No matter how poorly a reporter phrases a question, or if the reporter makes a comment and expects you to respond, take the opportunity to present your key messages. In other words, while it is tempting to be dismissive of the reporter, you need to take the high road and provide a positive response.
Here’s an example. In the post-game press conference of the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 2, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and a reporter had this exchange:
- Reporter: All the 49ers fans here at SoFi Stadium here in LA.
- Shanahan: What about it?
- Reporter: All the 49ers fans here in the stadium at a road game here in Los Angeles.
- Shanahan: Yeah, they are here. Is there a question to that?
The reporter was apparently trying to ask Shanahan’s thoughts on how well 49ers fans travel for road games but never directly asked it, even after two tries. Then, another reporter got impatient and asked his own question, and the topic was lost.
One way Shanahan could have responded was, “The 49ers have the best fans who support us at home and on the road, and we appreciate them for that.” That would have been better than letting that opportunity pass by.