Mr. Media Training

Bombings! Bigots! Breakups! Broadcasting Executives!

That over-heated alliteration can mean only one thing: It’s time for the five worst video media disasters of March!

Here are this month’s top five media disasters, in descending order:

#5: General David Petraeus’ Bombing Joke

In a scene reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s controversial joke about bombing the Russians in five minutes, General David Petraeus greeted U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Afghanistan earlier this month with a joke of his own.

Petraeus asked, “Flying a little bigger plane than normal – you gonna launch some attacks on Libya or something?" "Yeah, exactly," Gates responded, as both men laughed. Little did they realize that a news microphone was listening in.

The quip was cringe-worthy at the time, but turned out to be prophetic. The U.S. joined attacks on Libya just two weeks later.

4. Newt Gingrich Explains His Divorces

You have to give likely 2012 GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich credit. He knew he’d have to explain to socially conservative voters why he cheated on and left his two sick wives.

But it was impossible to predict he’d blame his behavior on his overwhelming love for America. By his logic, a presidential candidate who cheated on and left seven wives would be even more qualified to lead.

Click here to see my full analysis of this incident, “Bad Apologies Are Worse Than No Apologies.”

#3: Domestic Abuser Chris Brown Grows Up. Or Something.

Singer Chris Brown, who was convicted of beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to promote his new album. But Brown got edgy when anchor Robin Roberts asked him about the case.

“It’s not really a big deal to me now,” said Brown, apparently unconcerned that people might still hold the fact that he beat a woman against him. He then talked about “going through everything I went through,” making clear he sees himself as the primary victim.

But the real action came after the interview, when he threw a tantrum so severe that scared ABC staffers called security. Oh, and he threw a chair through a window in his dressing room, endangering pedestrians on the sidewalk below. Charming.

#2: Herman Cain and Neil Cavuto Talk About The Unpatriotic American Muslims

There is a beautiful poem by a German pastor inscribed on the walls of Washington, D.C.’s Holocaust Museum. It reads:

“They came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

I cite that poem because possible GOP candidate Herman Cain, a Tea Party darling, smeared all American Muslims by saying he would likely not allow a Muslim in his cabinet:

“I would have to have people totally committed to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of this United States. And many of the Muslims, they are not totally dedicated to this country. They are not dedicated to our Constitution. Many of them are trying to force Sharia law on the people of this country.”

So, I’m speaking up. Do a few extreme American Muslims meet his criteria? Sure. But his dangerous fear-mongering goes well beyond a radicalized few and smears an entire group of patriotic Americans. Worse, anchor Neil Cavuto treats Cain with kid gloves, seeming to regard Mr. Cain as that loveable uncle who occasionally goes a bit too far.

The number two slot is shared equally between Herman Cain and Neil Cavuto this month.

#1: NPR Fundraiser Ron Schiller Blasts Republicans and the Tea Party

Chief NPR fundraiser Mr. Schiller went to lunch with a couple of men claiming to be Muslim donors. It turned out they were Republican activists with a hidden camera.

During the lunch, Mr. Schiller shared his views of the Tea Party:

“Basically, they believe in white, middle America, gun-toting — it’s pretty scary. They’re seriously racist, racist people.”

It’s rarely a good idea to brand an entire group as racist. That he generalized about the motives of an entire group of people was bad enough, but that he did it while NPR was in the midst of an already heated debate about its public funding was flabbergasting. His comments not only led to his immediate resignation, but the resignation of NPR’s CEO, as well.

And his comments directly led to the House of Representatives voting to strip NPR of its federal funding. The Senate will probably prevent that from happening, but NPR’s P.R. woes will continue.  

Click here to see my full analysis, “If You Don’t Want It In Print, Don’t Say It At All”

Okay, so this was a heavy month. Here’s a fun bonus!

BONUS: Former Senator Doesn’t Like That Darn Rap Stuff

Former Senator Alan Simpson, who served on President Obama’s entitlement commission, appeared on the Fox News Channel to talk about Social Security and Medicare reform. But he went slightly off-message with a cranky pants rant that made him look more like Grandpa Abe Simpson than Senator Alan Simpson.

Note to grandparents: It’s always going to be funny if you think Eminem is called “Enema Man” and Snoop Doggy Dogg is known as “Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog.”

BONUS, PART TWO: If you like the Enema Man as much as Sen. Alan Simpson’s grandchildren, here’s a music video. (Not suitable for work)

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April 4, 2011: Weigh In On Our Question Of The Week: How Do You Control Fear When Doing Public Speaking?

