Nothing is more intellectually shallow than the Power of Positive Thinking, right? What could be more annoying than local TV anchors doing “happy talk”
during the middle of a newscast?
If you pride yourself in being a “straight shooter” or one who “tells it like it is” you are in for a real surprise when dealing with the media. Of course the news media will appreciate you if you trash your boss, your competitors, or especially yourself, but nobody else will. In fact, going negative is a sure-fire way to talk yourself out of friends, an employer and even a career.
If you are in the middle of an interview, regardless of the questions being asked, you must try to answer them in positive terms. I’m not advocating telling lies or even sugar coating, but how about dipping reality in a small vat of honey before distributing it to the world via the media?
The problem with answers that attempt to be “balanced” in the sense that they convey negative, neutral and positive statements is that only, and I mean ONLY the negative statements are likely to make it into the final story. For example, if you say, “It’s true, my family connections did help me get my first job 25 years ago, but ever since then, I’ve had to work twice as hard to prove that I am not just the son of a celebrity. In fact, I know that blah, blah, blah (more stuff about how hard you worked)”
The only quote that might end up in the story is this:
Walker conceded what his critics have always contended, “It’s true, my family connections did help me get my…job.”
End of quote.
Remember, a media interview is not a true conversation where you are rewarded for balance and objectivity. The “balance” in the story will come from the reporter getting quotes and perspectives from a variety of sources, some of whom may have negative views on you and what you do. So if you want to ensure balance about yourself, you must strive to be overwhelmingly positive in all of your comments to the news media.
