What not to do...when speaking to a reporter

Don't assume

I reject the popular notion that you must speak to the public at a 5th grade level. Most pet parents and pet-interested people are intelligent. However, they are usually experts in other industries not related to veterinary medicine and many - if not all - would have an informational advantage over you in their respective arenas. So, when I’m speaking to the public on a media platform, I don’t assume that they are uneducated; instead, I keep it sophisticated while explaining myself in colorful and descriptive ways.  The public may not understand a complex medical condition, but with their intelligence and creativity, they will understand an analogy or a colorful description of said condition. For example, when explaining the pernicious nature of frostbite, instead of saying that freezing causes cell lysis and hypoxia; instead, say that ice crystals break the cell and starve it of oxygen which eventually leads to tissue damage.

Negativity is cannibalistic

How do you feel when you feel when you hear someone speaking negatively about someone else? It feels a little awkward, right? You may even start to contemplate what’s the earliest you can leave the conversation. Similarly, if you are speaking to the public and the overall thrust of your message is negative (i.e. an ad hominem attack) the public may completely tune you out. Artfully stating your opinion without disparaging someone can be difficult, especially if an egregious mistake has been committed. Instead of disparaging another person or professionally cannibalizing a colleague, try discussing and expounding on what you would do in that particular situation. Ultimately, if stating your honest opinion includes highlighting a mistake on behalf of pet health, then certainly live your truth.  

Planning is key

Avoid filler words. No one likes an awkward silence. That's why they're called awkward. To avoid those silences, your brain naturally tries to fill them with “ummm’s” and “aaah’s”. As hard as I work on avoiding the use of filler words, I’m still occasionally guilty of this.  My advice to break that habit is to have a clear and concise message preformulated in your mind before you speak. With your ideas already “pre-rehearsed”, your brain will not be searching for the next morsel of information to deliver. Having a mental rough draft helps you to concentrate on the delivery of your message rather than each talking point.  Reporters, anchors, hosts and producers also love to ask questions that are unscripted so having less of your mind occupied with the actual content, gives you the intellectual flexibility to address those curveball questions.

Focus on Delivery  

Try this exercise the next time you see someone speaking on a media platform: press mute and consider if you would still continue watching them. There is something about a person when they are speaking that makes you want to keep listening. Much of that appeal comes from nonverbal communication. If you have to speak publicly, or even on non visual media like radio or podcasts, imagine looking at yourself as a 3rd party and consider your own body language. Is it open, confident, and welcoming or is it closed and aloof? Essentially, by critically evaluating your own body language, you could answer the esoteric question: would you watch yourself on television if the volume was muted?