April 3, 2011: The Five Things I’d Tell GoDaddy’s CEO About His Elephant-Killing Crisis Right Now

A couple of weeks ago, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and blasted Republicans for cutting funding to National Public Radio. But he did it sarcastically, saying the opposite of what he actually meant:

Viewers who watched this video could easily sense his sarcastic tone. But imagine you were reading the transcript. Or a piece of his opponent’s direct mail that quoted him. Or a biased news story that omitted the fact he was being sarcastic and just ran his words. Here is what those audiences would have seen:

"The Republican Party — no one can say they’re not in touch, they get it. They understand where the American people are…Finally my Republican friends are doing it. Kudos to you!”

Mr. Weiner’s words could easily be used to make it look like he was making the exact opposite point from what he intended. And that’s why sarcasm rarely works for media interviews or public speeches – it doesn’t translate well into print.

Mr. Weiner and I have something in common: we were both born of Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York. I bring that up because sarcasm is a strong part of the New York Jewish culture, and his sarcastic rants likely play well to his constituents back home.

But I suspect Mr. Weiner’s mocking sarcasm plays poorly to much of the rest of the country, and he’s wasting an opportunity to persuade other people rather than just preaching to his own choir.

Of course, Mr. Weiner may not care what the rest of the country thinks. He’s rumored to be considering a run for mayor of New York City in 2013. If elected, he would join a long line of other sarcastic New York City mayors – Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani, and Michael Bloomberg. Still, he’d beat all of them on the sarcasm scale – and sarcasm rarely wears well over a long campaign or during a long tenure.

I suspect Mr. Weiner will insist on remaining defiantly sarcastic. If I were his press aide, I would tell him to at least use sarcasm that translates more literally into print – (e.g. “The Republicans approach to saving the economy seems to be cutting ‘Click and Clack.’ Yeah, right, like that will do anything to save Social Security and Medicare.”) – instead of using his sarcasm to make the exact opposite point.

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Some presentation trainers teach speakers to use the “B” key during PowerPoint presentations, which blacks out the screen after each slide is shown. Their argument is that a speaker can reduce distractions for the audience by introducing a slide, talking about it, and blacking out the screen until it’s time for the next slide.

That makes sense in theory, but there are at least two problems with that approach.

First, speakers don’t only have to hit the “B” key when they black out the screen, but have to strike it again when they turn the screen back on.

Second, the previous slide is still up when the screen comes back on, meaning you have to both turn the screen on and advance the slide. That’s an awful lot of fumbling around, and it’s usually more distracting than just leaving the original slide up.

There are only two times I recommend using the “B” key:

1. Emotionally Difficult Material: If you put up a slide containing emotionally difficult material and prefer not to linger too long on that point; and

2. Experienced Speakers: If you’re an exceptionally experienced speaker who can gracefully navigate between slides using the “B” key without creating a larger distraction.

But a better practice is simply to put up your slide, give the audience a few moments to take it in, and then begin speaking. Remember – good slides are simple, containing just a few words and/or simple graphics. If you give the audience a few moments to absorb each new slide before you begin speaking, they’re unlikely to present a noteworthy distraction.

Related: The Five Most Common PowerPoint Mistakes

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Since news of her death early Saturday, the media have widely hailed Geraldine Ferraro’s status as a pioneer. But the first woman on a national political ticket was a pioneer in at least one other way – she ushered in the crisis communications tactic of the marathon press conference, in which a spokesperson attempts to quash a crisis by taking virtually every question the assembled journalists can think of, effectively outlasting the reporters.

First, the background. Just days after being selected as Walter Mondale’s vice presidential running mate in July 1984, the press began investigating shady financial dealings involving Ms. Ferraro and her husband.

The media circus only intensified when Ferraro made – and then reversed – a pledge to release her husband’s tax returns. When she explained her change of mind, she quipped, “You people who are married to Italian men, you know what it’s like,” which fueled even more critical coverage.

Geraldine Ferraro at Press Conference, August 21, 1984. Photo Credit: The Connecticut Post

On August 21, 1984, Ms. Ferraro held a nearly two-hour conference in front of 200 reporters. That marathon press conference – unparalleled in modern presidential campaigns –  was ostensibly intended to quell the public storm through full disclosure. But it accomplished at least three other critical things:

1. It helped reverse the narrative that she was not transparent.

2. It turned her into a more sympathetic figure.

3. It offered Ms. Ferraro a vital opportunity to show her mettle as a female candidate who could endure the intensity of the media’s scrutiny.

From The New York Times, August 22, 1984:

“Yesterday, Mrs. Ferraro subjected herself to nearly two hours of grueling questioning by reporters in an effort to quiet a controversy that has followed her for two weeks and threatened to derail her campaign.”

