Media Training Podcast How do you handle a media question you don't want to answer?
Dec 3, 2023
Learn how to tackle tricky media questions without breaking a sweat. Dive into the art of the acknowledge-and-bridge technique, often misused by politicians. Discover the power of admitting when you don’t have all the answers and how to gracefully offer to follow up. Plus, explore inventive ways to reframe questions to steer the conversation in your favor. Get ready to enhance your media handling skills and keep control of your narrative!
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Acknowledge And Bridge
- Acknowledge the question briefly, then bridge to your key point instead of answering directly.
- Use lines like "I understand that's a concern, but the key point is..." to pivot to your message.
Start With Being Helpful
- Your primary reason to appear in media is to be helpful and share expertise, not to dodge questions.
- When you start with "How can I help?" you rarely need to avoid answering anything.
Admit When You Don't Know
- If you genuinely don't know an answer, admit it and offer to follow up with accurate information.
- Say things like, "I don't have that information at the moment, but I can find out and get back to you."