While the concept of media training is not a new topic in the communications world, being well-versed in the art of effective communication has never been more important. Successful reputation management is crucial in today’s media landscape and significantly impacts not only C-suite executives and stakeholders but also a brand's financial performance.
This past week, Intuit’s CEO, Sasan Goodarzi, joined the editor-in-chief of The Verge and host of the "Decoder" podcast, Nilay Patel, to discuss the company’s business strategies, acquisitions and products. The communications disaster that ensued included The Verge revealing that Intuit asked to delete part of the interview, printing incendiary comments from Intuit’s Chief Communications Officer, a full press feature and trending posts on both LinkedIn and X.
This fiasco brings to light four key lessons/pillars for communications professionals when media training company stakeholders: interview preparation, post-interview communications, media relations and crisis management.
Interview Preparation
Executives should be thoroughly prepared for both potentially challenging questions, especially on controversial topics and a reporter’s style of questioning. Ask what’s the worst thing they can say about your interviewee that’s true, and then devise a plan to address it.
Podcasts require another layer of preparation, as they are longer in format, and guests tend to “let their guard down” as time passes, something not afforded in a four-minute cable interview.
For on-camera conversations, it’s critical to understand non-verbal communication. What does the body posture, gestures and even listening face convey?
Finally, Intuit’s CEO broke the cardinal rule of less is more, which made him come off as defensive and gave the host (and critics) more fodder to pick apart.
Post-Interview Communications
Attempting to alter or remove published content can backfire, potentially drawing more attention to the issue.
To further analyze the Intuit example, the brand’s CCO, Rick Heineman, contacted The Verge post-interview, requesting that a portion of the conversation be deleted. Heineman described the questioning and tone as "inappropriate," "egregious," and "disappointing." As can be seen in this case, the attempts to suppress information can lead to increased scrutiny and negative publicity, and even, in extreme cases, printed comments as evidence.
Media Relations
Understanding and respecting journalistic ethics and practices is essential when dealing with media contacts. Many reputable media outlets abide by strict ethical guidelines and will not alter published content at the request of the interviewee or their press/communications team.
As highlighted in this Intuit example, The Verge editors declined the communications team’s request, citing its strict ethics policy that prohibits previewing, approving or altering published content. In response to this unfortunate request, the media outlet published the full podcast conversation as well as comments from the CCO. The best approach is to remind oneself in interviews and elsewhere that you are always on the record.
Crisis Management
Being prepared to address negative publicity or controversial topics in a constructive manner is essential.
As can be seen in the Intuit situation, short-term attempts to control the narrative can lead to long-lasting negative consequences on a company's reputation. Dancing around a particular issue may be seen as avoidant and could lead to a further, more uncomfortable line of questioning, and poorly reacting to a potential piece of bad press can cause permanent issues for a brand. The ability to recover from a mistake is more important than your ability to achieve perfection.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of thoughtful, strategic communication in today's media landscape, where attempts to control information can often backfire and amplify the very issues a company seeks to downplay. Media training should be a key step in every executive and communications team’s journey; no leader or team is incapable or immune to making media mistakes and should be exceedingly prepared before externally representing a brand.
Lori Ruggiero is EVP and Managing Partner at 5WPR, overseeing the agency's Corporate and Technology practices, as well as its Media Training offering. She is a former journalist and TV news producer, having worked at outlets including CNN, ESPN, and Fox Business.