How to Lose a Press Secretary in 5 Days

November 2026

Prepare for the Spotlight

Nearly every nonprofit leader wants to secure an interview with The New York Times or appear on CNN so they can talk about their organization. But not all of them are prepared for what happens when the camera (or recording device) starts rolling.

Getting a journalist’s attention is half the battle for your media relations team. The other half is ensuring you’re prepared for the interview — equipped with key messages, compelling data and techniques to redirect questions if necessary.

The last thing you want is to be flustered on camera, stumble over your words or sound like you’re robotically reading from a script. That’s how Katie Zacharia lost her White House press secretary position in five days — just half a Scaramucci.

Good media training helps you project confidence, relatability and charm while staying on-message, like Michigan Democratic senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who effortlessly redirects questions and criticisms to his key talking points.

Let your team prepare you for your interview, and your tenure will outlive a fruit fly.

An Interview is More Than a Conversation

A common mistake nonprofit leaders make is approaching an interview with a reporter like a casual conversation. Reporters aren’t evil tricksters trying to trap you, but they’re also not your friend. They have a job to do and deadlines to meet, and they’re not waiting around for you to make your point.

To make the most of an interview for the organization and the reporter, we tell our clients to put themselves in the reporter’s shoes and ask:

• Why is your story newsworthy right now?

• What does the audience need to understand?

• What facts, figures or examples will make the story stronger?

• What can you tell the reporter that they cannot get from any other source?

These questions help you think like a reporter, and get to the heart of your message in a way that will resonate with your audience.

In the same way an interview isn’t a conversation, it’s also not a lecture on your organization’s mission and accomplishments. Momentum founder and president Jim Miller says get to the point:

“Start with your most important message, then fill in the background (if there’s time). When you overtalk, you give the reporter too much material to sift through. The tighter you are, the more likely you are to be quoted on what matters most to you.”

Read more in his blog.