you want to talk about a new service or product launch -- you don't have to answer his question. The skill lies in knowing how to "bridge" from his question to your key message. In a conversation with a golf buddy, your words don't come back to haunt you (well, maybe sometimes), but in interviews they can. The skill lies in preparing and using sound bites that communicate what best serves your organization's business goals or mission, and avoiding saying something you will live to regret. In the eyes of the media, you are a source, an expert and a representative of your organization -- someone who might give him a scoop to make his competitors green with envy. If company policy, legal issues or just plain timing prohibit you from giving him the information he so badly wants, it takes skill and practice to get out of the jam. Check out upcoming issues of The Media Point for more information on these and other important interview skills and techniques. Subscribe Top

	In this section, we'll recommend Media Training or PR related books - and other books we've enjoyed reading. This month's recommendation: Full Frontal PR: Building Buzz About Your Business, Your Product or You by Richard Laermer. Learn more

	We’d love your feedback on the newsletter and anything else you want to chat with us about. Email us at info@rcimediatraining.com.

	Media Point is brought to you by Renault Communications Learn more: www.rcimediatraining.com \| 404.378.7259