IABC::London Chapter

Excerpted f rom Media Training with Excellence: A Balanced Approach
by Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, MC

During the past 10-plus years, two divergent lines of thought have formed in the field of media spokesperson training: “traditional” and “balanced.”

It may seem odd to label something traditional in a field that has existed for only a few decades. Modern media training emerged in the 1960s as a result of television’s increasing influence as a medium, and it was significantly shaped by the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon U.S. presidential debate. The polls claimed that those who listened to the debate on the radio thought that Nixon won. But to those watching television, Kennedy was the winner. While Nixon appeared nervous in front of the camera, Kennedy looked confident and appeared to be talking to people as if he were sitting in their living rooms.

When the Kennedy-Nixon debate aired in 1960, the average family in North America had a limited number of television stations from which to choose. Cable television began appearing in the 1970s. Remote control and cable converters, which enabled more than 13 stations on an extended “dial,” were introduced in the 1980s.

Today, teenage students, whether they live in Stockholm or Santo Domingo, may not have hundreds of television channels from which to choose, but they likely have more than what was available 45 years ago. They have access to numerous television stations that focus exclusively on news and current affairs 24 hours a day. They can get to a world of information via the Internet, and they can unlock that world without ever leaving their homes, while chatting electronically to friends from across the street or around the world.

While the media has evolved, the world of media training has not kept pace. Traditional media training emphasizes key messages. Spokespeople are prepared with these messages, which they feel compelled to learn, and they interject them into interviews at even the smallest hint of an opening. Staying “on message” and “bridging” are tactics commonly discussed during traditional media training. This process encourages spokespeople to “bridge over” to their messages, and bridge over again, then bridge some more.

The theory of “staying on message” has been around for some time and it potentially has some merit. Theoretically, if messages are repeated often enough, some of them will make their way into the story. In a perfect world, this is how the theory is supposed to operate. But the practical application often leaves much to be desired.

First of all, reporters are not stupid. Even the most inexperienced reporters know it is not their job to act as advertising intermediaries for the spokesperson’s organization. In fact, the more the messages are repeated, the less likely a reporter will be to insert those messages into the story. This is simply human nature.

But beyond human nature, reporters are trained to ask questions. Asking questions is an extension of their natural curiosity and is probably a primary reason why they became reporters in the first place. If a spokesperson is not answering questions, the reporter will immediately notice it. At best, they will be frustrated by a spokesperson who seems intent on wasting valuable time and increasing the pressure of looming deadlines. At worst, the reporter will wonder what the spokesperson is hiding. This arouses the reporter’s curiosity, leads him or her to distrust the organization and encourages him or her to dig deeper. This makes it difficult to build relationships with reporters because their questions—even their simplest questions—are not answered in clear, direct terms.

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