Our 15 top media training tips

If you follow Media First on Twitter you will know we tweet daily tips on delivering better media interviews and presentations.

These tips are taken directly from the advice given from our expert current working journalist tutors during our media training courses.

Of course, 140 characters are no substitute for taking part in media or training for presentations, but the aim is to help our followers to continue to develop their skills and understanding with regular snippets of information for both online and face-to-face media interviews.

The tips can be found under the #MFTIPS and #mediatraining hashtags, or by following @mediafirstltd

We have tweeted far too many tips to include in one blog, so here are 15 which have proved particularly popular with CEO's, our followers, journalists, fellow media trainers and other Twitter users:

1. Think in advance about the points you want to get across in an interview and how to illustrate them with examples.

    

2. Don’t rise to the bait in an interview. Stay composed to keep the audience with you.

    

3. Remember that keeping eye-contact is important in TV interviews to stop you looking shifty or defensive.

    

4. Give more examples and anecdotes to illustrate your message in a media interview.

    

5. Try to talk more slowly during an interview or presentation and pause for emphasis.

    

6. Inject enthusiasm into your delivery in an interview – think of it as a performance.

    

7. Bring in personal experience to your interview. It helps demonstrate empathy.

    

8. Get a real interview under your belt as soon as is reasonably possible after your media training.

    

9. Get your message and examples across early. Don’t be polite and wait to be asked.

    

10. Don’t be scared to simplify your language – it won’t compromise your message.

     

11. If you are doing an interview on the phone try standing up to give you more energy.

     

12. It’s your story, so exert control in an interview, especially using bridging, to get to where your want to be.

     

13. Incorporate more storytelling into your presentations.

     

14. Be aware a print interview starts from the moment you walk in the room or answer the phone.

     

15. Have a clear focus on the story you intend to tell before the interview.

     

Now that you have seen some of the daily tips we are putting out why not give us a follow?

Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 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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