Navigating Media Interviews under Pressure

I’m usually the guy standing just off-camera, coaching the spokesperson: “Relax your shoulders.” “Don’t overexplain.” “You’ve got 90 seconds—use them wisely.” But yesterday? I was on the other side of the lens—being interviewed by the superb team at Jewish Federations of North America about our advocacy work on Capitol Hill. And let me tell you: Giving media training is easier than doing it yourself. Here’s 10 Tips for Nailing a Media Interview (from someone who usually gives the advice, and just had to eat his own cooking): 1. Don’t look at the camera. Look at the interviewer. The camera’s not your best friend—it’s your static stalker. 😉 2. Be animated, not theatrical. Hand gestures = good. Mime performance = not good. 3. Speak like you’re talking to a smart eighth grader. Clear, short sentences. Then stop. Let the soundbite breathe. 4. Dress for clarity. Solid colors. No stripes, no logos, no hypnotic polka dots. 5. Over-enunciate slightly. TV eats consonants. Add a touch of drama without sounding like you’re auditioning for Shakespeare in the Park. 6. Never repeat a negative. Q: “Isn’t your program a total failure?” ❌ A: “I don’t think we’re a total failure, no.” ✅ A: “I wouldn’t characterize it that way, here’s what we’ve seen work, and why it matters.” 7. If you don’t know, say so. “Let me confirm the data and circle back.” A confident deferral beats a wobbly bluff. 8. Know your message and ‘headlines’ If you don’t know your 3 key points going in, you’re just riffing—and that’s a gamble. 9. No bobblehead mode. Eye contact is good. Wide-eyed blinking and constant nodding? Distracting. 10. Breathe. You’ll think it’s a sprint. It’s actually a slow-motion obstacle course. Stay grounded. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - So here’s to all the advisors, coaches and comms pros who sit behind the camera. Once in a while, it’s worth stepping into the spotlight. Even when it’s awkward (it was)! Even if your shoes are Hokas because you walked 15K steps nursing a broken foot. Even if your inner monologue is screaming. You’ll be fine. You’ve trained for this. Literally. What quick media interviewing tips would you add here? ** If you or your team need some urgent care style speaker and talking point prep, drop me a DM or email anytime. **

Media training for foreign policy principals is not about polish. It is about risk mitigation, clarity, and credibility. As a career diplomat and Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State, I have prepped ambassadors, interagency leads, and senior principals in Brussels, Islamabad, Benin, and Brunei. Messaging under pressure is not theoretical. It is strategic success. If you are guiding a principal before a press engagement, focus here. DO Lead with the message. Do not bury the headline. Rehearse by scenario, not script. Curveball questions are the real test. Train body language. Still hands. Direct eye contact. Controlled presence. Teach how to dispute the premise of a question or assertion you disagree with without being defensive. Treat every mic as hot. Always. Control the frame. Never let the question set the terms. DON’T Do not assume subject matter expertise equals press readiness. Do not argue the premise. Reframe and redirect. Do not over-coach into robotic delivery. Do not let them explain policy when the moment calls for soundbites. Do not skip the playback. Debriefing is accountability. Do not ignore the viral clip factor. Every answer is content. The goal is not charm. The goal is clarity, credibility, and control. Because in this environment, message discipline is mission critical. Share or add more advice, if you agree.

Ever freeze up at the thought of a media interview? You're not alone. My first one was an accidental disaster! In 2005, I chatted away with a journalist, not realizing it was an actual interview. Talk about a rookie mistake! But fast forward through 1000+ media interactions for a listed company, and preparing hundreds of CEOs for high-level media interviews, I've cracked the code. Want to nail your next media appearance? Here's my battle-tested 7-step checklist: 1️⃣ Prepare and Rehearse: Never wing it. Get clear on your goals, key messages, and potential questions. Practice on camera. 2️⃣ Give it Your Full Attention: Don't rush. Allow time to compose yourself before and debrief after. 3️⃣ Body Language, Presence, and Energy: Bring your A-game and connect with your interviewer. 4️⃣ An Interview is not a Conversation: Take charge. Be a spokesperson, not just an "answerperson." 5️⃣ Stick to the Battle Plan: Have a clear objective and guide the conversation back to it if needed. 6️⃣ My Story First: Frame the interview by getting your narrative out early. 7️⃣ Reiterate Your Key Message: End strong. Repeat your main point - it's what people will remember. Don't let media interviews intimidate you. With the right preparation, you can turn anxiety into opportunity. ❓What's your biggest media relations challenge? ♻ Please share to help your network and follow me Oliver Aust for daily tips on leadership communication.

