Media Interview Techniques: A Complete Guide to Media Training

by Robert Taylor

A practical guide to preparing for, conducting, and evaluating the success of media interviews, this book is based on communications expert Robert Taylor's eight-step methodology for polished and confident interview delivery across a range of platforms--TV, radio, internet, and video.  Taylor explains how to handle nerves, voice and body language, communicate in a crisis, answer unfair questions, know when to decline interviews, win over skeptical audiences, and create a resonant message.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2015

About the author

I help organisations communicate through the written and spoken word, so that they build trust and make a connection with their audience. My main passion is media training, and I’m proud to be one of the UK’s most experienced and successful trainers in this field.

I’ve developed a unique methodology for successful media interviews, which I’ve used to train political leaders, chief executives and chairmen throughout the world, who are about to speak live on TV. In fact, I train anyone who’s going to do a media interview of any sort, including directors preparing for interviews with the international press and national radio stations, and managers learning how to get the best out of their trade or local media.

My trainees include more than a thousand executives from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the entire executive management teams of the Olympic Delivery Authority for London 2012, and senior executives at BT, Accenture, British Airways and FedEx.

Alongside media training, I also offer:
Message development

Writing and editing services (working with my brilliant colleague, Richard Cheeseman)
Meeting and conference facilitation
Personal communication and impact training (often working alongside the wonderful Caroline Black)
Media training exercises for corporate recruitment
Writing training (alongside my outstanding associate, Chris Shevlin)
Ideas and advice for communications campaigns
Presentation training
Crisis training and preparedness (working with the “Master of Disaster” himself, Martin Langford)

Reviews

[Dawnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to learn more about Interview Techniques and how to make an interview interesting.

This book is really a complete guide to figuring out how to do interviews, how to write them and what techniques to use to actually get something worth reporting on.

What i personally really enjoyed on this book was that for the most parts it was written in a way that someone that does not have "media" training or is just curious about the topic can understand and learn from what is said in this book.
I also enjoyed how this book was sectioned off into the different elements, from what kind of headline you should work towards, to how to prepare for an interview, to actually interview and lastly how to actually publish that interview.

I also enjoyed the little exercise parts that were pretty nicely done most of the time.

Overall this book is really helpful for anyone that wants to start interviews for what ever reasons. If you are new or experienced in interviewing, i am sure that you can find something that will help you in this book.


* I received my copy for free through NetGalley -thanks to the Publishers!- in exchange for a honest review!*

[coolwind · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written book. The cases in the book are wonderful.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can never have enough preparedness when it comes to being interviewed by the media. Even old hands understand that complacency can be a dangerous trait, especially in front of a live microphone. For most people, it can be a terrifying experience. It does not always get that much easier; you do need to keep your wits about you.

So this book is a great, sensitively written, powerful guide for anyone who may need a bit of media training. You may not consider that you are going to be “on the telly” any time soon but there are so many possible media outlets or chances for media exposure, especially unplanned, so being even slightly prepared is a good thing. Even if you work in a role where you wouldn’t expect to talk to the media (or shouldn’t), it would be good to know how to react if you are “door-stopped” by a professional journalist or even YouTube social media vigilante.

For those who may have to deal with the media on a more arranged, regular basis, this can be a little gold mine. Even if you believe you know it all, it is a useful aide memoire and may still yield a few nuggets of knowledge you had forgotten or never knew. This is practical advice, backed up with real-world examples of good (and bad) interviews and media appearances.

It was a pleasure to read this book. Even an old, experienced journalist such as this reviewer found things to learn, with the intention of being an even-better interviewer and interviewee or speaker. The book has such a low price that it should be a “no-brainer” purchase for every company and required reading for all executives. Not only will it help you make the most of any interview opportunity, it counsels you on when to decline and keep your mouth shut! That course of action, naturally, will make any journalist get uptight and even more determined to get you to say something, anything… or they may find one of your co-workers who may not have had media training and then they start babbling incoherently… Declining to comment should not be the default position, but sometimes it is advisable to wait a little, think a bit more and then comment authoritatively with accurate, actionable information.

The author finds a writing style that doesn’t assume the reader is an experienced media performer, nor does it dumb things down – a fine balancing act has been reached. A lot of the advice is more than just something you need when facing the media, it could stand you in good stead when presenting at a conference, making a sales pitch or just networking somewhere. After all, words are coming out of your mouth, so you need to shape how they appear.

This is a book you can read several times in a row and more information will be discovered. It can also be an invaluable close companion. Check it out!

Autamme.com

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

This is well written book by an expert in the field that tells you everything you need to know about how to prepare for media interviews. I think this book might be better suited for the UK than America, since the UK actually has journalists.