Far from derailing her campaign, the marathon press conference largely put the issue to rest (financial issues continued to dog her, but with nowhere close to the same level of intensity).

In an age of media consultants who limit access to candidates, it’s difficult to fathom a candidate who would be willing to endure a two-hour marathon press conference today. But as a media trainer and crisis communications coach, I would encourage my peers to keep this arrow in their quiver.

Sure, it’s a risky strategy fraught with potential dangers. But the right candidates – especially those who can remain unflappable while appearing genuine and likeable – can manage their crises with the same effectiveness as Ferraro.

One interesting side note: In a 2006 episode of The West Wing written by Lawrence O’Donnell, GOP presidential candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) opted to give a marathon press conference after news emerged that he had supported a nuclear facility that had almost melted down.

It’s not hard to imagine that Ms. Ferraro was close to Mr. O’Donnell’s mind when he penned the episode.

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Related: Seven Rules to Remember When a Crisis Strikes

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I was having dinner with a friend recently when she looked over to the bar and groaned. When I asked her what was up, she told me that a man had just started hitting on a woman sitting by herself – but in the way that makes women cringe. She said that women all know “that guy.”

He’s the man at the bar who approaches a female stranger. He begins to chat her up, hoping to get on her good side. He thinks he’s being slick, but the woman can instinctively sense his ulterior motives.

Still, he persists. He agrees a little too easily with everything she says and laughs a little too loudly at her jokes. He’s waiting for that moment when (he hopes) she agrees to go home with him at the end of the night.

Perhaps it’s because I think about media training way too much, but it occurred to me that reporters have something in common with that guy at the bar: they’ll occasionally say what they have to to get what they want.

Sometimes, that means they’ll try to coax something out of you that you’ll later regret saying.

Other times, they’ll make the case that they’re trying to help you, if only you’d share that juicy bit of confidential information with them.

But perhaps the most dangerous trap is the “best friend” reporter. Like the guy at the bar, the “best friend” reporter will schmooze you, quickly making you feel comfortable that he is on your side. After a few minutes, you begin to trust him – after all, he seems like a decent guy.

When the story runs, you’re devastated to find that he abused your trust by printing some of your most damning statements. But he didn’t abuse your trust. His loyalty was always to the story, not to you.

Most reporters I’ve worked with are genuinely nice people. But you should never confuse the genuine kindness of a reporter for that of a long-lost friend. Be friendly, be warm, be outgoing – but never tell him things you might later regret.

A lot of media spokespersons treat phone interviews far too casually. And their tendency not to take phone interviews seriously can be a big problem.

Their casualness is understandable. Talking on the telephone is an everyday occurrence, so people don’t tend to view it as a scary thing. In contrast, being on television is a foreign experience for most people, which tends to make them prepare.

That makes no sense, of course, since your print audience may be ten times the size of the broadcast audience.

This video media training tip will offer you three ways to improve your telephone media interviews.

Related: How to Avoid the Language of Denial (Video)

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Unless you live in Canada, you’ve probably never heard of Tim Hudak. He’s a local politician and the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Last week, he gave a press conference. He did a great job. He was perfectly on message, as noted by the local paper, The London Free Press:

“Making it clear where he’s focusing his message in a four-minute speech outside a transformer station, he mentioned ‘families’ 11 times – Hudak repeated his plan to make the meters optional for homeowners.”

So far, so good. Only one problem. No one showed up to his press conference.

As the camera pans the “crowd,” you can see only a few members of the press – but no “real” people. You can watch the amusing video here.

Tim Hudak

Although this may seem like a gaffe, I actually give Mr. Hudak enormous credit. Other than the brief shot of the non-existent crowd (which, I’m guessing, most stations didn’t show), his optics were perfect. He delivered the speech confidently, as if speaking to a much larger audience. He even looked to his right and left, giving viewers the impression that people were actually standing there.

In so doing, he never let television viewers in on the secret that nobody else was there.

You might wonder if there’s a slight deception in his performance, but I’d argue there wasn’t. After all, his primary audience isn’t reporters, but his constituents. The format of sound bite television allowed Hudak to reach them with the exact message he hoped to convey, and he wisely took that opportunity.

Yes, his advance staff should probably do a better job of getting a few people to show up to his press events. But Mr. Hudak handled this potentially embarrassing situation like a true master.

A grateful hat tip to reader Bob LeDrew for passing this clip along.

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I enjoy little in life more than bad 80s music. And by bad, I mean awesome.

So I wanted to marry my personal guilty pleasure with my professional blog by offering public speakers  12 things they can learn from 1980’s music.

To make this even more of a time waster, I’ve inserted the videos for each of these 12 songs. I certainly hope you enjoy them more than Ms. Media Training does my collection of Cyndi Lauper and Bon Jovi 45s.

