Does it matter if your media trainer worked in a newsroom? No, but it certainly helps. 

A good trainer has a nose for news honed by years of reporting: Asking questions, understanding what is noteworthy, uncovering emerging trends, and the basic skills to recognize what is and is not a story. And, ultimately, it is a reporter that decides the news value of your story - and whether or not a piece is developed. 

I’ve met fine media trainers without a news background. Indeed, one of my training mentors came from the theater and another started in military public affairs. Both know what news looks like to the benefit of their clients. Yet as I aspired to be more like them, I realized I naturally had a skill that provided a valuable edge.

 A trainer with newsroom experience intuitively understands what the media wants from its interview sources. Thus, for example, you’ll learn why you were so easily pulled down the proverbial rabbit hole, or why you were interrupted so often, or why each question seemed unfair. 

A reporter’s agenda is not the same as your agenda.

A trainer with a newsroom background can teach you how to recognize and avoid reporter traps and the tricks that keep you talking when you should just stop.

Your goal is simple: provide answers that reflect why you agreed to an interview in the first place. 

What’s better? When those answers drive the news. 

To learn more about successful media interviews, visit Benderoff Communications or email eric@bendycomm.com.