Media Training Tips: How to Prepare for Broadcast Interviews

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, that’s the age old mantra isn’t it? And it’s not wrong, especially if you’re about to do a broadcast interview. You don’t want to be sitting in front of a journalist trying to wing it. Trust us.

A media interview of any kind is a golden opportunity for you and your business. The chance to get your key messages across and present yourself the way you want your audience to see you should not be underestimated. But it also comes with risk for the underprepared.

Don’t worry, these media training tips will help get you microphone ready.

First up, get your key messages sorted:

• They should be what you want to say and what your audience needs to hear
• Aim for no more than three – listeners can only take in a certain amount
• Practice how to answer any unwelcome questions. Don’t kid yourself about this bit, you won’t be doing yourself any favours

Our top radio interview tips:

• Get your most important key message into an answer as soon as possible, then you can relax a bit
• Avoid jargon – there will be way more used in your business than you realise!
• Inject enthusiasm into your voice – smiling when you speak will help
• Don’t rush or be afraid to pause, it should sound conversational
• Don’t waffle either, stay brief and to the point
• You will have microphones around so sit still and don’t rustle papers about

What’s better, a live broadcast interview or pre-recorded interview? This is a common question and the answer might surprise you. Pre-recorded, meaning it’s recorded to be used at a later time or date, might feel safer but it’ll be edited. You’ll have no control over how the interview is edited so there’s a risk that some of what you want your audience to hear will be cut.

A live broadcast interview might feel nerve shredding, but you’ll have more control over how the interview goes out – what you say is what people will hear. So, a really important tip is to check if the interview is live or pre-recorded.

Live TV interviews are the big dog of interviews. You’ve got to look right, sound right AND say the right thing. So much more to think about. If you’re prepared for this, you’re prepared for anything.

For a successful TV interview, our tips build on the key message prep and saying things well, with advice on how to look the part. Because people shouldn’t judge you by your appearance, but they 100% will.

• If you do or wear anything distracting on TV, people will remember that and nothing you say
• Avoid wild gesticulations. Avoid distracting mannerisms, waving hands, lots of body movement
• Sit up straight. Slouching makes you look bored or indifferent
• Keep eye contact but avoid nodding – you might look like you’re agreeing with something you don’t mean to
• Be natural and enthusiastic
• Think about your background and what that might say about you/your business
• If you’re doing a Zoom interview, keep your camera height level with your face
• The safest colour to wear on TV is blue

These media training tips are just a snapshot really. There’s a heap we could tell you about different questioning techniques journalists use, and different answering techniques you can deploy – a bit like chess. But this blog would go on and on. Top notch prep takes practice and if you’re interested in fuller media training, just shout.