In the heavily scripted and tightly controlled environment of an election campaign, reporters fervently look for the unplanned moments that bring insight, entertainment, sensationalism, outrage, or new revelations. Even with the rise of social media and citizen journalism, the media are still the most direct way that voters can experience candidates at scale. So, to snub a journalist is to be seen as snubbing voters, especially if that journalist represents how a voter feels or is asking questions that voters have been wondering about themselves.
Politicians must ask themselves, “Is that a question that I, as a voter, would want answered?”. If the answer is yes, by not answering it directly, you risk being judged as evasive, unhelpful, inaccessible, combative, or out of touch. Voters expect politicians to be transparent and accountable, especially when under pressure. If you can’t handle a few tough questions from journalists, how can you be trusted to handle the pressure of representing your electorate? It’s a missed opportunity to show leadership and empathy.
Monique Ryan has now joined an unfortunate club: those leaders who want to be in the media on their terms to share their message, but by stonewalling a journalist, they become a bigger story than their comments could ever have been. Former Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci’s Four Corners walk-out, Peter Dutton’s shutdown when asked about supporting his son’s first home purchase, and now Monique Ryan’s repeated on-camera cold shoulders. Their reactions placed themselves at the centre of the story and handed their critics ammunition, at the expense of the substance and message they were determined to convey.
Monique Ryan’s requests to be left alone have an undertone of a parent being nagged by their children at the end of a seemingly endless school holiday period.
‘Gotcha’ moments only land if you let them. By remaining calm and in control and responding with empathy and confidence, politicians can manage the optics and the message. They also need to respect the journalist – even if they ask a disrespectful question – as the response will always be far more memorable than the question.
When any leader is feeling ambushed or under pressure by an unwanted confrontation, their options are not fight, flight or fawn. Their only helpful options are to charm and disarm, inject humour or humanity, or acknowledge concerns and bridge to their message. Monique Ryan needs to see every moment (even the unpleasant ones) as an opportunity to connect with voters on a human level.