Finally, for the record, no. I can’t offer any advice for public speakers based on George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex,” the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” or Poison’s “Talk Dirty To Me.” You’re on your own there.

Okay, here we go!

#12: Be Good To Yourself, 1986: As Journey said in their top ten single, be good to yourself. That means getting a good night’s sleep before your speech, hydrating with plenty of room temperature water, and eating a meal intended to satiate your hunger, not stuff you. (If you look closely in the below video, you’ll see American Idol’s Randy Jackson on bass.)

#11: Self Control, 1984: In her top five smash, Laura Branigan lamented the loss of her self control, a feeling all too familiar to public speakers when nervousness saps them of their self control. Breathing exercises can help. Before going on stage, take a long, deep breath. Hold it as long as you can. Release the air slowly. Repeat ten times.

#10: You’re Only Human, 1985: Billy Joel’s top ten hit reminded listeners, “you’re only human, you’re supposed to make mistakes.” It’s good advice, so remember that the audience won’t judge you based on a scale of perfection. It doesn’t matter if you flub a line, forget a word, or make a minor gaffe – if you’re passionate and care about the topic, the audience will probably like you. And if you do make a big mistake? Stay in the moment. Beat yourself up afterwards if you must, but never do it while you’re still on stage.

#9: Hello, 1984: Lionel Richie’s number one song said the word “hello” three times – and many speakers follow suit by beginning their talk with some combination of “hello,” “thank you,” and “nice to be here.” Kill that introduction, which offers no value to the audience, and instead begin with something that captures their attention immediately – such as a startling statistic, a surprising fact, or an audience survey.

#8: I’m So Excited, 1984: The Pointer Sisters’ top ten smash offered the catchy hook, “I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it.” Great speakers take that notion seriously, hooking their audiences with contagious energy. That doesn’t mean speakers have to act flamboyantly to capture the audience’s attention – but it does mean they have to exude genuine excitement to be there.

#7: Don’t Rush Me, 1989: Taylor Dayne’s number two hit offered a plea: “don’t rush me, I’ve made that mistake before.” If you’ve been told you’re a fast talker, force yourself to take a breath after every sentence and offer a brief pause between important points. Those silences – something I call “verbal white space” – give you a chance to catch your breath and control your pace – and your audience an opportunity to absorb your information.

#6: Physical, 1981: In Olivia Newton-John’s massive smash (and dreadful video), she cooed, “let’s get physical, let me hear your body talk.” One seminal study found that more than half of your communications occurs through your “body language” – so bring the full measure of your enthusiasm and natural, open gestures to help ensure that your body “talks.”

#5: Stand, 1989: REM’s top ten hit instructed listeners to “stand in the place where you work.” Okay, most speakers already stand when they deliver a speech, but too many stand in the wrong place. Except for the most formal speeches, don’t stand behind a lectern – stand in the front of the stage instead. You can rest your notes on a small table just off to the side.

#4 Roam, 1989: This number three hit from the B-52’s encouraged listeners to “roam if you want to, roam around the world.” Since you now know better than to stand behind a lectern, don’t just stand placidly on the stage. It’s okay to roam around the stage –  just make your movements purposeful. When you finish making an important point, for example, walk to the opposite side of the stage to make your next point.

#3: When I See You Smile, 1989: This number one hit from Bad English said, “when I see you smile, I see a ray of light.” No wonder. The emerging science of mirror neurons (more here) suggests that the audience subconsciously returns the speaker’s smile, likely due to some type of innate modeling behavior. Social science also shows the audience is more receptive to your ideas when you smile. So smile, and they’ll be wrapped around your finger.

#2: Danger Zone, 1986: Kenny Loggins scored a number two hit with his testosterone-filled Top Gun song that bragged about riding the “highway to the danger zone.” For speakers, the danger zone is when the audience starts to lose interest. Shake it up. You can regain interest during those moments by engaging directly with the audience – ask a question, ask for a show of hands, or solicit comments –anything that breaks the monotony of your delivery and gets the audience back in your corner. 

#1: Don’t You Forget About Me, 1985: This Breakfast Club classic was a number one smash for the band Simple Minds. Too often, speakers end their presentations by meekly saying something like, “that’s all I have to say, thank you very much.” Instead, end your speeches with a call-to-action (you might not want to do that by shouting, “Hey, hey, hey, hey!”). Invite attendees to visit your website, sample a product, sign a petition, or read a book to learn more. That closing call-to-action helps ensure your audience doesn’t forget about you the moment you end your talk.

Did I omit an 80’s great? Hit me with your best shot and leave a comment below. Fire away!

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