Speak slowly. Tap your foot as you speak to slow yourself
down.
Pause between phrases. Wait for the reporter to catch up.
Speak in sound bites. The shorter the sentence, the better.
Use short words. Two syllables are better than three.
Do not use jargon. If you have to explain a word, you will
lose
your audience—and your reporter.
Use the "child" test. In your mind, explain it to a
child.
Avoid complex sentences. If half got lost, would it mean
what you want?
Never say anything you wouldn't want your boss, your
mother or
everyone you've ever met to know.
If you must say something you don't want to admit, go
"Off the Record." Never
do this unless you absolutely
have to. The reporter may
respect it, but an editor may
not.
If you don't know something, say you're not sure, but
you’ll find out. Then, get back ASAP.
If a reporter calls and you can’t talk, find out their
deadline. Tell them when you’ll get back to them.
The media usually only calls once on a story. If you don’t
get
back to them—and you are not absolutely crucial to
the story—you will never
hear from them again.
For more information on Dell Richards Publicity, call us
Posts
