A Financial Times columnist once wrote entertainingly about the chaos that can be caused when a television crew—complete with producer, interviewer, and various hangers-on—invades your office. For a larger-scale production (as opposed to a quick news interview which usually just has a cameraman and reporter) they can nose around everywhere to find the best interview position, and be hard to control on occasion by sheer weight of numbers. So, think carefully before you invite them into a working environment. Ask how many people willl be coming along. If it’s more than one or two, ensure everyone in the office knows exactly what’s happening, and ensure they’ve put away any sensitive corporate information or embarrassing family pictures. If something goes wrong try never to let your anger show. The camera may be running in the background – you don’t want your outburst to find its way onto YouTube. Keep cool and smile even while being as firm and unyielding as you need to be about what they can and can’t film.
Tom on X
When does a tough media interview become a bullying issue? And how do you make sure you're not on the receiving end?
We can now offer on-camera and autocue skills coaching for spokespeople who have to present online video material or webinars.
