Six quick steps to make you and your company more “media friendly.”

Plan in advance what you will wear when you are interviewed on camera. Learn what looks good on camera and what to avoid.

Whether it’s a live interview on the six o’clock news, an employee training video or a on camera speech you’ll want to come across as someone reputable and reliable. So, how should you dress for TV? What should you wear when you are going to be on television? What colors look best on TV?

Some clothing will look good to the camera and some will distract. The worst on camera offender- light color clothes like white, pink and yellow. Light colors get washed out in the lighting. The detail is gone. The reason? A camera doesn’t see light the way your eye does Too much bright to dark contrast and something’s got to give. So either the bright or dark color loses detail. In other words, just because it looks good to your eye does not mean it will look good to the camera. The contrast ratio problem also applies to dark clothing. Pure black and navy blue clothing will loose all detail and appear like a solid dark blob. Same problems for pink and yellow colored clothes- stay away.

Best color clothing for television medium to medium-dark blues. Look at television sets and professionals on television, you’ll find blue as the color of choice.

Something else to avoid- clothing with fine patterns. They will cause a moiré (a distracting wavy effect) pattern when seen on TV. Examples of some clothing that my cause this are, Herringbone patterns on a jacket or small check patterns.

If in doubt bring several sets of clothing to the video shoot and consult with the director. The best types of clothes to wear are solid colors and pastels.

What To Wear On Television Checklist:

 -No white or dark clothing  -Several set of clothes so the director has a choice –  No beeping watches          -Pager and cell phone turned off   -Take a comb, makeup, and mirror   -Eyeglasses, if must wear get glare free type or frames with no lenses   -Don’t forget to get a good night sleep before the shoot

Remember when dressing for TV, the camera “sees” things differently than the human eye. Keep it simple, solid colors, pastels, no fine patterns or distracting jewelry.

If you have any questions about what will look good for your TV interview call the director or your contact person before the day of the video shoot. They will appreciate it and together you can look your best.

© 2010 www.media-training.info

Six quick steps to make you and your company more “media friendly.”

Have the CEO and any others that may need to talk with the press media trained. Be ready before the media calls. Don’t try to “wing it.” Media training will show your spokespeople how to get their message delivered to the media.

Media Training is learning how to tell your story in the most compelling and interesting way. It’s how to take control of an interview and transform contentious questions into positive “on message” answers.

Think of it as grabbing the steering wheel- you take control. Staying on message is simply a matter of “grabbing the wheel” of an interview and steering it across the bridge. You “bridge” the interview from the question you don’t want to answer to the answer you want to give.

While you can’t tell a report what to ask, you can control your answers. Politicians do it each day. They bridge tough, unwelcome questions with phrases that begin with. “I can’t tell you that, but what I can tell you is… “Let’s put your question into perspective….” “The real issue here is…. There are many roads that help you navigate your way from hostile question to an on-target message…and you can deliver it with a smile without being evasive or combative. “Message masters” perfect this, the same way you get to Carnegie Hall….practice, practice, practice.

Don’t talk with any reporter until you talk with one of our media trainers. Be prepared, get your message delivered, get trained on how to deal with the media.

Comments and questions welcome.

©2010 www.media-training.info

Six quick steps to make you and your company more “media friendly.”

Have b-roll video available for the press. This is video that you hand out to the press that is covering your event. Produced by you- you control what is shown.

Having b-roll to hand out to the press is a great way to be media friendly, get press coverage and control the message.

Definition: But first, what is b-roll and why is it important. B-roll is the video that TV news uses to illustrate an on air story. For an example let’s imagine a news story about the President going to China for trade talks. When you hear the reporter’s voice saying “the president left the White House this morning full of hope for his trade mission”, you might see video of the president walking to the helicopter on the White House lawn. The video of the president walking would be the b-roll.

Importance: Why is b-roll important? The Television press can’t do a story without video to show what they are talking about. No video, no story or a shorter story done with the on camera news anchor reading it. Make it easy for the television media to do a story on you. Give them the video to do it.

Control: Where b-roll becomes even more important to you is, if you have the video created for you by a professional video production camera crew you control what is shown and how it is shown. For example let’s say your company has five locations and four of them are old and need upgrades. But, you have one brand new modern up to date facility. You would have the video created of the new location. That way when you give out the video to the press you are controlling which of your locations they show and what they show.

Advantages: The two advantages of you having b-roll to hand out again are:

- It makes it easy for the press to cover your business. Thus more coverage

- You are able to control what the press can show to the public.

Hand out b-roll another tool you can use to be more media friendly and advance your media relations. Questions or comments please let us know.

©2010 www.media-training.info

Six quick steps to make you and your company more “media friendly.”

The details: Step One Working With Reporter Deadlines

  Know that when a reporter calls they are under a time deadline. No you can’t call them back next Wednesday. Chances are if they are calling now they need it now.

