Last modified on September 6, 2017 by Brad Phillips

20 Reasons You Should Not Get Media Training

If you do a web search, you’ll come across many articles telling you why you should get media training. But I’ve never seen a post telling people why they shouldn’t.

In this post, I’ll fill a much-needed gap by offering 20 reasons why you, your clients, or your colleagues should definitely not pursue media training.

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  1. Your parents always said you were perfect and you don’t want anyone to contradict them.
  2. When given the choice between delivering a memorable message or one that’s destined to disappear into the ether, you respond by saying, “Tell me more about the ether.”
  3. You like the adrenaline rush of an anchor cutting off your answers because you take too long to make a point.
  4. You’re a thrill-seeker hell-bent on seeing how much damage you can inflict on your company in a single interview.
  5. You’re terrified of heights so prefer a lengthy “encyclopedia pitch” to a tight elevator pitch.
  6. You’re a generous person and like offering reporters dozens of potential quotes to choose from instead of a carefully curated few.
  7. You’re an action person who wants to get straight to the interview rather than getting bogged down by “strategy.”
  8. You’re convinced that media skills are innate and that no training could improve your effectiveness.
  9. You love hearing yourself talk at length, even if your audiences do not.
  10. You’re content being a “do no harmer” who avoids making a humiliating mistake but fails to take full advantage of the opportunity.
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  11. You prefer remaining unaware of easily corrected shortcomings in your communications technique.
  12. You’re secretly hoping to earn the nickname “loose cannon.”
  13. You’ve always admired improv artists and value the excitement of blurting out whatever comes to mind in the moment.
  14. You want to practice doing cleanup after a disastrous media interview.
  15. You prefer to make your mistakes to an audience of thousands rather than in front of a couple of colleagues and a trainer.
  16. You like being oblivious to how your body language influences people’s perception of you.
  17. You view the “deer in headlights” expression people get after being asked an unexpected question as an endearing form of authenticity.
  18. You’re amused by interviewees who look at the wrong place during live interviews and want to emulate their style.
  19. You want your interview to go viral on YouTube.
  20. You’d rather not end up on a reporter’s “go-to source list” and have them speak to your well-trained competitors instead.