Why the Old Ground Rules for Media Interviews Don’t Apply Anymore

By The Newman Group, Inc. — Leave a comment

There used to be a simple list of accepted ground rules for media interviews with reporters. They don’t exist anymore with the advent of viral media. Ground rules have gone the way of VCR tapes, yet that doesn’t change the reasons why you need to be more vigilant than ever about what you say in interviews. …Read more…

Executive Media Training, Media Interview Coaching, Media Relations Training

Is It Ever OK to Respond “No Comment” to a Reporter?

By The Newman Group, Inc. — 1 comment

Yes, but not in those exact words.

No comment

To comment or not to comment?

The conventional wisdom for media interviews is that you never say “no comment” when a reporter asks you a question you can’t or don’t want to answer.

You Must Answer the Question

Of course, you can’t give the reporter confidential company information, or comment during the quite period preceding an IPO. But you cannot ignore the question. You don’t want to use the words “no comment,” which is like waving a red flag. But many interview subjects think they can simply stonewall the reporter and bridge back to their key messages.

That is a big mistake. The reporter will think …Read more…

Crisis Communications Training, Crisis Media Training, Executive Media Training, Media Interview Coaching, Media Relations Training