Crisis communications expert, award winning journalist, and editor Jeff Ansell, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about his practical and insightful book When the Headline Is You: An Insider's Guide to Handling the Media.
Jeff Ansell shares his value based communications system for working with journalists, through understanding how the media works, how to communicate a message effectively, building a reputation for honesty, and for navigating through a crisis while avoiding the frequently encountered pitfalls.
Thanks to Jeff Ansell for his time, and for his intriguing and comprehensive responses to the questions.
What was the background to writing When the Headline Is You: An Insider's Guide to Handling the Media?
Jeff Ansell: As a reporter and investigative journalist for 20 years I interviewed thousands of people and studied how they responded when confronted by tough questions. Now, as a media and crisis communications adviser, I’ve trained thousands of people on how best to respond to reporters. I wrote When the Headline Is You because I wanted to share all that I've learned on both sides of the microphone.
The book offers an alternative approach to public relations. Have many of the standard public relations concepts become outdated in today's media culture?
Jeff Ansell: Traditional public relations practice was to impose messages on stakeholders and counsel spokespeople to ignore questions reporters ask and simply deliver “key messages.” With the advent of social media, those days are through. Today’s public talks to each other and doesn’t need mainstream media to tell them, what or how to think. Instead of talking at stakeholders, corporations now have to listen more than they speak.
How is news made, reported, and interpreted today that is different from the past?
Jeff Ansell: There are several reasons why the world of news is very different today than it was in the past. Consumers of news have shorter attention spans now and are less interested in thoughtful reporting on public policy discourse. Meaningful journalism has been pushed aside in favor of stories about the Lindsay Lohan’s of the world. Cutbacks in newsrooms have contributed to the dumbing-down of news, as well. Reporters, who are stretched to the limit, now have to do more with less. The easiest way for them to do that is to stereotype newsmakers as villains, victims or village idiots. Journalism has also become more intrusive. In the past, there was a line that journalists wouldn’t cross when it came to reporting the personal lives of people in the news. Now, anything goes.
Jeff Ansell (photo left)
When meeting a reporter for the first time, what should an interviewee keep in mind?
Jeff Ansell: First, there is no such thing as off the record. Second, everything a person says before or after a media interview is fair game to be reported. And third, interviewees need to see their words as toothpaste. Once you squeeze the worlds out, you can’t put them back in.
How can a person build trust with the media?
Jeff Ansell: Trust is a spokesperson’s currency. To build trust, especially when the news is bad, spokespeople must be honest, accessible and demonstrate they care about those affected by the situation at hand.
You write that there are different types of media messages. What are these types and why is it important to understand them?
Jeff Ansell: PR people and corporate communications professionals who create messages for media focus too much on facts, but fail to interpret them. In When the Headline Is You, I share a variety of different message types that offer context, provide emotion and enhance influence.
How can public speaking training help craft stronger media messages?
Jeff Ansell: Like it or not, the actual words we use in our messaging are often overshadowed by the style in which the message is delivered. People respond best to what they see and hear and a message delivered flatly can have as much impact as the sound of one hand clapping. That is not to suggest spokespeople need to be slick and polished. People do not trust slick and polished. A good speaker and in turn, a good spokesperson, is one who looks like they mean what they're talking and sounds like they mean what they're talking about. An approach to public speaking training that encourages authenticity can only help.
How can a person handle potentially damaging questions effectively and with honesty?
Jeff Ansell: In my years as both a reporter and media coach, I’ve seen people default to a particular response pattern when confronted with a potentially damaging question. The first thing they do is hold their breath. The second thing they do is stop listening. The third thing they do is feverishly think, “What am I going to say?” The fourth thing they do is turn negative and defensive. The fifth thing they do is have an out of body experience. Instead, to answer a potentially damaging question effectively and with honesty, a spokesperson should first of all breathe. Second of all, they should ask themselves how they want to come across. If they want to convey that they are honest, trustworthy and accountable, then all they need are the media techniques to help them find the right words.
What should every interviewee remember when granting a media interview?
Jeff Ansell: Every interviewee should know what they want to say, how they want to come across, breathe and as much as possible, use short sentences.
What is next for Jeff Ansell?
Jeff Ansell: I’d like to start working on my next book, which I hope will offer communications skills and strategies for folks to use in their everyday in their personal and professional lives.
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My book review of When the Headline Is You: An Insider's Guide to Handling the Media by Jeff Ansell.
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