  Reporter deadlines are not like many of the deadlines in the corporate world. With the internet and 24-hour broadcast news there really could be a deadline every minute. Also with cut backs in staffing fewer reporters are doing more stories and they are being given less time to work on them.

  Work with reporters, understand there deadline needs and you become a resource that they go to over and over again to get a quote or information. Help them out once and they’ll be back because they’ll know are reliable and can be counted on.

  Remember media coverage equals free publicity. Think of it call commercial time that you don’t have to buy.

  One quick word about what to do when that reporter calls. Yes, they are on deadline and you want to help them out so you get the coverage. But, don’t rush into making a mistake in what you say. Instead when they call tell them something like “I just walked in can I call you back in five minutes.” That will give you time to think and that short wait for the five-minute call back will still meet their need for quick action.

  Also remember a session with a good media trainer will prepare you for these quick reporter encounters. Get a media coach before you get those reporter calls.

  Bottom line:

 Reporter deadlines are a fact of life in dealing with the media. Work with them, become a valuable resource and get free publicity for years to come. Get media training and be your best at dealing with the media.

© 2010 www.media-training.info

 Six quick steps to make you and your company more “media friendly.”

 √ Know that when a reporter calls they are under a time deadline. No you can’t call them back next Wednesday. Chances are if they are calling now they need it now.

 √ Build a media room. A room designed to make it easy for you and the press to conduct an interview at your offices.

 √ Have b-roll hand out video available for the press. This is video that you hand out to the press that is covering your event. Produced by you- you control what is shown.

 √ Have the CEO and any others that may need to talk with the press media trained. Be ready before the media calls. Don’t try to “wing it.” Media training will show your spokespeople how to get their message delivered to the media.

 √ Plan in advance what you will wear when you are interviewed on camera. Learn what looks good on camera and what to avoid.

 √ When the video “crew” comes to record you for an on camera television interview treat them well. Be nice to the technical folks and they’ll be nice to you. A happy cameraperson will make sure you are looking your best when you are on camera.

 Next week we go into detail on the six steps above and tell you all you need to know about each step.

 (C) 2010 www.Media-Training.info  Maryland and Virginia

Media Training Washington, DC;

Comments welcome.

We’ve said everyone needs media training now here are some examples of those getting it:

Media Training Everybody’s Getting It:

(1) The Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Basketball Team Gets Media Training

 The Oklahoma City Thunder is all a Twitter

NewsOK.com The Thunder is scheduled to have its annual media training session this week… 

Click on the link to read the complete story.

http://www.newsok.com/the-oklahoma-city-thunder-is-all-a-twitter/article/3410039?custom_click=pod_lead_nba-thunder

 (2) The 2010 National Beef Ambassadors Are Getting Media Training 

2010 National Beef Ambassadors announced

High Plains Journal

…were chosen as the 2010 National Beef Ambassador Team winners at the annual competition, funded in part by the beef checkoff, held Oct. 9 to 11 in Fort Smith, Ark. Contestants were judged in the areas of consumer promotion, classroom presentation, media interview technique and issues response.

 While preparing for this national beef promotion and education competition, youth across the nation learn about beef and the beef industry within their family and with support from state CattleWomen, Cattlemen’s associations and state beef councils. The preparation highlights industry issues of current consumer interest. Winners of the state competitions compete at the national level receiving additional media training. After the event, as youth ambassadors, they speak to industry issues and misconceptions, while educating peers and others about food safety, nutrition and the Beef Checkoff Program at consumer events, in the classroom and online.

Click on the link to read the complete story. 

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2009/oct09/oct19/1014NBCbeefambassadorsnamed.cfm?title=2010%20National%20Beef%20Ambassadors%20announced

(3) The Milk Producers Are Getting Media Training 

Plan For Crisis n And Hope You Won’t Need It

Ag Weekly

By Jane Fyksen, Agri-View Crops Editor
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Producers need to be ready with a “communications toolkit” to deal with bad publicity, warned Opperman, suggesting they “develop key messages.” To do that, think of how you want your farm portrayed in the public eye. Also address frequently asked questions. These are “tough” questions; how would you answer them?

Get some media training, from an organization like the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), Dairy Business Association (DBA) or Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW).

Click on the link to read the complete story.

http://www.agweekly.com/articles/2009/10/14/commodities/dairy/dairy38.txt

(4) College Students With A Cause Are Even Getting Media Training

 Tulane goes to Washington

Students participate in march for gay rights

By Kathleen Weaver | Section: Oct 23rd, 2009 Issues, News, October 23rd Print Edition

Thousands of people participated in the National Equality March Oct. 11 in Washington, D.C. to petition for equality for gay, lesbian and transgender individual 

Freshman Sean Simonson also attended the march. He and other students participated in workshops in conjunction with the march such as the Trevor project, which promotes suicide awareness, and Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation media training, which taught students how to effectively communicate their ideas through Web sites and speeches.

