TJ’s Insights

Here is a concern I often hear when I am teaching clients how to control their quotes and sound bites during an interview:

“TJ, I understand when you say that reporters are suckers for clichés, analogies and pop culture references, but won’t the reporter think I sound cheesy if I use these sorts of obvious gimmicks to get quoted? Won’t I seem like I’m trying too hard?”

This is a common question I get and there is some legitimacy to the concern. Of course there is always the chance that you could package your message in a sound bite that is too cute or that just doesn’t do it for the reporter. What’s the worst thing that can happen?

The latest trend among politicians running for President of the United States is to announce their candidacy by using video on their websites.

Here are the advantages:

Complete control over the content and delivery of the announcement. The video can be shot using 1000 takes and edited.

No questions have to be taken. If you announce at a public event, reporters can come and ask you pesky questions that can knock your intended message off of the front pages i.e. “Presidential candidate TJ Walker conceded yesterday that he cheated at tic-tac-toe as a kindergartner!”

Tom Friedman, the New York Times columnist, is a great journalist, a wonderful author and a highly experienced TV pundit. But even media pros make minor blunders from time to time. While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Friedman was wearing a sports coat with metal buttons. Now there is nothing wrong with metal buttons, but because Friedman was sitting at a table, he was clanking his buttons loudly on the table top at the conclusion of every answer.