Advertising Age has a fascinating article in its Sept. 5, 2011 issue oriented to the media training of 20-something leaders of tech companies who sit in their hoodies and sweat under drilling questions posed by reporters. These CEOs typically have no concept of media training and have not been privy to the wily nature of seemingly friendly reporters who turn aggressive to get their story.
Mark Zuckerberg proved that correct when he stated his notorious faux pas, “privacy is over.”
He’s not the only one…every CEO and business leader regardless of age, industry or company needs to be savvier when being interviewed by media. It’s easier in the internet era for reporters to dig up dirt from more channels than just a printed magazine, and thus it’s easier to get hung up during an interview.
Where I have to disagree with this AdAge piece is when Brandee Barker, former VP of PR at Facebook, suggests that Zuckerberg helped “shape a media environment more accepting of the less-structured response or mishap.” She states in the article, “There’s an authenticity that comes across, and if it’s awkward and they say the wrong thing, that’s OK.”
Really?
This woman is sending entirely the wrong message to young CEOs that it’s OK to come across as a noob and act befuddled. How can this be appropriate media training? When that tech leader grows up and heads to another company will that style be acceptable? In fact, like the Zuckerberg debacle, those situations will stick like glue and be resurrected throughout a leader’s career.
Ask Sarah Palin! She floundered and fell flat on her face in front of Katie Couric during her bid for vice president on the ticket with John McCain. Ask John Kerry who ran for president and all anyone could talk about was that he needed a haircut and acted like a statue in front of the cameras.
Being polished in front of reporters certainly comes with seasoned experience; losing your personality is one thing with too much messaging and training, but getting permission to bumble an answer and be accepted for it is another.
Media training is what we public relations practitioners strive to do with our internal and external clients.
It begins with research. When there’s a story brewing, the PR person must conduct due diligence to find all the stories and reporting style of the interviewer.
Then, we develop Q&A using the company’s approved message map so everyone says the same thing. Approved messages help deliver the facts without straying into murky waters (although this happens frequently).
Role playing is part of media training. A PR team tries to trip up the executive and put him or her in a stressful situation with a barrage of media questions. Using that message map is critical at this point, and knowing the tricks to sidestep a tough question is always helpful.
The onus is on PR only at the back end during prep. Executives must always be cognizant about their accountability to position the company in the most positive light. Often, company leaders forget they’re still on tap at the very end of an interview. This is when reporters swoop in for the kill, when there’s an apparent moment of relaxation. Leaders have been known to really mess up at this time because they think the interview is over.
It’s never over until the mic is off, the phone is hung up, and the reporter has left the building!
If you’re a business owner and you’re seeking the limelight to tell your story, or if you’re a politician running for office, then media training is absolutely a must. There are varying levels of training, and you don’t need to hire the big guns, either. Unless, of course, you’re Sarah Palin or John Kerry seeking the presidency of the United States.
These are great media training tips, Jayme! Although I am no longer a 20-something, I still cringe when young CEOs act unprofessional and aloof like they do in the media. It shouldn’t be an accepted behavior because in the end, these young CEOs want just as much credibility as their more mature CEO peers. Regardless of age, a CEO is the face and leader of a company. His/her behavior, especially on TV/radio/in print, will have a direct effect on how their employees place value and loyalty to their company. CEOs need to set the standards for their internal stakeholders as much as their external stakeholders.
Krista, good morning! Thanks for your quick stop in just after I hit publish…nice!
I wholeheartedly agree! I wonder how old that VP of PR is for Facebook; perhaps a 20 something, too? I am in awe of her statement making interviewing slop acceptable. No way, evah. Glad you agree, too…it does not bode well for our future, eh?
Excellent points and very true. This isn’t the first generation of young technology leaders who think they can change the media. Eventually the previous generations learned that if you want to succeed there are rules of the game that you really must learn!
Thanks for your seasoned perspective, Rick! I was also wondering why a hoodie is accepted attire in front of a camera, anyway? That also gives the image and perception of renegade and perhaps makes the mouth seem just a wee bit too relaxed.
Dress codes have changed but that does go a bit too far. I don’t know if what you’re wearing has much to do with what comes out of the mouth but it does impact how we perceive what is coming out. If you’re talking with the media you’re trying to influence something and you should do what it takes to give yourself the best chance of doing that.
Indeed!
Jayme, this article scares me to death! I had no idea how much behind-the-scenes prep should go into preparing a high profile persona for a public appearance/interview. As if being in the spotlight isn’t frightening enough, we’ll have to role play scary Katie Couric-Sarah Palin questioning tactics? I think I’d just melt down right there and say, “No way. I’m out. Tell the public I’ve taken a monastic vow of silence.”
On the other hand, I’ve seen so many cringe-worthy public speaking appearances, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to go it alone after reading here just how much preparation you do. It’s a relief to know someone would have my back and prepare me so well…and that takes a lot of the fear away.
What do you think happened with Sarah Palin in the Katie Couric interview? I heard her say later that John McCain’s handlers controlled her message & didn’t want her to be herself. Thoughts?
I only provided a few of the bullets that go into prep, Michelle. It’s quite involved, and I was shocked that Palin was so poorly prepared to speak on national media. In fact, you find few national politicians opening themselves up to national media for this reason alone — they get hanged.
Palin was raw going in to the election cycle; she’d never played the big time. McCain’s handlers likely tried to give her lessons, but you can’t massage a renegade over night! It happens with time and error; then you learn. Now look at her, she’s behind the desk at Fox; quite the accomplishment.
When I first started reading this post, I thought it was going to be an elaborate diatribe against youthful appearance and less-than-professional business attire. I was all ready with a comment on how tattoos and body piercings are becoming more prevalent, and acceptance in the workplace is sure to follow, but I’m glad I kept reading, or I would have come off like a grade A fool. (See: Sarah Palin reference above.)
I completely agree. While the media certainly isn’t as renegade and committed to the truth as it has been in past incarnations, reporters will certainly jump on any tongue slips or shoddy preparation for an interview. Particularly if the subject is high profile and known for something unique and specific. A lack of awareness is certainly the most damaging action one can inflict upon the self in the spotlight of the media, and as you pointed out, it holds the ability to have ruined entire Presidential campaigns.
I’ve been in circumstances cringing with business leaders who elect not to heed PR counsel during an interview. When the story is published and that exec is positioned in a bad light or the message is not as clear as it could’ve been, the fingers begin to waggle…guess where? On PR!
We do need broad shoulders because many an executive will often forget they’re accountable for what comes out of their mouth 100% of the time. Thanks for sharing, Emma!
I hate I missed this Friday! Such a good post and with so many good points. I have been behind the camera on a few occasions where my client had waved me off with a “Oh, I’m great on camera” only to die later when she couldn’t remember her own name or her website. Never, never, never believe them when they say they’re “OK” because they are not going to be prepared for what comes next. Lights. Camera. Action and it’s all over before it had a chance to begin.
I agree with you on the attire, as well. I get really disappointed when I hear folks say that is the norm, esp in the tech world, and to accept it. I wonder though, how acceptable is it with say Berkshire Hathaway. For heavens sake, Bill Gates never showed up in a hoodie, did he?
The hoodie thing is kinda shocking in and of itself, especially since this dude is so beyond that. The fastest growing demographic on FB is not a 20-something; it’s 60-something! I’m sure they have ZERO hoodies in their drawers.
Wouldn’t it be cool to write the book “Executives’ On-Camera Faux Pas” (and toss print in there, too). We could get a ton of PR peeps to share their experiences and kinda throw it back on those who don’t heed counsel. Of course, the book and the quotes inside would be written anonymously!