Tips in Dealing with the Media- Part 5: Appearing Confident & Final Tips

Intro (Part 1) | Part 2 | Part3 | Part4 | Part5 (Last)

*Note: This series is almost entirely based on a series of short videos (part of Wharton’s Communication class) by Amy Sharp, a media professional.*

PDF Version of Entire Series can be found here (for printing & distribution):  Dealing with media.pdf

How you appear may count quite a bit into what people perceive about your believability or credibility. A controversial UCLA study found that what you actually say only counts for about 7% for overall credibility, but how you say it counts for nearly 40%! So, how you come across in the interview counts for nearly half your credibility. A good illustration is to consider the Nixon/Kennedy debate, which was aired on radio and TV. Those who heard it on the radio believed Nixon won, while those who saw it on TV believed that Kennedy won; same debate, different conclusions!

How to look confident

• Position yourself to be engaged.
• Make eye contact with proper people
  • If you are being interviewed one on one for TV, then the reporter/producer is usually off-camera. Make sure make eye contact with them. If you keep looking back at the camera, you will look shifty and unsure.
  • If you are in a remote location, like in a room giving a lecture/talk, then look at the audience by looking straight into the camera.

• There is also a good likelihood that you will not be standing. If you are sitting:
• Don’t sit straight up. Lean forward slightly. This indicates that you are more actively engaged.
  • Keep your hands loosely clasped in your lap or in front of you, so you can gesture easily.
  • Keep your gestures far away from your body. Usually a microphone is hooked on your body somewhere, so you don’t want to hit it
• Attitude is everything! Roll with appropriate emotions. Be flexible. You don’t have to always smile or always frown. A cardinal mistake is to keep smiling when the topic is either not something to smile about or if you are being constantly attacked. Let your expressions flow with the mood and tempo of the interview.

Final Tips

Dealing with the media is a skill that you need to hone.

You have been asked to participate in interview because you have something to add. The more you do well, the more you are likely to be quoted and to be called in for future interviews