Wouldn't it be nice if the article about your company in tomorrow's newspaper or the story on this evening's news show could come out exactly the way you'd like to see it.

Sometimes, when you have good news to announce, you can get away with writing a press release that will be used word for word. But, especially when something bad has happened, it is just wishful thinking to assume your organization's statement will be used exactly the way you wrote it.

It may be unrealistic to expect this in a crisis, but guess what? Planning as if this could happen is an excellent approach

Too many people dread media interviews – especially when there is something negative being covered. They know that the organization is apt to be criticized, found guilty of something (whether an overt act, or something that was neglected), and probably made to look bad.

The spokesperson therefore is thrown immediately on the defensive. That is bound to come across in the interviews. Instead, I am proposing you give this idea a try.

A Way to Turn Things Around

Next time something bad happens and you know the media will be asking you for a statement, try this. Sit down and compose the headline that you would like to see on the story. T

hen write the first three sentences that would make up your lead paragraph. When you look at the situation this way, you will naturally be highlighting the most positive aspects of the story. These are the messages on which you will want to focus.

In my media training workshops, we talk a good deal about developing your key messages -- dubbed "must air" messages by my fellow crisis communications consultant and friend, Jim Lukaszewski. These are the points that you want to be sure see air time so they have some chance of being remembered after the interview is over.

Many an interviewee gets so wound up trying to just respond to the reporter's questions (and feeling like a victim) that he never gets an opportunity to relate anything positive. Suddenly the TV camera goes off or the reporter is walking out the door. "But he never gave me a chance to tell him about…" is the mournful cry.

The reporter has been in total control of the interview, and the resultant story does not portray your organization well.

It's Not the Reporter's Job to Give You Opportunities to Tell Your Story!

You have to MAKE those opportunities. You have to have your key messages clearly in mind before the interview. Don't memorize the exact words; instead, commit the basic concepts to memory. That way, when you are asked questions, you can answer them and then "bridge" to one of your "must air" messages.

I hope the clients for my media training workshops remember some of those good bridges we talked about. After answering the question, without pausing to take a breath, move right on to something like:

"While I understand the concern about…we can't forget that…"
"It is important that we remember the major point that…"
"But we can't overlook the fact that…"

Try to word your "must air" messages in slightly different ways so you don't sound like a broken record, but don't be afraid to repeat them. They will only be picked up once, and you may convey the thought better one way than another.

Remember, a good way to develop those key messages is to visualize the story you would like to see the next time you pick up the newspaper or turn on the TV news.

It may not make the whole interview experience exactly pleasurable, but it will definitely help you feel less like a lamb being led to the slaughter!

Judy is a cum laude graduate of Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Political Science. She can be reached at info@judyhoffman.com.