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Last week, BlueChip hosted our annual Summer Soiree. Joined by a panel of esteemed Australians, notably funds management and charity pioneer Chris Cuffe AO, Matildas doctor Dr Brandi Cole and 'Fear and Greed' founder and award-winning journalist Sean Aylmer. Here we share insights provided by Sean Aylmer from the night.
Sean Aylmer is no rookie when it comes to understanding the media. From his background as former editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, to currently being the founder and co-host of the number one business podcast in Australia, Fear and Greed, here's what he suggests are the 5 most crucial things he believes you need to remember when talking to the media.
- 1. Know what you want to say. Understand the sort of questions that will be asked and work out a way, before the interview, to get your point across.
- 2. Journalists, generally, are not your friend. They are being paid by someone else to get information from you that a sub-editor will write a headline too. Regularly the off-handed remark is the one that gets the headlines. Therefore, always be aware. Unless you know the journalist well, treat everything as on-the-record.
Sean Aylmer at BlueChip's Summer Soiree.
- 3. In my experience the very best journalists are both bold and insecure, or perhaps I should better say very competitive. They have the front to ask outrageous questions, yet fear that someone else will get the story before them. So, when you are talking to them, play to those attributes. Know what type of stories they like. Compliment them on one of their stories. Use their name. Be engaged.
- 4. Be honest and transparent. Don't lie, exaggerate, or evade questions that you don't want to answer. If you don't know the answer, say so and offer to follow up later. If you can't disclose something due to confidentiality or legal reasons, explain why and what you can share instead.
- 5. Smile 😊 Be nice, even if you don’t like the journalist. It gets you a long way.
The fundamentals of journalism remain the same – provide a good story and be interesting, knowledgeable talent and you’re on the right path.
We hope these tips help you prepare for your next interview. We extend our gratitude to Sean Aylmer for his valuable insights and participation, and we look forward to sharing more insights from industry experts like Sean in the future.
BlueChip Communication is a leading public relations and marketing firm based in Sydney Australia, specialising in the financial services industry. If you’d like to discuss your communication strategy or need additional support in your media efforts, please call us or fill out our contact form here.
