Media relations is a component of public relations focused on building, maintaining, and
leveraging relationships with journalists and media outlets to develop and manage your
personal and institutional brand.
Media training prepares you to communicate clearly, confidently, and authentically.
There is an intertwined spectrum of media relations activities - from basic relationship
building to announcements, conversations, and crisis management.
Pinnacle focuses on strategies for communicating concisely, handling challenging
questions, and projecting a positive and professional image. With the right strategy, every
interaction can be an opportunity.
Honesty in media relations is crucial for building trust and maintaining a positive reputation. It requires being truthful and ethical in all communications with the media and the public. This approach fosters long-term credibility and stronger relationships.
Transparency means being open and clear when communicating. It fosters trust and credibility. It involves disclosing information, strategically, even when potentially unfavorable. Presume reporters will discover all aspects of an event. If they find out from you, it is significantly easier to manage the narrative.
Proactivity and transparency can go hand in hand. Being transparent often requires being proactive. Proactive strategies seek out opportunities to engage with the media rather than simply reacting to news or crises. It involves building relationships with journalists, crafting compelling narratives, and proactively pitching media outlets to tell your story. This approach helps establish a consistent message, enhances thought leadership, and builds long-term relationships that are leverageable in good times and bad.
Concise
For television, radio, or podcasts, try your best to condense your answers to 30-40 seconds. This helps you maintain focus on the most impactful elements of your message. Print and online journalists allow for greater detail, but still keep your answers to two minutes or less. In all cases, allow the reporter to decide if he/she want more detail.
Confidence
You are an expert in the field in which you are speaking. Speak declaratively; your knowledge matters. Avoid terms like I think or I believe. This is unnecessary language that weakens your standing. Say what you know and say it with passion.
Common Sense
Be human and natural when you speak. Don’t overthink. Avoid non-answers. It is okay to acknowledge that not every opinion agrees with you, or even that some facts may not support your objective. Positioning your solution as the only solution can damage credibility. Use your knowledge and expertise to show your solution is the best solution.
There is no such thing as off-the-record. Always presume that everything you say and do will be in the story.
Journalists, particularly in less formal mediums like podcasting, may start your interview with an “off-the-record” conversation to establish a casual atmosphere. Similarly, they may ask for additional “off-the-record” details after the interview is complete.
Don’t be afraid if they want to go off-the-record. Ninety percent of the time, they legitimately only want to talk. Just always keep your mind on the record and speak accordingly.
Before beginning your media engagement journey, work with your team to create a key message document. Consider likely questions and the points you want to convey. Combine the two to formulate answers that are easy to understand, memorable, and actionable.
- Prioritize Your Talking Points
- Keep Your Language Simple
- Make Your Message Meaningful
It’s not a script. You don’t have to memorize it. This is the foundation for all your interviews. It's a living document that grows with each experience. Creating it and familiarizing yourself with it will keep your message concise and clear.
It's okay to gather your thoughts. You don’t have to provide an instantaneous answer to a question.
Taking a few seconds to formulate your answer is helpful in many ways. It ensures you speak more clearly.
Our natural tendency is to avoid silence.
Feeling you have to talk right away can lead to fumbling and rambling, which damages credibility. Those few seconds of thinking show the interviewer that you are taking the question seriously and want to provide the best answer possible.
Know all the facts, good and bad. If you don’t have the answer, don’t panic.
Be sure you are prepared to concede you may not have the answer in a way that illustrates forthright confidence.
Be sure you are prepared to concede you may not have the answer in a way that illustrates forthright confidence. ut bad information.
Positive
Always speak positively. Even in the most difficult situations, it is possible to speak positively. Convey solutions that your expertise or research offers to the situation being discussed.
Purpose
Let your knowledge and expertise speak for itself. There’s no need to directly plug your work, unless asked. The expertise you’re showcasing will promote your brand.
Posture
How you say it can be just as important as what you say. Body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and tone of voice all impact how a message is received.
