Home
>
Public Relations
>
Media Training: Why Nobodys Listening to You

Media Training: Why Nobodys Listening to You

SORRY?WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING?

Many spokespeople approach media interviews the same way they would a major speech. They think at length about what they want to say, jot down a few notes, and try to memorize a few key points.

But they rarely practice how they're going to deliver their messages. It's often a fatal mistake.

Here's a shocking truth: how you say something during a broadcast interview is more important than what you say.

Research has borne this out for decades. UCLA Professor Albert Mehrabian's landmark study in the 1960s examined how people derive meaning from communications. The release of the findings, still taught in virtually every university's Communications 101 class, is still regarded as a watershed moment in communications. Dr. Mehrabian found that:

7 percent of meaning is derived from word choice. 38 percent of meaning is taken from verbal cues, such as volume, pitch and pace. 55 percent of meaning results from non-verbal cues, including body language, eye contact, gestures, and appearance.

NOBODY'S LISTENING TO YOU

Do these statistics mean that the media ? or audiences ? are hopelessly superficial? Well, let's put it another way. Think about traveling to another country where the residents speak only a local tribal language. Even without words, you could still learn some very important things about a person ? such as whether you like or trust them, whether they are warm or cold, welcoming or distant, smart or dumb.

The same is true during media interviews. Audiences will quickly determine whether or not they like you or trust you in seconds. If they don't, they will effectively tune you out and disregard your message.

So it's not so much that they're not listening to you, but that they'll listen only once you pass the non-verbal test.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

How can you improve your non-verbal communication skills? Here are three tips you can use immediately:

1) Maintain Strong Eye Contact ? Before every broadcast interview, ask where to look. Sometimes it's at an interviewer, others it's off to the side of a camera, and sometimes it's directly into the camera. Regardless, make sure you maintain eye contact through the entire interview. It may feel strange to speak naturally to a lens. But since your eyes will appear much larger on a 27" television set, any movement will be distracting to the viewer. Worse, they may think you slick, unconfident, or untrustworthy.

2) Smile ? Unless you're a representative for an airliner that just crashed, it's usually a good idea to smile during an interview. Remember ? you shouldn't sublimate the things that make you charming in your everyday life. If people react positively to your smile or natural laugh in real-life, use that trait to your advantage during an interview.

3) Dress the Role ? If you're a spokesperson for a populist grassroots political group and show up in a three piece suit, you will confuse the audience. Clothes communicate messages, and you should consider carefully what your clothes are saying. Gold cufflinks scream "elite." Two-toned men's shirts may communicate "stuffy." Conversely, an ill-fitting collar reflects carelessness.

MESSAGE DISCONNECTS

When a verbal message and non-verbal message are in conflict, the audience will notice and hold it against you. When preparing for an interview, role play questions with a colleague, spouse, or even just a video camera. Keep practicing until what you're saying and how you're saying it appear in synch.

The first President Bush leaned this the hard way.

Things were not looking good for him in the autumn of '92. Despite a whopping 89 percent approval rating the previous year, Mr. Bush couldn't shake his reputation for being out of touch with the American people.

He didn't help himself during a very public trip to a grocery store when he expressed amazement at the bar code scanners that had become commonplace. He further fed his aloof reputation when he revealed having no clue what a gallon of milk costs.

But the real whopper came during the second presidential debate. In a town hall format in which Mr. Bush needed desperately to look like a populist, he instead kept glancing at his watch. He told the audience he wanted to be president ? but his body language told the world he wanted to be anywhere but with actual voters.

Immediately following the debate, numerous pundits said his poor performance would cost him the election. They were right.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.phillipsmediarelations.com.

tidy up service Glenview ..

In The News:

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Media Training: Why Nobodys Listening to You

Public Relations