Handling aggressive interviewers
Doing an interview with a Paxman or a Humphrys is many a PR person's worst nightmare. But how can you make the situation work to your advantage? This course prepares executives, with lights, cameras and instant video analysis, to face tough and confrontational interviewers - whether live on TV or for the press. Most people can handle a soft media interview, but when the going gets tough you need to have your wits about you. This course makes sure you leave nothing to chance.
Topics:
- The journalist's mindset
- Different interview styles
- The battle to win the interview agenda
Learning outcomes:
- Grabbing the agenda and bridging from negatives to positives
- Dealing calmly and confidently with sensitive subjects and negative issues
- Communicating honesty, credibility and objectivity
- Understanding what journalists are looking for and how to achieve the "win-win"
- Gaining confidence in your ability to give a strong media interview under pressure
- Creating robust and credible messages
- Structuring the perfect answer to a question
- Guaranteeing a good result by preparing thoroughly
- Handling nerves and gaining rapport
- Achieving the "win-win"
This one-day course helps participants deal with hostile journalists, often in crisis situations. It is practical throughout with participants doing presentations and interviews to camera, after which they will immediately see how they performed on video. At the end of the session, they will be given DVDs of all their interviews to take home.
