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Media Training Guidelines Public Relations

You’re the expert—you’re likely being called upon to lend credibility to a news report because you have a great deal of experience with the topic at hand. So, the most important lesson to learn about working with the media is to be natural and at ease. Think of your relationship with the reporter as mutually beneficial, and their story as a platform for your message. The rest is just preparation and practice.

WORKING WITH REPORTERS

Never go “off-the-record.” For all intents and purposes, there is no such thing. Before, during and after your interview, remember that you’re speaking with a reporter. Don’t say anything to him or her that you wouldn’t want to hear broadcast or see published. “Between you and me, this treatment isn’t really effective, is it?” Answer requests as quickly as possible, not an hour before deadline. By answering early on, you have the opportunity to shape a reporter’s story, rather than being an after-thought in it. Answering promptly also makes you appear reliable and helps build report with journalists. Ask questions about the interview. Make sure you understand who the reporter is who will be interviewing you, what story you will be contributing to and what perspective the reporter is taking on the story. You may also want to know who else the reporter will speak with and what specifically they need you to contribute.

Remember, the reporter is not your audience. You want to answer all of his or her questions thoroughly, but the reporter is the conduit through which you are communicating your message. Make sure that what you’re negotiating the interview agenda and that what you’re saying is compelling to your audience.

BODY LANGUAGE

Keep your energy level up. Television tends to flatten people. It’s better to over-compensate by increasing your volume by 10 to 15 percent, while speaking about that much slower than you normally would. Maintain eye contact. Unless you’re being interviewed remotely (in which case you would gaze directly into the camera lens), aim for 100 percent eye contact with the interviewer at all times. Gesture as you would in conversation. According to experts, using hand gestures grabs attention, increases the impact of communication and helps individuals retain

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more of the information they are hearing. For seated interviews, keep your arms open and ready to gesture. When not gesturing, avoid clasping your hands or crossing your arms. Be mindful of your posture. For standing interviews, place one foot slightly in front of the other to prevent swaying from side-to-side and to keep your energy aimed forward. For seated interviews, move forward so you’re only sitting on the front half of the chair. Leaning forward a bit can also help increase your energy. Pause thoughtfully instead of “uhm”-ing. The audience will rarely see your pauses in an edited interview, so take your time before answering a question – even if that means you pause for 10 or 15 seconds. That tactic not only helps eliminate verbal filler, but allows you to think of a better answer that concisely articulates your main message.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Don’t confuse your audience. Avoid using jargon, technical terms or acronyms. Assume that your audience is learning this information for the first time and aim to be as clear as possible. What not to wear: colors that are too dark or too bright bleed on camera. Solid medium shades are best (light blues, grays and browns). Avoid patterns as they tend to “dance” on camera, and avoid white when possible. Know before you go. You’ve been contacted because of your expertise on the topic, but 20 minutes before your interview, identify three key messages that encapsulate what you want the public to know. Develop three short anecdotes that can help communicate—

The most provocative, controversial or relatable parts of the topic

Brief stories or local examples

Key things to remember Expect the unexpected. Think about what you don’t want to be asked, and prepare ways to come back to talking points if it happens. If a reporter makes a false statement or one you don’t agree with, say so. Feel empowered to change the direction of the interview, asking the questions you want to answer.

“What really matters is __________.”

“The most important issue is __________.”

“The more interesting question is __________.” Call PR in a bind. We can brief you on the details of the story topic before the interview, providing memos, current trends and talking points in a tough spot. Debriefing us after the interview, too, can help ensure more thorough preparation in the future.

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KEY MESSAGES

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s mission

Transforming care—OPTIFAST program, comprehensive care: physicians, surgeons, dieticians, behaviorists and exercise therapists, minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Advancing health

Improving lives—decreased medications and medication cost, frequency of doctor and hospital visits, joint pain and fatigue, increased exercise tolerance and improved mood, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

The Bariatric Center’s promise

More doctors—bariatric surgeons, physicians, dietitians, behaviorists and exercise therapists.

More experience—Bariatric Center surgeons have performed more than 900 gastric bypass and lap-band surgeries.

More options—free monthly seminars, non-surgical services, gastric bypass surgery, adjustable lap band surgery and gastric sleeve surgery

QUESTIONS ABOUT BARIATRIC MEDICINE

What is bariatric medicine? Bariatric medicine deals with the causes, treatment and prevention of obesity. At the Tallahassee Memorial Bariatric Center, this includes dietetics, behavioral therapy, exercise and surgery. How are patients referred to the Bariatric Center? Patients may be self-referred to the Bariatric Center, they may be referred by their general practitioner, or they may be referred by another physician to lose weight before a surgical procedure. How can I tell if I am overweight or obese? The Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used to indicate whether a patient is overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches, times 703. A BMI of 25-30 is considered overweight, with 30+ being obese.

What are medical problems associated with obesity? Obesity can cause breathing problems and fatigue, gallstones, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke. How do I know if I am a candidate for weight loss surgery? Candidates for weight loss surgery generally have a BMI over 40 and are more than 100 pounds overweight. They have tried losing weight through medically-supervised dieting to no avail and experience severe negative health effects, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. What type of exercise is best and how much should I do? In addition to a balanced diet, at least 30 minutes per day of brisk cardiovascular exercise, like walking, jogging, swimming or bicycling, is best for patients trying to lose weight.

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DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND HOW TO ANSWER THEM

Antagonizing or skeptical questions

Diets are dysfunctional and do not work… o Many people believe that diets do not work, but what they may not have

considered is… Questions you don’t know the answer to

Exactly how many people are obese in America today? o I’ll have to look up the exact number and get back to you, but I can tell

you…

Can Type 2 diabetes be cured with weight loss surgery? o Candidates for surgery are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but

research shows… Questions that call for speculation

In XYZ’s case, it seems as though physicians didn’t follow proper protocol, do you agree?

o Although I can’t speculate, I can say that at TMH we adhere to the following protocols required by the National Institute of Health for the treatment of bariatric patients…

Why do you think this patient’s surgery was unsuccessful? o I can’t say because I wasn’t involved, but at the Bariatric Center we…

Questions that ask for your personal opinion

What are your thoughts on health care reform? o I’m speaking for Tallahassee Memorial, not myself, and what we believe

is… Yes or no questions

Yes or no: weight loss surgery is sometimes fatal. o Weight loss surgery is a great option for certain patients, but we must

consider…

Is she or is she not a candidate for weight loss surgery? o A BMI greater than 40 usually indicates that a patient may be a candidate

for surgery, but... Third-party questions

A competitor has claimed that their new service exceeds TMH’s in quality, how do you respond?

o I can’t speak for our competitor, but our services and outcomes are…

HEADLINES IN WEIGHT LOSS (APRIL 2014)

Bright Light, Early in the Morning, Can Help Weight Loss

Eat Chocolate To Get Thin? Study Touts Cocoa for Weight Loss

Weight Loss Surgery Helps Obese Patients Overcome Diabetes

Research Suggests that Green Tea, Exercise Boost Weight Loss, Health