Last week I was interviewed by the Sunday Times for an article about whether a different approach needs to be taken when media training chief executives and senior managers, compared with those lower down the organisation. The article appeared yesterday, and it was gratifying to see lots of my quotes included.
The main point I was trying to get across was that it is even more crucial at a senior level not to turn into a broken record, spouting out company messages. The journalist is looking at the whole person – and that will be reflected in the article they write. So, even if you get across all the right key points, if you’ve really annoyed the journalist by ignoring the questions, the article is rarely going to reflect positively on you. With a longer-form interview in particular, such as a profile piece, the reporter is looking for much more than just some self-serving facts – he or she wants to get a sense of the executive as a person and a leader – will they be able to inspire their shareholders and their people? There is more to media success than just being on-message.
