According to a statement from a CDC spokesperson, "CDC directors have historically consulted with coaches and other outside advisors to improve communications and media interview skills. This is not out of the ordinary."

Cultivating A Better Messaging Approach

Indeed, CNN noted that, ""Since assuming her role, Walensky has worked to improve her internal communications and sought to cultivate a better messaging approach, according to officials. Yet there remains dissatisfaction among both administration aides and outside public health experts in some of the ways the CDC has communicated its decisions as the pandemic enters what officials view as a new phase."

'Media Interviews Are Not Everyday Conversations'

Karen Friedman of Karen Friedman Enterprises has extensive experience training spokesperson in the healthcare industry and during the Covid pandemic. She said that, "Conducting a media interview without appropriate training is like an amateur jumping into a boxing ring with a professional. The outcome won't be pretty." (Full disclosure: I am a former corporate spokesperson and media trainer and worked with Friedman and others years ago to provide training to company spokespersons and other officials.)

She noted that, "Media interviews are not everyday conversations. They are conversations sustained by messages. If you don't understand how to deliver a crisp clear compelling message, you can damage public perception and harm your company's reputation."

Benefits And Advantages Of Media Training

Friedman observed that, "Good media training teaches you how to reduce the risk of being misquoted, anticipate questions and learn how to marry key messages into conversations instead of waiting for the interviewer to ask [the] 'right' question. It also helps you put complicated information into simple terms.

"Facing tough questions can be daunting for anyone. Practicing mock-interviews in advance will help you stick to your message, gain comfort, confidence and through, in-person or virtual video playback, see how you come across to others."

What To Look For In A Media Trainer 

Knowing How To Ask Questions

Friedman said that, "Former journalists understand what questions will be asked and how responses might be used in a story. Often, when preparing for a media training, firms send us a list of questions they want asked, but these are not always the questions a reporter will actually ask."

News Background

"It's important to select an experienced media coach preferably with a news background. If they are also seasoned trainers, facilitators or teachers, that's a bonus. They can quickly zero in on someone's strengths, help them overcome challenges, and create a customized session to help the spokesperson anticipate and deflect tough questions," she observed.

References

"When looking for a media trainer, the most important thing you can do is get references. What was it like to work with this person? Did you feel prepared? Did they ask questions you were actually asked when being interviewed? Could you turn negatives to positives? And, if they seem to follow some kind of media training template or cookie cutter approach, you should run the other way," Friedman counseled.

Advice For Business Leaders

Don't Assume

Don't assume that you know how to do media interviews — especially during a crisis.

Compare Against Others

As I wrote in an earlier article, before you or your spokesperson has to face the media, see how you and they compare against the best practices of other organizations that are often in the public eye. Will you or your spokesperson be as prepared as they are to respond to and communicate about a crisis at a moment's notice?

The Payoff

The Chinese symbol for crisis represents is composed of characters that represent danger and opportunity, which means there can be a silver lining to any crisis situation for spokespersons.

Jill A. Greenberg is the spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. She said that good communications work during a crisis "stands to build trust in an organization, restore reputation, and improve image. That's the professional payoff."