Speaking in the media requires more than just knowing what you’re talking about. It also requires that you sound like you know what you’re talking about.
There’s a big difference.
Of all the different types of clients I have worked with, academics often have the hardest time transforming themselves into true Media Darlings. Don’t get me wrong! They’re brilliant, dedicated, and deeply informed, but their training can work against them in the media. In academia, precision and complexity are rewarded. In the media, clarity and connection win every time.
This is why college professors sometimes struggle. They may have decades of research and a wall full of framed degrees, but put them in front of a camera or microphone and suddenly their brilliance gets buried under qualifiers, disclaimers, and long explanations. “It depends” may be a smart academic answer, but it’s not a great soundbite.
But it isn’t only college professors who struggle.
Many highly intelligent people including scientists, doctors, financial experts, engineers, even seasoned business leaders, face the same challenge. They’ve spent years mastering their craft, but no one ever taught them how to translate that expertise into language the public understands.
It’s not about dumbing anything down. It’s about opening it up…making your message accessible, memorable, and human.
Try this: record yourself answering one simple question about your topic as if you were on a morning show. Then listen back. Do you sound confident, conversational, and clear? Or are you explaining, qualifying, and overthinking?
Another tip: distill your main message into one sentence that anyone can understand. If a 10-year old, or a busy TV producer, “gets it,” you’re golden.
That’s what working with a media strategist and trainer can help you do: translating your brilliance into clarity, turning deep knowledge into words that stick.
Bottom line
When you can express what you know with energy, clarity, and warmth, people not only understand you, they trust you. And that’s the moment you begin the move from expert to Media Darling. Reach out if you need some help.
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. It’s not about saying more. It’s about saying what matters most.
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