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C H A P T E R
A public speech should reach the widest possible public. Your marvellous thoughts and words should go out to the world, not just the audience in the hall. That means using the media to get immediate publicity for your speech and in the longer term it may mean getting your speech published, in whole or in part.
Using the media
In Chapters 1 and 4, we have already talked about the demands which the media can make in the preparation of your speech and the conduct of the occasion, and how they can conflict with the needs of the live audience.
You must decide whether you want to meet those demands. If it is essen- tial for you to be reported instantly you really have no choice. If you want the media present you must agree this with the host organization for your speech, and then agree (or take charge of) the arrangements for them. Do
not agree to speak until you are satisfied with these arrangements. Obvi-
ously, this is not a problem if your own organization is in charge of the speech occasion.
You must make an advance decision on whether you will take questions from the media after your speech or whether you will give them inter- views. I would advise against either, because you will lose control of the agenda and you allow the media to pick the story they are going to write or broadcast. What is the point of writing such a brilliant speech if it is not going to be the story? Give the media nothing else to report but your speech.
Give the media nothing else to report but your speech.
As we have said earlier you do not have to take questions at all, but if you do it is quite legitimate and a sound precaution to limit questions to mem- bers of the audience, not the media, and to the subject of your speech. There is another major reason for refusing interviews after a speech. Deliv- ering a live speech generates a great deal of emotion and energy. When you have finished you will probably feel exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. This is altogether the wrong condition for media interviews, when you need to be calm and alert. It is even more dangerous to relax with a few drinks with your friends in the media. You are even more likely to blurt something which takes the entire story away from your speech. (Interviews and friendly drinks can be even more dangerous if you are the speech- writer, not the speaker. You will be just as exhausted and exhilarated as your speaker, but you will also be flattered to be interviewed or to be asked to join the bantering circle of journos at the bar. The most stupid things I ever said as a speech-writer were blurted in those circumstances, and when I switched to being a political journalist I always targeted a politician’s hired help.)
If you are on a publicity tour or any sort of campaign you cannot afford to turn interviews away. But do them before your speech, not after, and do not let them interfere with your practical or mental preparations for the speech. You will want to keep these interviews focused on the subject of your speech without giving too much of it away in advance. Check when the interview is being broadcast or published: if this is before your speech, try to give ‘teasers’ for what you are going to say rather than delivering the actual content. ‘In my speech tonight, Ann, I am going to explain why the American bee is in danger of extinction and what we need to do right away to fight bee disease . . .’
Make sure that you include local and specialist media in any interviews you give and be briefed on their concerns. Local and specialist media are in gen- eral more likely to give you coverage and less likely to be hostile. Moreover, although they have a smaller reach of readers and listeners than national media they are more likely to be trusted and believed by their followers. I suggested earlier that you should try to keep the media focused on your speech and nothing else. However, at times you may actually want to take the opportunity to initiate or respond to another story as well. You may feel
that you have no choice: there may be an ongoing media story, not covered in your speech, and it would be unrealistic or dangerous to ignore it. In those circumstances you may be tempted to give an interview about it. Resist the temptation, even if you are a very experienced interviewer. Uncouple that other story from your speech. Prepare a separate statement on that story, have it issued from somewhere else, and decline any ques- tions or interviews on that story from the journalists covering the speech. If you decide on this strategy for using the media, make sure that everyone concerned is aware that you want to concentrate exclusively on your speech. In fact, whatever media strategy you choose, make everyone stick to it. That means not only your own organization’s staff and media people but also your host organization. Do not let any well-intentioned members try to act as spin-doctors on your behalf. Do not let
anyone but yourself or your staff answer questions about your speech. Do not assume that just because a host organization is friendly it is safe to talk about sen- sitive issues to its members in a private setting. They may get leaked to the media. For the same reason do
not get drunk or stoned after your speech, or make a pass at anyone. It is easy to do these things in the after-glow of a big speech. Whether you are the speaker or the speech-writer, your job is certainly not over when the speech is finished. Do not do any wild celebrations until the speech is safely reported.