It was a clear win to Judith Collins in the first electoral debate last night, but she will need to improve for the next one as Ardern is likely to come back far stronger. Why Collins won A big reason for the win was the use of language. Ardern used too much jargon. For example, she used of the term “double duty” a number of times. This was confusing, particularly since she pronounces the letter “T” like a “D”, meaning it...

If you’re an expert in some field or a local business, this is your chance to launch yourself into the news media. This is priceless when it comes to reputation-building because positive media coverage is seen as something only the leaders of any industry are worthy of and it stands you apart from the competition. Firstly, if you are an expert, there are national magazine and online editors everywhere looking for interesting articles that will interest their readers. As we slowly...

Many skills that are vital for media interviews are just as important for Zoom conferences. The first of these is around body language. In the first blog in this Covid series, I focused on setting up your computer and background for maximum benefit for TV interviews and other platforms like Zoom. That’s important, but if your body language isn’t right, it won’t make any difference. Hands There’s some myth that says you shouldn’t move your hands when talking on camera. This...

The vast majority of people spoken to by media regarding the Covid-19 crisis are treating their interview as Q&As. In other words, a reporter or presenter asks a question and they answer it. That may seem obvious, but its not the best approach. How should you do it You should certainly answer their questions but then transfer to a point you want to get across. You should have about three of these ready to focus on. They also need to be...

With almost all the news currently focusing on Covid-19, the media are looking for a huge variety of angles to focus their stories on. Whether you are a franchise, small business, corporate, not-for-profit or a school, you could be the next story. While that scares some people, it’s actually a massive opportunity. The profile and reputation-building benefits of media publicity are unmatched anywhere else. However, there are things you need to know about how talking to reporters is quite different from...

You may have noticed that since the lockdown in New Zealand, lots of media interviews have been with people sitting in front of their computers at home. This is quite unique for lots many, but will become more common. How is it different? The big difference is in the preparation. Those regularly in the media will be used to people coming to their place of work for these interviews. When that happens, the camera work and sound is all organised by...

This is a question I hear from lots of people and the answer is purely about how different media formats work. Let me explain. If you talk to a print reporter, only parts of what you say will ever make it into the subsequent news story. That’s because news stories are relatively short. What this means is that the reporter will only use the most exciting parts of what you say. Lots of people who don’t understand the media interview process...

Some big events in 2019 have highlighted how vital it is for leaders to express emotion in media interviews where there are victims or perceived victims. This is where many business and political leaders fall over. Who can forget Jacinda Ardern’s performance after the Mosque attacks in March. All she did was show her sympathy to the victims and tell them what she was doing to help. And that’s all she needed to do and all people wanted to hear. Pictures...

If Prince Andrew prepared for his recent interview with media advisors, he needs to sack them immediately because there were so many things he did wrong. These are common among media spokespeople and have a huge impact when the stakes are so high. Mistake One: Don’t lean back in the chair and cross your legs. It automatically puts you in a defensive position. If you sit up straight with your head closer to the camera than your stomach, you look proactive...

With the Tax Working Group’s recommendations coming out on Thursday, its vital that players on both sides of the CGT debate know how to get their points across. Whenever a debate like this dominates the news cycle, the winner is always the side that focuses on a few key points and uses the most basic language possible. That’s why political parties always have a few key areas of focus in Election campaigns. It doesn’t mean you totally ignore other points, but...