Using the Media to Your Advantage

"If your chair swivels...don't," when you're in a filmed interview, according to sage communications coach Arch Lustberg. You'll give your audience motion sickness, and detract from delivering your message effectively. And delivering your message effectively is what Lustberg's tips and techniques are all about. The video counsels viewers on what to say and how to say it, making the best use of mind, body, face, and voice. Instructing audiences to be simple, brief, clear, and concise in their commentary, Lustberg examines specific strategies for handling print, radio, and TV journalists (and tabloid reporters) both in controlled situations and with a nest of microphones shoved in your face. Although some of the examples come from seminars featuring librarians, there's nothing library-specific about this program, and the information given would be equally valuable (perhaps more so) to local, state, and federal officials (maybe even a certain President and her husband, who have repeatedly been in the turbulent whitewater, media-wise). Although some of the same material from Perfecting Presentations (VL-1/93) and Controlling the Confrontation (VL-11/89) is included here, there's enough new information here to make this a valuable resource for librarians and other public officials. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)