Choosing the right media spokesperson is not simply a matter of finding the most senior person in the organisation or the individual with the greatest technical knowledge. A spokesperson must be credible, available, well prepared and capable of communicating clearly under pressure. They also need to understand how journalists work and recognise that a media interview is very different from an internal presentation, client meeting or technical briefing.
The wrong choice can lead to unclear answers, missed opportunities and unnecessary reputational risk. This becomes particularly serious during a crisis, when an organisation may have little time to prepare and every word can receive intense scrutiny.
Rather than relying on one familiar face, organisations should develop a balanced pool of trained spokespeople with different areas of expertise. Avoiding the following five mistakes is an important place to start.
Mistake One: Automatically Choosing the Most Senior Person
There is a natural assumption that the chief executive, managing director or most senior available leader should represent the organisation. In some circumstances, that is absolutely right. A major announcement, serious incident or issue involving organisational accountability may require a response from the top.
However, seniority does not automatically make someone the best communicator. Some leaders are excellent in the boardroom but feel uncomfortable in interviews. Others may speak in strategic language that sounds impressive internally but means little to a general audience. A journalist wants direct, understandable answers, not a lengthy explanation of corporate structures or management processes.
Using the most senior person for every request can also reduce the impact of their appearances. If the chief executive comments on routine operational matters, it becomes harder to signal the seriousness of an event when their presence is genuinely required.
A better approach is to match the spokesperson’s authority to the subject and significance of the interview. Department heads, regional leaders and experienced specialists may be better placed to discuss particular topics. The senior spokesperson can then be reserved for moments when visible leadership matters most.
Mistake Two: Selecting Someone Who Is Too Busy to Prepare
A strong spokesperson needs time to understand the request, agree the organisation’s position and practise answering likely questions. Yet businesses frequently choose individuals whose diaries are already overloaded. Preparation is squeezed between meetings, or the spokesperson arrives moments before an interview expecting a quick summary.
Even a confident communicator can struggle without proper preparation. They may overlook an important fact, use an outdated figure or fail to anticipate the obvious follow-up question. Under pressure, they can fall back on jargon, overlong answers or unsupported claims.
Preparation does not mean memorising a script. It involves understanding the audience, identifying the central message and deciding which examples or evidence will make that message convincing. It also means considering difficult questions and practising how to answer them honestly without being drawn away from the organisation’s key points.
Media Training helps spokespeople use preparation time efficiently, but organisations must still protect that time. If someone is consistently unable to make room for briefings or practice, they should not be the only person approved to speak. A wider pool provides resilience and prevents media opportunities from depending on one overcrowded diary.
Mistake Three: Assuming Technical Expertise Is Enough
Technical specialists bring authority and depth of knowledge. They may understand a product, medical development, research project or operational process better than anyone else. Their insight can be invaluable, especially when a story requires genuine subject expertise.
However, knowing the subject and communicating it effectively are different skills. A brilliant technician may dislike public speaking, become frustrated by simplified questions or give answers containing more detail than the audience needs. They may also correct minor inaccuracies at length, losing sight of the main point the organisation wants people to remember.
This does not mean technical experts should be kept away from the media. Many become excellent spokespeople with the right support. The key is to assess their willingness as well as their knowledge. Someone who actively dislikes interviews should not be pushed into a prominent role simply because they are the leading expert.
Organisations can pair technical specialists with communications colleagues, offer individual coaching and begin with lower-pressure opportunities. Training should help experts translate complicated information without making it inaccurate. Comparisons, practical examples and plain English can make specialist knowledge accessible while preserving credibility.
Mistake Four: Choosing Confidence Over Judgement
A confident speaker can appear to be the obvious choice. They volunteer quickly, speak fluently and rarely seem intimidated by an audience. Those qualities are useful, but confidence without judgement can create problems.
An overly confident spokesperson may speculate, dismiss legitimate concerns or continue speaking after giving a perfectly adequate answer. They might treat a journalist as an opponent or assume that charm will compensate for weak preparation. In a recorded interview, one careless phrase can become the headline or the short clip repeatedly shared online.
The strongest media performers combine confidence with discipline. They listen carefully, pause when necessary and know the limits of what they can responsibly say. They can acknowledge uncertainty without appearing evasive and correct a false premise without becoming confrontational.
This balance is particularly important in Crisis Media Training. During a serious incident, an organisation needs someone who can show empathy, explain what is known and avoid filling gaps with guesswork. Composure matters, but so do accuracy, restraint and awareness of the wider consequences of every answer.
Selection exercises should therefore test judgement rather than relying on impressions from meetings or presentations. Realistic practice interviews reveal whether someone can handle interruptions, hostile questions and incomplete information while remaining clear and credible.
Mistake Five: Relying on a Single Spokesperson
Depending on one spokesperson may feel simple, but it creates a significant operational weakness. That person could be travelling, unwell, unavailable or too closely connected to the issue being discussed. They may also be suitable for business interviews but less effective when addressing a community concern, explaining a technical matter or responding to a human story.
A single voice can limit the organisation’s reach as well. Different audiences respond to different forms of expertise and experience. A finance director may be ideal for discussing results, while a clinician, researcher, frontline employee or regional manager may bring greater relevance to another story.
Building a pool does not mean giving everyone permission to speak without coordination. Each spokesperson should have a defined remit, appropriate training and a clear understanding of the approval process. The communications team should know who covers each subject, who provides backup and who takes responsibility during escalating situations.
The pool should also reflect the organisation itself. Diversity of background, role, seniority and communication style can help a business connect more authentically with the people it serves. Representation should never be tokenistic, but an organisation that repeatedly presents the same type of spokesperson may unintentionally reinforce a narrow picture of its leadership and expertise.
What a Balanced Spokesperson Pool Looks Like
An effective pool usually includes senior leaders, subject specialists and operational voices. It may also include regional representatives and people able to speak confidently about customer, patient or community experiences. Each person should have agreed subject areas and know when a request must be referred elsewhere.
Availability should be planned rather than assumed. Organisations can maintain an up-to-date spokesperson list containing areas of expertise, contact details, training history and possible conflicts. Deputies should be identified for important roles, particularly within the crisis communications plan.
Media Training should be tailored to the interviews each spokesperson is likely to face. A chief executive may need practice with corporate accountability and high-level strategy. A specialist may need help simplifying complex ideas, while an operational leader may need support moving from detailed processes to concise public messages.
Training should not be treated as a one-off exercise. Skills fade, organisations change and new risks emerge. Refresher sessions allow spokespeople to practise current scenarios, receive constructive feedback and become comfortable with television, radio, online and remote interview formats.
Building Strength Before the Next Interview
The right time to create a spokesperson pool is before a journalist calls. Begin by reviewing the subjects on which the organisation is most likely to receive questions, from planned announcements and industry developments to complaints, accidents or wider emergencies. Then identify several credible people for each area rather than defaulting to familiar names.
Assess candidates on knowledge, availability, empathy, clarity, judgement and willingness to learn. Give them realistic practice and observe how they respond when questions become difficult. With carefully designed Media Training and regular Crisis Media Training, people who initially lack confidence can develop into capable and trusted representatives.
A balanced spokesperson pool gives an organisation more than additional names on a contact sheet. It creates flexibility, improves the quality of interviews and reduces the pressure placed on any one individual. Most importantly, it ensures that when attention suddenly arrives, the person speaking is not merely the most senior or convenient choice, but the right voice for the situation.