Have you ever watched a political debate and wondered how people can get so good at not answering the question they are asked? Sunday morning news programs are like sporting events in my house. I watch in amazement, and even in admiration, for the ways in which politicians speak to their own agendas rather than answering the questions put before them. They do it with such skill, the interviewers rarely seem to notice.
Years ago, NPR’s Meghna Chakrabarti from “On Point” interviewed “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley about his book, The Truth Worth Telling. (Side note: this book is an incredible read for all news junkies.) In the radio spot, Chakrabarti continued to ask questions about the inner workings of CBS, and Pelley consistently answered in the same evasive way until he finally told her that there was nothing more he was going to say about the issue, and she was forced to move on. The dance between two seasoned journalists was epic. In the end, Pelley won.
Even if there is no reason to evade the media’s question, nonprofit leaders (or anyone, for that matter) can learn through media training how to best utilize the time they are granted by the media to direct the conversation, rather than simply following along the path set forth by the reporter. This is necessary if nonprofit leaders are to get across the information they want the public to know rather than leaving it to chance and hoping the reporter asks the right questions. Having the media’s megaphone to reach the public is an opportunity that cannot be wasted. In this regard, nonprofit leaders can learn a great deal from well-trained politicians.
Often, nonprofit leaders can get lost in the stories of the people they serve, without explaining how their organizations provide solutions. Sometimes, they can talk about why their organizations need financial support, without explaining how the contributions they receive are used and the changes the money has made. They often forget to offer tangible results.
When asked by a reporter “Tell me about your organization,” executive directors might answer with a 40-year overview of where the organization was and how its changed over the years. This is a missed opportunity.
All of this can be changed with quality media training. At Teak Media, we work with nonprofit leaders so they become expert at providing an “elevator speech” that tells anyone who will listen the problem that the organization works to solve, the actions the organization takes to solve the problem, and the results the organization achieves. This is what reporters are really looking for when they say, “tell me about your organization.”
Here are few more quick tips about how nonprofit leaders can best use their time in the media spotlight:
Know what you want to say in advance of the interview and say it even if you aren’t asked. Have your speaking points ready to go.
Know what you don’t want to say and then redirect the reporter using a bridging technique. The ABCs of bridging are: Acknowledge the question without judgment, use a Bridging term, and provide the Content you want to provide. Here’s an example:
- Acknowledge: “That’s an interesting point”
- Bridge: “Our approach is …”
- Content: “Provide the content you want to get across”
Never repeat a negative in your answer. A famous example of this was when Prince William was asked by media if the Royal Family is racist. His response was that his family was “very much not a racist family.” What did the public hear? The Royal Family is racist. A better answer would have been, “Like all families, we are learning and changing when it comes to generational systemic racism.” He eventually found his way there.
These are just a few of the media training tips that we provide to clients so they are well prepared to make the most of their media opportunities. Others include: recognizing that the media are not your friends, body language might say more than you realize, avoiding jargon, being nice, connecting the dots, and so much more.
Teak Media will be presenting free in-person media training workshops for nonprofit leaders and employees in late May or June. Stay tuned to Teak Media’s social media channels to learn when and where they will be held or email info@teakmedia.com for more information. Also, download our Top Ten Tips for Nonprofit Communication here. We look forward to hearing from you.