Early in my career, I thought I had arranged the perfect media event. Reporters confirmed they were minutes away. My client had flown in and was prepped for multiple interviews. Then a potato truck spilled on the highway. The news crews covered the potato story instead. I was left standing in an empty parking lot with a very disappointed business leader. At the time, it felt like a disaster. In reality, it was one of my best early lessons in communications: • Present scenarios, not certainties. Stakeholders need context: "Here's our plan, here's what success looks like, and here are the variables we're monitoring." Explaining potential pitfalls upfront isn’t pessimism, it's professional credibility. • Own what happens next. When plans collapse, stakeholders look to you to lead. In this case, it meant helping the leader pivot to customer communications while I worked to secure individual follow-ups with the reporters. • Client trust is built in the hard moments. How you respond when things fall apart often matters more than whether the original plan succeeds. Working together under pressure defines the relationship going forward. Communications professionals aren't hired to eliminate uncertainty. We're hired to lead through it. What’s your go-to move when your communications strategy gets blindsided?

Staying calm and professional under pressure is crucial for executives - especially when facing tough questions from a persistent reporter. The key? Preparation. In today’s media landscape, where interviews are scrutinized by the ever-watchful eyes of social media, a proactive approach can make all the difference. A four-step action plan I developed, based on my experience as a reporter, helped a financial services executive stay composed during an aggressive interview. The result? His responses weren’t misconstrued, and a major news outlet published a balanced report that upheld his company’s reputation. Here’s the plan for handling aggressive media interviews: 1. Body Language: Maintain steady eye contact, avoid defensive gestures, and adopt an open posture. 2. Pause and Breathe: Build confidence by pausing before responding to stay in control of the narrative. 3. Rehearse Scenarios: Practice mock interviews with increasingly challenging questions to prepare for the toughest situations. 4. Handle Tough Questions Tactfully: Prepare versatile phrases to address interruptions or inappropriate questions. - Avoid saying “no comment” - it can seem evasive. - Instead, use responses like: -- “Let me finish that thought.” -- “I’d like to circle back to the main point.” - For irrelevant questions (e.g., “Why is X refusing to fund your lifesaving program?”), try: “I won’t speak on X’s behalf, but I encourage you to contact the appropriate decision-makers.” P.S. Are you interested in mastering media engagement? I can help you understand a journalist’s mindset to craft and deliver your message effectively. DM me to learn more. #mediatraining #communication #publicspeaking #watchwithpremium

These past few days, my social media feeds have been full of clips of a candidate during a tough interview. *This is not a political post. It’s a best practice post. Difficult media interviews always come down to one thing: preparation. If you’re speaking publicly, whether it’s a media interview, panel discussion, investor pitch, podcast interview or social media livestream, you need to be ready for anything. I’ve experienced this on both sides. When I was a reporter, I was the one asking the tough questions and there were difficult/awkward moments. When I handled PIO duties at a public agency, reporters were asking me challenging questions and it was stressful. Getting well-prepared means doing drills: anticipating the hardest questions and answering them out loud until your responses are clear, calm, and confident. Recording your answers on video and reviewing them is even more helpful. The more you practice, the more you release your emotions around difficult topics, and that’s what keeps you composed when pressure hits. We’ve all had that moment where someone hits a nerve and we blurt out something, losing our composure. Don’t let that happen on camera. Because of social media, these clips are amplified like never before. Prepare. Practice. Then practice again. 🎯