“The media training taught us how to best get our message across while still keeping it politically correct,” Simonson said.

Click on the link to read the complete story. 

http://thehullabaloo.com/2009/10/23/tulane-goes-to-washington/

That’s all for now. Keep watching for more media training news, tips and information.

(C) 2009 www.Media-Training.info

L’Affaire Balloon Boy

Posted by Andrew Cohen October 18, 2009 3:37 PM

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden

 When Sheriff Alderden spoke to the media Friday — speaking like a kind uncle rather than a hard-bitten law man — he made it very clear that he and his detectives believed that the Heenes believed that their son was either in the balloon or otherwise missing

 ”Clearly, we were manipulated by the family and the media was manipulated by the family,” an edgier Sheriff Alderden said Sunday, at yet another press conference, just moments before he admitted to having himselfmanipulated the media over the weekend during his earlier press conferences. You follow?

 No matter if you don’t. One day soon we’ll know what the Heenes said, or didn’t say, to the sheriff on Saturday to make him change his mind. One day we’ll know what the authorities found when they searched the home over the weekend. One day, those of you who still care will know the rest of the story about how this family apparently succeeded in thrusting itself into the limelight, literally and figuratively, to sell a reality-show deal. One day we’ll know if the couple is still, today, conning the sheriff. [After all, what better way for the camera-hungry parents to ensure their continued exposure than to incriminate themselves in the hope of gettingL’Affaire Balloon Boy to trial?

 In the meantime, whether or not the whole thing were a hoax, Alderden might want to send his officers back to detective school to do a better job of evaluating the accurate meaning of “verbal and non-verbal” clues and cues. Indeed, if the Heenes were acting out a hoax during Falcon’s 300 minutes of glory, it seems about the only people fooled were the police in the house at the time. And the sheriff himself might want to get a refresher on his media training, too. I’m pretty sure that cops aren’t supposed to declare their prime suspects to be innocent before they are charged.

Read The Complete Article At:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/18/courtwatch/entry5394579.shtml

(C) 2009 www.Media-Training.info

Trouble is many executives don’t think there is much of a chance they’ll be interviewed by a reporter. So, they figure why bother getting media prepared.

In the distant past they might have been right. But, that isn’t so in today’s age of instant electronic communication.

Today wearing the “reporter” hat might be someone in the nontraditional publishing world. Nontraditional in yesterday’s thinking that is. In today’s world you should be ready for them. Ready for a new way of doing business with a “new media.”

Consider some of the possibilities were a “reporter” might be calling a business/association executive for a quote, information or on camera comments:

- Print, radio or TV reporters

- Specialty publications or shows

- TV or radio talk shows (general or specialty)

- Blogs

- Specialty bloggers

- Podcasters

- Internet webmasters

- Direct to YouTube videos

- Social media outlets

- Independent journalists

- Independent filmmakers

The bottom line- adjust to a very different world in which the lines between press, broadcast and Internet media are crumbling. Get media trained, be prepared and join in the new world of new media.

(C) 2009 www.Media-Training.info

Media trainers will help them get past any jargon and corporate speak to effectively deliver their message points. Media coaching will also make them comfortable dealing with reporters thus opening up new ways to get publicity for their business. Publicity pointed in the direction that the executive wants it to go.

Police and Firefighters

Media training will help them get past the TLAs (three letter acronyms) and the “just-the-facts” way of speaking to better help them talk directly to the general public. Training will also show them why saying “No Comment” is never the right thing to say.

Scientists/Researchers

Media training filters out the jargon and ensures that they have the skills needed to communicate with the media and general public.

College and University Presidents, Hospital Administrators

Media training will show them how to deal with the press to get their institution great press coverage- free public relations.

High Tech

Media training will help the high tech community communicate the technology or science they represent without resorting to buzzwords or jargon.

Anyone that might ever talk with the press

Today it could be just about anyone that might have to deal with the press at some point in their career. There is an explosion of media outlets that might be covering you, your company or industry. The Internet has added blogs and podcasts. Cable TV has added local access cable shows and specialty cable channels. Be prepared. Be media trained.

(C) 2009 www.Media-Training.info

What is media training? 

MSN’s Encarta defines media training like this:                                     

me·di·a train·ing   

noun 

Media Training Definition: 

Preparation for interview: preparation, including counseling and rehearsal, given to somebody before an interview by the media or an appearance on radio or television

 A great definition but I’ll just add a few more points. 

 What is Media Training? 

- Strengthening communications skills

- Developing comfort in dealing with reporters

- Building confidence so that when talking with reporters the person being interviewed will be able to get their message points delivered

- Learning the process of dealing with reporters and being a valuable resource to them while still putting your business, group or association in the best light.

 (C) 2009 www.Media-Training.info