Is Trump changing the way people interview in the media?

Is Trump changing the way people interview in the media?  Absolutely. 

Trump is the first world famous public figure to ‘not play the game’, not be scared and interview on his terms.  The result is often ugly and unpredictable, and for some – very entertaining.

He attacks, cajoles, takes sides, holds vendetta’s and makes it impossible for journalists to get an answer.  He therefore makes it impossible for reporters to get a regular story. 

Instead through attack, Trump becomes the story, and then he lets social media decide if he was right or not. He counts on the fact his followers will defend him to the death.

As is so often the case, mere mortals watch the immortals perform publicly and take on some of their traits.

We’re seeing this in Australia in the AFL off-season right now.  Clayton Oliver gets sacked from the Melbourne Football Club and ‘F bombs’ reporters when questioned at the airport.  He abuses journalist Mitch Cleary, and then continues to stroll to his flight.

What emboldens Oliver to behave that way?

Poor character, absolutely.  Social media support, definitely.  But also, a well-rehearsed high profile play-book of Trump doing whatever he likes, whenever he likes and getting away with it.

It’s taken me 25 years in the industry to deeply understand how scared people are of the press.  Trump shows us almost daily, that attack is the best form of defence.

Here’s the Trump playbook to interview ‘success’:

1. Show no respect and do whatever you like, tick.
2. Cause so much offence you become the story, tick.
3. Let your followers decide if you were right or not. Tick.

This is where the social media following of AFL stars really plays a role.  If Clayton Oliver’s supporters are posting, “Well done Ollie, Mitch Cleary is a tool”.  Oliver then feels vindicated and those views in their tens of thousands start shaping his analysis of the incident.

All the while, the perpetually soft footy media don’t take him on uniformly because they’re also swayed by social views, and they want access for future interviews.

Behaving badly appears to get Oliver a win in the moment, but what he’s not considering are a host of other stakeholders who aren’t captive to the whims of social media, and not enamoured with ‘Trumps playbook’.