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Incredible example of media prowess from a five year old
While media training can make anyone better at speaking to the press, some people are just naturals, even at the age of five. If you haven’t seen the viral video of a young boy absolutely dominating an interview with his local news channel, have a watch:
Besides being ridiculously cute, this kid showed some serious media chops.
– Voice: You heard every single word he said, VERY clearly.
– Eyes: He makes eye contact with the reporter and eye contact with his audience through the camera when delivering his message.
– Body language: Even though he’s “never been on live television before”, the youngster’s body language doesn’t show anything but sheer confidence. He stands tall and balanced, uses his arms appropriately to help convey his points when appropriate and lets them hang to his sides comfortably when not.
– No distractions: Surrounded by a county fair and with other kids vying for some camera time, he never flinches, turns around, or shows any sign of being distracted from communicating.
Of course you don’t have to be a natural to do media interviews right. Practice, and learning from people with good technique (even if they’re five!), can help you learn to represent yourself or your organization when it’s time to step in front of a camera.
One note of caution, however. Do NOT assume that just because you’re comfortable speaking in front of a large, live audience, do not assume that will translate well to looking good on camera. Only testing your skills while being video recorded in conditions ranging from friendly to hostile interviews will give you an accurate assessment.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]
