1. Sports Public Relations
Lecture: 11.2.10
University of Cincinnati
By Jackie Reau

2. QUIZ
•Excused from the quiz:
–Team #4: Buckley, S. Johnson,
McCalla, Steinmetz, Wright

3. Current Issues in Sports
Communications
•Randy Moss cut: how was it handled with media?
•What’s going on the with the Florida Panthers?
•What going on with hockey: Pens, Blackhawks,
Cyclones, Blue Jackets?
•Who from the Reds won the Hank Aaron Award for
the NL?
•What happened at Notre Dame this week?

4. The Media Interview
FIVE FACTS FOR INTERVIEWS
The primary way you will deal with media, is through the interview. Most of the
time, the interview topic will be about an issue, event or the mission of the
organization. Interviews should be looked at as an opportunity to share your key
messages and represent your organization.
There are five basic points to remember as you’re doing interviews:
•Be accessible
•Be brief
•Give credit where credit is due
•Talk about the ‘greater cause’
•Be yourself

5. The Media Interview: Advance
So you’ve been asked to sit down with a reporter and do a lengthy interview.
Don’t look at it as an inconvenience; look at it as an opportunity! But listen to the
Scout motto and “be prepared” before you face the cameras and microphones.
So, here are some points you need to review before you give the interview:
What point do YOU want to get across?
(Who is the audience?
How can you turn a negative subject/question into a positive answer?
You can’t control the questions, but you can control the answers
Anticipate the tough questions before you sit down with the reporter
In dealing with those tough questions, NEVER say “No comment.” That implies
guilt, or that you’re hiding something. Just say, “I’d rather not talk about it,” or
“I’m not qualified to discuss that.”

6. The Do’s of a Media Interview
Do
•Prepare
•Be positive
•Keep your head up and smile
•Look at the person interviewing you
•Be on time—or preferably, early
•Be presentable—no gum!
•Repeat the question in the answer
•Be enthusiastic
•Be personable
•Be available and cooperative
•Be polite in difficult situations
•Pause and think before your interview
•Talk in ‘soundbites’

7. The Do’s of a Media Interview
Don’t
•Criticize anyone, including other reporters or outlets
•Joke or use sarcasm—it doesn’t come across that way to the media
•Say anything ‘off the record’
•Wear all-white tops to a TV interview—a little is OK, a lot is deadly to the lens
•Use verbal fillers (‘um, yaknow, like…”)
•Use slang
•Lose your cool
•Wear inappropriate logos
•Avoid an interviewer
•Forget that you are always ‘on’
•Be afraid! It’s a great opportunity—use it to your best advantage

8. Don’t Do This…
Jim Mora Rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tie0tz7jGDI
Mike Gundy Press Conference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMmbUmKN0E
Kevin Borseth Press Conference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvo5XO1kH1c

9. This Week’s In-Class Assignment
•Teams
–Team #1: Gantzer, Flynn, Buckley, Bell, Balough, Bachman
–Team #2: Kendall, Jones, S. Johnson, N. Johnson, Hunter, Goldberg
–Team #3: Mitchell, McLaughlin, McCalla, Marvine, Rosenberg,
Marshall
–Team #4: Sudow, Stratton, Steinmetz, Smith, Totten, Poole
–Team #5: Toelke, Seebohm, Wright, Watson, T. Totten, Wilmes

10. This Week’s In-Class Assignment
•Teams for Media Conference Prep
–Team #1: Coach Brian Kelly re: Declan Sullivan death
–Team #2: Coach Brad Childress re: Randy Moss cut
–Team #3: Carson Palmer on Bengals season
–Team #4: LeBron James on first Miami Heat win
–Team #5: Coach Chris Mack on the season-ending injury of Brad
Redford

11. Media Conference Prep
•Who is your audience for the media conference?
•What are your key messages?
•Who will be the spokesperson?
•Will they read a statement/take questions?
•Where, when (date/time) will the media conference be
held?
•What handouts, if any, will you provide?
•List anything else of importance.

12. This week’s assignment
Assignment: Draft a one-page overview for a press
conference to be held by your assigned team due at class on
11/9
You pick the topic or issue, spokesperson, date/place
Each student will present their overview in press conference format
to the class (each will be videotaped)

13. Next week’s class
Apprentice-like promotional contest with players from the
Cincinnati Kings Indoor Soccer Team
Each team will be given a task to build buzz for the team
Visit their website, become familiar with indoor soccer
www.KingsIndoor.com