Five things every spokesperson should know before taking the stage
The year was 2002 and the scene was a press conference at Parliament House Canberra. The spokesperson was the then Head of the Australian Defence Force, Admiral Chris Barrie. The issue was the Navy's handling of the famous 'children overboard' incident. The question was designed to draw out an embarrassing shot in the foot. It worked.
Laurie Oakes: 'Do you feel like a dill, Admiral?'
Admiral Barrie: 'No, I don't feel like a dill!'
Of course the splash line on the news that night was 'Defence Chief denies he's a 'dill'.' In media training circles, this is known as 'swallowing the grenade'. When you repeat the premise of a deliberately baited question.
Some spokespeople are very comfortable in front of cameras and microphones. They are across their brief and they have clear and concise lines down cold. For the majority, facing the media does not come naturally and for some, it's quite terrifying.
Regardless, these are five things every spokesperson should know before taking the stage:
With most media interviews, a spokesperson will have the opportunity to outline key messages. The real question is whether they have the skill to broadly return the more tricky questions from journalists to those messages.
Inevitably and often suddenly, journalists will begin to prod and probe, trying to find a new or hidden angle on an issue. It's important that they understand how to acknowledge tricky questions and then steer answers toward key messages.
There are often legal or commercial situations that preclude spokespeople from providing the media with the detailed answers they would like. Often times the media are only looking for a statement, any statement, other than 'no comment. Knowing what and how to do this is important.
One of the least practiced elements of a good media performer and yet one of the most crucial. If a spokesperson doesn't yet practice or understand the necessity of rehearsal, perhaps it will take a professional media trainer to convince them.
Whether a press conference newbie or seasoned professional, anyone who faces the press risks becoming flustered under a barrage of questions. It's training and practice that often determines how well this is managed and/or recovered from.
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