Media Training

Former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony to an open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee June 8 was hotly anticipated, to say the least. It was a true high-stakes test of how Comey would bear up under pressure. Most would agree: The man makes a good impression. If you work with spokespeople who are going to have some major questions thrown at them, the morning’s proceedings contain several lessons. Have your media trainee watch the footage, and give them this advice.

With an ever-shrinking pool of full-time journalists to pitch to, it’s harder than ever to get your brand messages heard and covered by the media. As a result, some PR pros have turned away from traditional PR pitching and are taking a new approach: earning media with video content. In this video, Doug Simon, president and CEO of D S Simon Media, interviews Michael Smart, principal of MichaelSMARTPR, on using video to earn media.

Before the debate, some “experts” were advising Republican candidate Donald Trump to tone down his usual blustery public speaking style to sway undecided voters. Some urged Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to attack vociferously, shedding her calming image as a champion of the poor and the middle class and as an experienced governmental actor. Neither candidate listened to the so-called experts.

MSNBC correspondent Mike Barnicle asked Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson, “What would you do, if elected, about Aleppo?” To which Johnson responded, “What is Aleppo?” Within minutes, the former governor was being mocked on Twitter and covered by scores of online news outlets, many of which posited that the gaffe was an indication of a clueless foreign policy. From a PR perspective, it indicates a lack of media training.

As the pool of full-time journalists continues to wane, today’s PR professional has to spend increasing amounts of time writing pitches that stand out from the masses. And for all of that effort, when a story does get picked up by a major outlet, it’s buried by a constant stream of other stories—often without enough time for it to generate adequate impressions for the resources spent. Which begs the question: Is it still worth it for PR professionals to prioritize earned media, or should they pour all of their resources into newer media channels instead?

After facing intense backlash for the price increase of EpiPens—a life-saving medication for individuals with severe allergies—Mylan CEO Heather Bresch outlined the company’s plan to make the drug more affordable during an Aug. 24 interview on CNBC. By shifting the conversation to the broader—and incredibly divisive—issue of health care in the U.S., Bresch offers her critics something else to direct their ire at. But what she really did in this interview was display a mastery of media training skills.

Ten years ago, Yahoo and AOL were cutthroat competitors for search engine and web portal dominance. Today, however, Yahoo’s unexpected PR savior in the post-sale fallout has been AOL’s CEO Tim Armstrong, who, having recently sold his own company to Verizon, has taken the opportunity to spin the Verizon acquisition as a merger of two user bases and an opportunity for digital advertising sales, refuting the media’s portrayal of Verizon’s opportunistic seizing of a sinking ship.

Sometimes pitches can get lost in the daily deluge that is a reporter’s email inbox. And there are plenty of journalists who are simply more engaged on social than other means of communication. One of the great things about social media is that PR pros can cultivate opportunities by being present on the platforms journalists use to identify story angles and sources.

Sand between your tanned toes and the relaxing sound of waves hitting the shore. Happy hour that begins at 4pm (it’s 5’oclock somewhere). Visiting new places. Dealing with crowds (literally, being able to deal with… Continued

How many times has this happened to you? You’re watching live television or attending an event with family and friends and a CEO or some other public official says something you, as a PR pro, know could spell trouble for the brand that person is representing? Your friends notice you cringing. Should it be your CEO up there, before your friends even notice it, you’re heading to the office or ducking out to make or receive a phone call about what you just heard. It’s part of the job.