Mr. Media Training

When Harvard’s Center for Media and Public Affairs studied the average length of a sound bite in 2000, they found that the typical television quote lasted just 7.3 seconds. It’s probably even shorter today. And that’s down from 42 seconds in 1968. (PDF of study here.)

Since most of us speak an average of two or three words per second, that translates to a measly 18 words per quote.

Many spokespersons complain that they couldn’t possibly say anything of meaning in that short time period. And they’re right—it’s a major challenge. But it is possible.

I recently saw a tweet that contained the “world’s shortest horror story.” It read:

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.”

Those 17 words send chills down my spine. If you’re like me, you probably created a strong mental picture of the room, how the man was sitting, and the terror he felt when he heard that unexpected knock. With just 17 words, this story elicits a strong visceral reaction.

That tweet made me think of another terrifying line, this one from the 1979 classic horror movie, “When a Stranger Calls.” You may remember the set up to that film: a babysitter is alone in a house with the young children she’s looking after. She keeps getting threatening phone calls. She calls the police, who ask her to keep the caller on the line when he phones again to allow them to trace the origin of the call. She complies. After the police trace it, they call the babysitter back and say:

“We’ve traced the call. It’s coming from inside the house.”

I saw that movie as a teenager. And whenever I’m alone in my house and hear a strange sound, I’m reminded of those 10 terrifying words.

So next time someone tells you it’s impossible to say something of meaning in just 7.3 seconds, remember the lesson from those horror stories. Sometimes, the most evocative ideas require the fewest words.

Have the best of the blog delivered to your inbox twice per month! Enter your name in the box on the upper right of the blog to join our mailing list.

Last year, I wrote an article with ten of my favorite media training quotes of all time. I expected that it would appeal to a very limited audience – but I wanted to post it anyway since I’m a word nerd who appreciates a well-delivered line. 

To my great surprise, that article has become of this blog’s most popular posts ever. So today, I’m updating the list with another ten of my favorite media training quotes of all time. Enjoy!

MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT QUOTES

1. 1. “Everything should be as simple as possible but no simpler.” – Albert Einstein (paraphrased from   a longer quote)
2. 2. "The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out." – Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer
3. 3. “Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator.” – Marcus Tulius Cicero, Roman orator

Cicero advised speakers to be brief

MEDIA INTERVIEWING QUOTES

1. 4. "It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear." – Red Auerbach, Legendary Boston Celtics coach
2. 5. "No man ever listened himself out of a job." – Calvin Coolidge
3. 6. “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” – Friedrich Nietzsche German philosopher

Celtics Coach and President Red Auerbach, Photo Credit: Basketballphoto.com

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS QUOTES

1. 7. “In time of crisis people want to know that you care, more than they care what you know” – Attributed to Will Rogers, American comedian, among others
2. 8. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
3. 9. “There can’t be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger
4. 10. “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters — one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” – John F. Kennedy

Have the best of the blog delivered to your inbox twice per month!  Enter your name in the box on the upper right of the blog to join our mailing list.

Related: The Ten Best Media Training Quotes Ever

Related: The Best Media Training Quotes Ever (Part Three)

I was recently quoted in The Hill newspaper regarding the role that humor plays in politics. The writer of the piece, Christian Heinze (also a terrific blogger at GOP12), asked me to comment on the advantages (and disadvantages) of humor in a political campaign.

Inspired by Christian’s question, I’m going to go into more detail on that topic today and break down five different types of humor (each with a video example). 

Candidates who have a natural humor often have an easier time relating with voters. But humor is not a prerequisite for winning (Mike Huckabee had a better sense of humor than John McCain), and humorless candidates shouldn’t try to force it. Candidates who do force it risk looking like they’re trying too hard, which usually plays badly with voters.

#1: Self-Effacing Humor

Few types of humor are as appealing as gently self-effacing humor. A little goes a long way here – no candidate should lapse into “shtick.” But self-effacing humor that acknowledges a widely-lampooned trait demonstrates a candidate’s willingness to laugh at him or herself, something the public tends to appreciate. Al Gore offered a nice demonstration of self-effacing humor in 1996, playing off his “stiff” reputation.

