Imagine your approach to a media interview was described as ‘wasting airtime’.
Or the presenter wrapped it up by saying, “It is an interesting policy – even if we don’t quite understand it.”
And the newspaper reports that followed suggested you have been ‘skewered’.
With feedback like this it’s easy to understand why media spokespeople need ongoing support and media training ahead of their media appearances.
This reaction happened when education minister Robert Halfon appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the government’s latest tough talk target – limiting the number of students on university courses that don’t have ‘good outcomes’.
Or ‘rip off degrees’ as the government described them on social media.
His interview began to go wrong from the first question when he was asked what courses he would “suggest are not worth being on”.
As he launched into an evasive response, presenter Susanna Reid interrupted saying, “It’s not the answer to the question”.
When she asked him again, he still failed to give any examples.
And this theme continued throughout the interview until an exasperated Richard Madeley – Ms Reid’s co-presenter – finally had enough.
“Mr Halfon, I really wish – and I think I am speaking for our viewers as well – you would just give us a handful of examples of the kinds of degree courses you think are rubbish,” he said.
“Just give us a few examples of actual courses you think are wasting everyone’s time.”
When the politician again refused to give examples, Mr Madeley said: “Can you just give a straight answer to that incredibly simple question?”
If you’ve been on our media training courses before, you will know we stress the importance of examples.
I’m no fan of @richardm56 but this look of total exasperation with Robert halfon and his inability to answer a straight question and the ridiculousness of the policy was a classic pic.twitter.com/x4YbHY4Bo4
— ❤️citizen Macca (@P15pm) July 17, 2023
Examples are crucial. They bring what spokespeople say to life. They help people understand the argument.
And spokespeople should not wait to be asked to include them in their answers.
Some examples here would help viewers understand what the government means by courses with good outcomes and those with less desirable results.
Without them, viewers are left to speculate which courses could be at risk.
Mr Halfon has a degree in politics and a masters in Russian politics and Eastern European politics – are they courses with good outcomes? They might need reassessing after this performance.
Failing to provide examples also ensured Mr Halfon faced tougher questions. He had little control over what was discussed. And the conversation kept coming back to example requests.
It’s been a little while since I worked in government communication. But surely, some examples could have been pulled together as part of the preparation for the media interviews on this new policy.
It feels like an obvious oversight.
Not only was the education minister unwilling to provide examples, but he was also unable to define what was meant by ‘good outcomes’.
Ms Reid told him at one point, “I’m still not quite sure what the definition of a good job is because you basically just said ‘public or private sector’, which is every single job. So, are you talking about a salary – you do a degree and reach a certain salary, and that is the definition of a good job?”
Pushed for a coherent definition he said: “I’m talking about a good job that has good earnings potential, whether it is in the public or private sector, that reflects the investment they have made in that degree. And that meets the skills needs that our country needs but that individuals need as well.”
I’ve watched the interview several times, and I’m still not convinced I know the answer. Where would this leave graduates going into lower paid, yet highly skilled sectors, like social work?
If your message is that you are launching a crackdown, surely there should be some detail about the problem you are trying to resolve. Not being able to give an example of a degree with ‘bad outcomes’ or define a 'good job' suggests a lack of preparation. Or substance. What else can we learn from this interview?
Something else we stress during our media training courses is for spokespeople to remain composed.
Don’t show frustration if the interview does not go the way you want.
This was another area where Mr Halfon would benefit from more time in the classroom.
Remember when he was pressed for an answer to the question of examples? He replied by saying, “It’s the wrong question.”
Another media training lesson is to avoid repeating the journalist’s negative language.
When Mr Madeley suggested he had “never heard a woollier policy”, the minister said “it is not woolly at all” in the middle of his answer.
Spokespeople do not need to repeat negative language to rebut what has been said. The more the phrase is used, the more likely it is to stick with the audience. Use your language – not the reporter’s.
And stick to positive words and phrases.
The end of an interview can be a tricky time for spokespeople with ‘and finally’ or ‘while I have got you here’ questions broadening the subject.
Here Ms Reid brought inflation into the interview. How can higher wages be seen as part of a good outcome when people are told not to ask for higher wages because of inflationary pressure?
Again, the answer to that question lacked clarity. It was more of a defence of the government’s economic record. And the interview became more of an argument, with the presenter and interviewee increasingly speaking over each other.
Ms Reid ended it by saying, “it slightly undermines the criteria of the good quality degree.”
Government - a good degree is one that leads to pay rises.
— Susanna Reid (@susannareid100) July 17, 2023
Also the government - pay rises are inflationary. Don’t expect one. https://t.co/3V9GjnbJr8
Here’s what some other media outlets made of the interview:
NO, MINISTER! Richard Madeley fumes he’s ‘wasting airtime’ after furious row with Good Morning Britain guest The Sun
Susanna Reid Skewers Minister Over Tory Plan To Cap University Places Huff Post
Ouch.
We don’t know who delivered Mr Halfon’s media training. But on the evidence of this interview, it is not producing good outcomes.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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