Most publicity-shy folks, novices at juggling journalists' questions, feel jittery, even terrified, when thrust into the spotlight. For guidance on how to respond and what to do (or not do) when reporters appear, Ted Thomas offers a crash course in I Was Misquoted, How to Survive Contact With the Media (2002, Corporate Communications Ltd, Hong Kong, 119 pages).
Easy to read, quickly digested and spiced with humor, the book advises while warning of possible ambushes and blunders. “The approach to any interview, then, is to deliver a simple and therefore effective answer slowly.”
Thomas builds a convincing case that facing the media needn't trigger heart-failure. With a little savvy, nearly anyone can “look good and sound good on screen or in print”.
“...much of what goes wrong – being misquoted – cannot be pinned on the journalist. The treatment you receive in print or over the airwaves is largely a matter of your choice of words and the manner of their delivery.”
Thomas holds impressive credentials. A long-time broadcaster, columnist and publisher, he also thrived for decades as a public-relations consultant, often representing Asia's leading companies.
At times, Thomas appears wary of the media too. “...for the purposes of this book, I point to flaws and the flawed rather than praising dedicated journalists, who are in an appreciated majority.”
Definitely, Thomas knows much more about media relations than the book reveals. Although capable of filling an encyclopedia or two on the subject, he sticks mostly to basics, writing just six chapters: about the print media; TV and radio; interview situations/techniques; looking good on camera; coping after disasters; and making the best of misquotes.
Readers will want to remember that sincerity trumps trickery or evasion. “Reporters are taught that facts are sacred, which is a good approach for you.” Remember that “evasion does not work, or if it does, it can be bruising. To brush by or brush off a reporter asking what sounds to neutral listeners to be a reasonable question is to invite trouble.”
Most pages contain advice that's valid and useful. “Never greet a reporter's arrival with ‘Who gave you my name?' or a question with ‘Who told you that?' Just like ‘no comment', such retorts can give the impression of someone trying to keep an issue under wraps.”
From decades of looking and listening, Thomas cites examples of people who handle the media well and others who don't. “Some people strike a right chord. Mayor Rudy Giuliani's speaking efforts on behalf of New York City after the events of September 11, 2001, were the most effective communications heard for a long time.”
In contrast, “Most definitely do not threaten a reporter with unpleasantness when feeling the heat. A prominent figure on the Hong Kong scene turned a news conference into a personal disaster not long ago by yelling for a reporter to be arrested. (It's a funny old world: the man who made the threat went to jail not long after.)”
As in most how-to books, some passages contain mainly common sense: “A voice that rises an octave or two under pressure is a sure sign of nervousness, while nothing is quite so boring as a constant monotone. And on radio, there is no point making expansive gestures with your hands or producing an expressive grimace.”
People really do make incredibly silly mistakes. “No matter the demands of your nerves, do not try to fortify yourself with the hard stuff before the interview. Alcohol can have the effect of making you appear to blush before the camera. Anyway, you need all your wits about you.”
Equally rudimentary, “Never scratch yourself, particularly around private parts, when you are in a studio. You never know when the camera may be on you.”
Thomas easily finds humor in the media world. Even the most media-phobic readers should be able to stop trembling and chuckle a little. Appropriately, cartoonist Arthur Hacker, another veteran of Hong Kong's media scene, illustrates the book. His artistic style, full of strategic swirls and simple lines, works in a memorable way.
Although I Was Misquoted fails to cover every conceivable situation, nervous people caught in the glare of publicity will find no quicker, easier tonic to relieve worries and improve media performances.
(August 22, 2011)
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