On account of the ongoing pandemic, the form of talking to the media has changed. That’s why we’d like to provide you with a set of technical tips which may be helpful when you get to talk to journalists in the near future.
Getting ready
If the scheduled interview is to be transmitted live, it’s a good idea to connect with the interviewers 10-15 in advance.
Since we’re still dealing with the pandemic, don’t be concerned if your child interrupts your call or your pet suddenly jumps onto your lap. Isolation gives us an excuse in the event such situations happen.
What if we can’t make it to our home office on time because we’re stuck in a traffic jam? Not to worry. We’re all perfectly aware of the circumstances we live in. An interview given from inside a car is not a disaster. Still, we encourage you to be punctual and ready to talk, preferably somewhere in your regular or home office.
Setting your laptop
Probably the most important aspect of giving an interview online is having the laptop set correctly. The camera should be set at face level. If you don’t have a monitor or an appropriate mount, you can use e.g. books and stack them up to create a makeshift platform for your mobile phone of the right height.
As one of our journalist friends said: “Your nostrils are not your best asset even though if you consider them really pretty. It’s not a good idea to show them off. It’s similar with the ceiling. Not much to boast about even if it’s been beautifully repainted”.
Background
Prepare the background. A plain wall or bookshelves will look best on camera. A shelf with knick-knacks, a part of a lamp, or a ceiling that can be seen when the laptop stands on a desk/tabletop - and not on a stack of books (depends on the angle of the top panel of the laptop) – are all rather bad ideas. Checking the camera view before the scheduled video call will help you spot the elements that may distract the audience.
An important thing to mention here is lighting – nobody will expect you to have a professional, studio-like lighting system. Switching all lamps/chandeliers inside the room should do the job. “A half-lit, dimmed interior is great for a third date. Fingers crossed. But if we are to see each other well, do keep those lights on. You may not have a special lamp but we in the studio do believe that your chandelier works” – says Michał Giersz, a TV presenter at Polsat News.
Dress code
If you are to appear on TV, you should make sure that you’re dressed for the occasion. We suggest subdued colours – grey, black, white, deep blue, navy. Too bright colours will divert the audience’s attention. Just like patterns or text on your clothes. Plain, single-colour shirts are the best choice for a TV appearance. Try to avoid striped or checked clothing. Ladies are advised not to wear earrings, necklaces or scarves during TV interviews. But if you decide to wear some jewellery, it should be rather subtle, delicate. Big earrings or charms will distract the audience and divert the attention from the person speaking – it is the speaker who should be in the spotlight, not their jewellery.
In the case of gentlemen, wearing a full suit and tie is an option that depends on the medium you are to appear in. If it’s a debate on e.g. TVN24, we suggest wearing a suit. But if it’s an online TV channel, a morning show, wearing a tie may is not recommended given the more casual nature of said formats.
It’s important to bear in mind that our clothes should go well with our background – a white shirt worn against a plain white wall will blur with the background and the audience will focus on this instead on the content.
– Don’t lean over the screen because you’ll look condescending. And definitely do not lean over the screen if you a shirt or a blouse with a low neckline – says Milena Drzewiecka, PhD, media expert.
Internet connection and recording equipment
We suggest disconnecting all home appliances (except for your computer or smartphone) from your Wi-Fi network for the duration of the interview/meeting. It will make your connection faster, and the video quality better.
The pandemic does not have to pressure us into buying a professional video camera and microphone. But it’s reasonable to remember that the video camera featured in our smartphone usually offers a much better video quality than the laptop camera. It’s also a good idea to use earphones – preferably smaller, wireless ones. They have an in-built microphone and offer good sound quality. It’s better not to use wired headphones, but if we have no other option, let’s try to keep the wire out of sight – as it can distract the audience too.
But if you feel you’d like to make your home studio more professional, we suggest getting a few accessories. A good idea is a ring lamp with a phone holder. The light will significantly improve the video quality, even in the case of a poor camera. Another device worth getting is a lavalier microphone. The device greatly improves the audio quality, which translates into a much better reception of the message offered to the audience.
We believe that our tips will be helpful next time you have a media appearance.