        Media TipsDealing with reporters can be an intimidating experience or a rewarding way to tell your story. The following tips will help you get your message across and endear you to reporters’ hearts. Be consistent.If you say one thing today and something else tomorrow, you’ll confuse your audience, seem untrustworthy, and look unprofessional. Don’t do it. Cross your t’s; dot your i’s.Whether you’re writing a press release, sending an e-mail or speaking to a reporter, your message will get lost if you don’t do it professionally. Grammar counts. Tell the truth.It’s not always pleasant, and it’s not always easy. But the alternative is just going to get you in trouble down the road. Be concise.Determine what you want your audience to hear and then practice it in as few words as you can. Enough said. Stay on point.What’s the most important thing you want your audience to know? Make sure you say it and say it again. The reporter might change the subject, but you have one message to deliver, so stick to it. Think ahead.The reader and listener wait for no man. By planning your response, you can make sure you stay on point and avoid rambling. That makes you sound smarter and gives the reporter what he needs: an honest, concise answer. Never say “no comment.”There is no such thing. As John Mitchell, from the Watergate days learned, no comment is a comment. It does you and the reporter no good to not respond. Be responsive.When a reporter calls, it’s okay to ask to set up a time to talk so you can have the “experts” in the room with you or collect your thoughts. But reporters work on deadline, so be respectful of their time. Don’t leave a “scorched earth.”You won’t always agree with the story angle used, but that’s a reporter’s prerogative. If you get upset over every statement that’s less than flattering, you’ll look like a whiner. Unless the facts are blatantly wrong, take some advice from John Lennon and “let it be.” Follow through.Make sure the reporter has a contact name and phone number in case questions arise after the interview. And if you promise to provide additional information, do it – pronto. |