7 New Year resolutions for media spokespeople

How are your resolutions looking a week into the new year?

Research from YouGov suggests that more than a quarter of Britons make an annual promise of self-improvement.

But many of us fail to keep them – who wants to go the gym every day anyway?

So, how about some resolutions that can last beyond January?

We’ve pulled together some expert tips and advice from our training courses that will help spokespeople elevate their performances in 2025 and shine in the media spotlight.

 

1 Master remote interviews

Remote interviews took off in 2020 when the country was in lockdown.

And they remain popular, allowing media outlets to quickly get spokespeople on air without bringing them into a studio.

But people continue to get the basics wrong, with poor camera set-ups and terrible eyelines distracting from messages.  

Southern Water managing director Tim McMahon provided an example of this just before Christmas.

Appearing on Radio 4’s Today programme after a fault left homes in Hampshire without water, footage of the interview shared on social media showed the camera to be at chest height. And Mr McMahon spent the interview looking down at that camera.

"If the infrastructure caused thousands of people to be without water, what's your excuse for the poor communication?"@AmolRajan asks Southern Water managing director Tim McMahon after a technical fault left homes without water in Hampshire this week.#R4Today

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) December 20, 2024

Laptops must be elevated so they are level with your face – using books or boxes if necessary (as long as they are stable). Backgrounds should be plain and uncluttered. And care should be taken to get the lighting right.

 

2 Practice bridging

People worry about journalists asking questions they won’t know how to answer.

It is probably the concern we hear the most at the start of our media training courses.

The bridging technique is key to overcoming these fears and successfully navigating tricky questions.

It is something Elisa Colton, one of our expert tutors, highlighted during a recent webinar.

"It’s as simple as ABC,” Elisa said.

“It starts with answering or at least acknowledging the question. For example, you could say something like, “I understand why there is a lot of interest in that’. Here, you are answering the question in a way, and giving it some respect. So, it doesn’t look like you don’t care.

“But you don’t want to spend too much time here and need to build a bridge. ‘But’ and ‘However’ are great bridging words. So, after acknowledging or answering the question, you could say, ‘But that’s not what we are seeing here’ or ‘But what people are telling us is…’. These phrases take some time and practice to get right, but they get you away from the tricky area.

“And once that has been done, you need to communicate. Get back to your message and examples.

“Once you are over that bridge, remember it burns behind you. Avoid the temptation to return to it by saying something like, ‘Does that answer your question?’.

The more spokespeople practice bridging, the more natural the technique feels and sounds.

“People can grasp the bridging technique quite quickly and see how it is useful,” Elisa said. “But you must practice to ensure it does not sound over-rehearsed or slick.

“And the time to practice is not during your media interview.”

 

3 Tell more stories (and get personal)

Stories have a massive impact in media interviews.

They help get the human side across, bring messages to life, clarify concepts, and build connections with the audience.

They also help spokespeople to gain control of interviews. If you are producing great content that the journalist can see will compel their audience, they are less likely to feel the need to ask tough questions to try and find a story.

The best stories feature people – we’re all curious about the lives of others.

Personal stories take it one step further. They are the ones that persuade people to give money, take action, support an idea or buy a product.

And they ensure spokespeople stand out and are remembered.

 

4 Bring the passion

Passion and enthusiasm are crucial elements of media interviews.

They draw the audience in, grab their attention, build connections, develop trust and help persuade and convince. They show you care.

But this needs to come through naturally.

If you say something like, “I am really passionate about…” or “I am really excited to announce…”, it feels rehearsed and artificial.

 

5 Keep calm

Media interviews can be tough and uncomfortable

Not all the questions will be pleasant. Some will feel awkward, even hostile. There will be ones you would prefer not to answer.

Sometimes, questions can also feel personal.

But you need to absorb these pressures and avoid showing any frustration.

The audience is always more likely to remain sympathetic to a spokesperson who remains composed.

Whereas, when an interview gets heated, descends into an argument or results in a walkout, it becomes memorable for the wrong reasons.

This is what happened when Four Corners asked Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci about the lack of competition in the Australian grocery market.

Watch the #4Corners documentary tonight: https://t.co/dDRYGLaw2i pic.twitter.com/bsrJD9IETB

— ABC News (@abcnews) February 19, 2024

 

6 Prepare – but don’t memorise

Media appearances cannot be winged.

Proper preparation is crucial. Always spend time making sure you know the message you want to get across and the stories and examples you will use to support.

And consider the negative questions and wider issues that could be brought into the interview.

But don’t go too far and overload your brain by trying to be perfect. The interview is not a memory test.

You don’t want to appear over-rehearsed and scripted – audiences warm to spokespeople who seem human.