diana benato consultant | media training

media training for humanitarian operators

A training on TV interview (with Laura Berti - TG2 RAI journalist) and public speaking (with Alessandra Battaglia - actress and trainer), or in simple words, how to handle stress when you find yourself on the stage, with a microphone in your hand and several eyes pointed on you...and a camera too! Because, let's be honest, too many times, it happens that they ask you to be a trainer in seminars, a speaker in conferences or...even to handle interviews with journalists…only because you are good in what you do! But public speaking is not a skill that comes out easily for everybody.

1. PUBLIC SPEAKING: handle stress when speaking in front of an audience

Alessandra Battaglia - actress and trainer at "IL MELOGRANO"

BEFORE THE SPEECH:

Stop toxic thoughts: they are the negative sentences coming in loop into your mind
Move the focus on positive situations or other appointments of the day: it will resize the importance of the event
Try the speech more than once in comfortable environments: your mind will remember it as a positive experience already happened in the past.
Test the speech with the presentation on the wall, a fake microphone in the hand...and on a chair to experience the feeling of the stage

DURING THE SPEECH:

Breath slowly: it will calm your mind
Keep a straight posture: an open rib cage will allow a better breathing
Pause between topics to refocus on the talk and calm the mind (it will also give the audience time to absorb your message)
If possible, keep notes of your speech in bullet points in the case you lose track
Look at the people that show interest while speaking: it will help your self-confidence
Try to ENJOY!

2. TV INTERVIEW: how to pass the message avoiding unconfortable questions

Laura Berti - journalist tv for TG2 RAI

WHY COMMUNICATE:

As humanitarian workers we can share what we see in the field and bring awerness on far-from-the-eyes situations

WHAT COMMUNICATE:

Tell only what you really see without comments and suppositions
Describe your stories through imagines and emotions, don't use numbers or statistics
Avoid always political questions (and answers). Say "I don't know the answer because I am a worker and not a politician. I can only say what I see and today I have seen...(and describe a situation)"
If you don't know what to say don't change topic, just say that you don't know

HOW TO COMMUNICATE:

Use simple words understandable to everybody: no acronyms and technical terms (if it's not possible, explain the meaning)
Shorten your sentences, speak slowly and clear
Don't move the body because the camera cannot follow you
Look inside the camera, if you feel uncomfortable just look at the journalist