How to Speak Confidently in Media Interviews

Learn how to improve your media interviews. Control your speech pace and boost your confidence.

Media interviews can be stressful, but controlling the speed of your speech can be a great tool to take control of a crisis.

A concept we like to emphasize in media trainings is the importance of controlling your cadence: the speed at which you speak during an interview. When we're nervous, it's normal to rush through words, trying to get everything out quickly. But speaking too fast can make you sound anxious and unfocused. A controlled pace ensures clarity and confidence.

Pro tip: Most of us speak at 150 words per minute. That's a lot of information that can be conveyed in just one minute of a media interview. When I give media training sessions I like to use and example of former Labour MP Jack Straw, who famously gave marathon interviews during the controversial Iraq War from 2002 onwards.

How MPs like Jack Straw Mastered Crisis Communication

Politicians like Jack Straw, mastered the art of speech pace in media interviews and crisis PR

Straw’s interviews were notorious for his slooooow answers, he laboured long and laboriously, (some would say "irritatingly"), without ever saying anything interesting or enlightening. A masterclass in crisis PR. Straw's deliberately slow cadence meant he was able to take control of interviews, making him appear calm, in control and - crucially - able to dictate the pace regardless of how hostile the interviewer was.

Make no mistake, Straw's performances did very little to enamour him among journalists (or the public), but as exercises in short term crisis PR, they were peerless.

Another example of a leader who's mastered this art is Sir Archie Norman, another former MP and now Chairman of Marks and Spencer. Norman's unflappable profit call presentations are a must for any aspiring company chief exec who aspires to run a FTSE 100 company.

At Campaign Salience we have analysed thousands of company profit calls and Sir Archie Norman is - hands down - the best. The "Des Lyman" of corporate communications.

Tips for controlling the pace of your media interviews

• Slooooow down: when you're nervous you'll almost always be talking too fast. Make the effort to assert control over the rhythm of your words.

• Take a breath of "dead air": dead air is the nemesis of broadcasters, but short pauses, deep breaths and silences are one of the most effective ways you can take control in high a pressure Crisis PR situation. Don't overdo it, but keep in mind that silence is often your friend.

• Don't accept the pace: The media runs at a breathless pace. Often, when we do media work, we are being asked to respond to bad things, happening fast, in real time often with a dose of hype. It is the media's default setting. But you don't have to accept it. A measured, plodding tone can blunt the power of even the most high octane situations.

• Listen to the end each word: it doesn't work for everyone, but some swear by the trick of consciously listening to the end of each word they speak, as a means of slowing down.
  

In our media training sessions at Campaign Salience, we help individuals master the art of controlling their speaking pace. Whether you're preparing for a media interview or a high-pressure broadcast scenario, managing your speed and tone can significantly enhance your effectiveness. Read our blog for more tips on how to master media interviews. Or get in touch if you want a chat about future media work you are planning to do!