5 ways media interviews go up in flames
A disastrous live interview can undo months of hard work. Here is how PR pros (and their clients) can prepare for some classic missteps in “do or die” interviews.
This article originally appeared on PR Daily in February of 2018.
When it comes to on-camera flops, the most cringe-worthy disasters arise when a company spokesperson is drowning during a live interview.
With the jittery nerves, tough questions and an unforgiving camera lens, tanking is not uncommon, but that doesn’t make it acceptable.
Here are five examples of classic media interview failures, and some tips so you can avoid a similar fate:
1. You don’t know your key messages cold.
The briefing: In this 2015 soundbite, LBC reporter Nick Ferrari interviewed the then-Green Party leader Natalie Bennett on affordable housing…and Bennett seems to have no idea how to make it happen.
What went wrong: Bennett knows her key message, but doesn’t seem to know much about it. The reporter senses her uncertainty, and keeps relentlessly poking and prodding, making Bennett stutter, stumble and sound flustered.
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