AI and Media Training 

It’s the issue that’s bound to crop up in any media interview you do these days. In our Media Training courses, we ask about it in the role-play media interviews that we carry out with our participants. We also work closely with PR companies and in house media teams to help their clients and colleagues to manage it.

I’m talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), of course. In our Media Interview Coaching we talk about the importance of anticipating the journalists’ questions. Yes, of course, you know the subject that you’ve agreed to be interviewed on – or, at least, you should – but a journalist will rarely stick to this. As reporters, we’re very likely to ask you what we call the “While I’ve got you here…” question. This is another relevant, topical issue that you might have a view on. (In our media training courses, we can also help you to reduce the chances of the journalist doing this by the way.)

The problem is that if you express that view, this can then become the subject of the interview and the focus of the subsequent report – not what you want to talk about. Getting back to your chosen subject can be tricky but we teach techniques to do it.

Media Training Courses for tech firms

In our Media Training Courses for tech firms, we naturally look at the issue of AI. But even here interviewees and spokespeople need to be really clear about what they want to say about it. Similarly, when we deliver Media Training for law firms this issue will also arise. Here, we’ll help participants on our courses explain how they can use the technology positively, for example when reading and writing contracts. This frees up lawyers to do the things that only human beings can do – have conversations with clients and advise on the overall business strategy.

Media Training Workshops for retailers 

We’ve been doing a series of Media Training Workshops for retailers recently. Here we’ve trained people on how to manage the positives and the negatives when they’re talking about AI in the retail sector during a media interview. In our hostile media training courses and issue management workshops as well as the crisis communications courses for retailers that we offer we’ve looked at the questions of privacy, data protection and job losses. However, we’ve also worked with retail PRs and other communications professionals to look at how retailers can talk about the ways in which AI can improve customer service, reduce waste and benefit supply chain integrity.

AI in the Media interview

So, what can I say about AI in the Media interview? Obviously, you’ll have to anticipate that whatever the subject that you’ve agree to be interviewed about, AI could be something that the journalist will throw in. The first thing you should do is to check with your communications team about what your organisation’s current line is on AI. In our Media Training courses for law firms, for instance, we recommend that all spokespeople are aware of what the firm is saying about AI so that everybody is singing off the same hymn sheet.

Media training courses for tech companies

You’ll also want to think about the journalist that you’re speaking to. In our Media Training courses for tech firms, we work with their communications teams to emphasise that tech experts can assume a certain level of knowledge when speaking to outlets such as TechCrunch or – WIRED. However, if they’re doing an interview with the BBC or the Financial Times, for example, they’re going to have to explain things in more basic terms. Their messages should be less about the detail of the technology and more about the outcomes and the benefits that it brings to businesses and consumers. 

Media interview coaching

This leads us onto another important thing that you should do when talking about AI during a media interview. In our media interview coaching, we emphasise the importance of storytelling. Our media training courses for retailers, for instance, might include spokespeople doing role play media interviews to talk about the sustainability of their supply chains. Here we’ll emphasise the need for specific examples of this sustainability and help those spokespeople to identify and tell them. For law firms examples and case studies are equally important. We know that the challenge here is client confidentiality. And that’s why in our media training courses for lawyers we look at how they can tell stories, share case studies and even throw in simple anecdotes in a way that will work well in a media interview while keeping clients happy.

Media training for tech firms

During our media training for tech firms, we look not just at case studies but how they can use analogies and references to everyday life to explain technical concepts. So, if you’re a spokesperson for a tech firm wanting to convince the audience that you’re ahead of the curve on AI and that you can help clients, both current and potential, to benefit from this very rapidly evolving technology you’ll need to do some storytelling.

Media training courses

Being asked about AI during a media interview can be daunting and off putting. However, with effective media training and by working closely with your public relations advisors you can not only handle this potentially difficult issue but turn it to your advantage. Come and talk to us about how we can help you to deal with AI and other questions during media interviews with our media training courses. You can follow us on LinkedIn here.