#2: Gently Ribbing Opponent

“Mean” humor doesn’t play well, but gentle jabs at one’s opponent often do. Ronald Reagan was a master of this, delivering a killer line with a mile-wide smile. In this famous clip from 1980, Mr. Reagan counters President Carter’s attack with a killer one-liner that’s still often quoted today.

#3: Definitional Wit

Humor is at its best when it serves a specific purpose. One such purpose is to help define yourself – or your opponents – as something specific, using humor as the delivery vehicle. In 2008, Sarah Palin got off a terrific one-liner days after her selection as John McCain’s running mate. Sure, it was lampooned, but it also helped establish the relative unknown as a tough and credible player in the election.

#4: Inappropriate Humor

The political hall of shame is filled with candidates who, in being “humorous,” only demonstrated their cluelessness. John McCain gleefully singing “Bomb Iran” to the tune of The Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann” is one such example. But my favorite cringe-worthy example is when Mitt Romney tried to show his cultural “hipness” with a group of African-American school students.

#5: Sarcasm

Sarcasm rarely plays well, as candidate Barack Obama learned in the days following his 2008 Iowa primary win. Within days of the next primary in New Hampshire in which he was heavily favored, Mr. Obama made a bitter and unpleasant crack about Hillary Clinton’s lack of popularity. Voters resented it, and rewarded Ms. Clinton with an unexpected win in New Hampshire.

Come on, people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together and follow my Twitter feed right now. I’m at @MrMediaTraining.

Related: Whatever. I Was Just Being Sarcastic, Okay?

Related: Can You Stop An On-Air Laughing Fit?

I’m often asked which media training firms are our greatest competitors. I always give the same response – our biggest competitors are media trainers that spout awful advice.

That’s because trainers that offer clients lousy recommendations give the whole industry a bad name, and potential clients who have interacted with them in the past are skeptical of the rest of us. 

I’ve never viewed other high quality media training firms as my competitors. I’ve gotten to know (in person, by phone, or by reading their materials) many media training firms through the years, and I’d say there are about a dozen firms I regard quite highly. If I lose a proposal to one of those firms, it’s fine. They’re good practitioners, and there’s enough work to go around.

Here’s where I’m going with this: I recently saw a blog post on a PR firm’s website selling their media training “expertise.” But two of their four recommendations offered dreadful advice.

Throwing Your Money Away Is More Efficient Than Hiring A Mediocre Media Training Firm.

I won’t call out this firm by name, because my intent isn’t to publicly shame them, but rather to caution media training shoppers to make sure the firm they go with doesn’t spout this type of nonsense.

First, they suggested that you should rephrase a journalist’s question by saying, “I think what you’re really asking is…”, followed up by stating the question you want to answer.

Really?!?

The interviewee may as well say, “I think you’re obviously too dumb to know what you’re asking, so let me help you out by telling you what you should have asked.” That bridge line will immediately create a red flag for reporters, obvious as it is in its passive aggressive evasiveness.

Spokespersons should take control, yes. But attacking the reporter’s question (excluding in the most hostile interviews, when it’s occasionally appropriate) is rarely a good strategy, particularly if it’s done in such a clumsy manner.

Second, they suggested that you address a “no comment” issue by saying something like, “that’s not something we can really talk about right now because of legal concerns. I hope you understand.”

Really?!?

Any good reporter will follow that up with, “Actually, no, I don’t understand. Many other people in legal situations have something to say, so I can’t understand why you wouldn’t want to defend yourself.”

Why would you ever ask a reporter if they “understand” your refusal to speak? The journalist isn’t your therapist, and you shouldn’t ask their permission to validate your media strategy. Instead, tell the reporter why you can’t say more, that you wish you could, and that you look forward to the day when the full story can come out.

These small-seeming semantic differences may seem petty, but they’re the difference between a successful media interview and a disaster. When choosing a media training firm, do your homework. Read their marketing materials, their blog, their articles on industry websites – whatever you can get your hands on. If anything in their advice makes you nervous, run – don’t walk – to a different firm.

Related: An Unbalanced View of Media Training

Related: Yes, Our PR Firm Is Running a Sweat Shop