The Bump
I was once asked by a local news anchor (who I regularly “talked to” over Twitter and Facebook) to do an on-camera interview about social media usage. She connected me with the field reporter working the story. He called, did a pre-interview, then asked if he could come by my office for an on-camera interview.
Absolutely!
I’ve done many TV, radio, newspaper, and media interviews over my career as a spokesperson, subject matter “expert,” and author. I view any opportunity to do a media interview–especially TV–as an opportunity not only to “get my name out there,” but also as a way to sharpen my on-camera skills. Trust me–you can do hundreds of these and still get rusty very easily.
So, the reporter set a time–I had about 45 minutes before he and his photographer were to arrive. I cleared my calendar and–most importantly–cleaned my office. (Yes, it was messy on the heels of working as a conference host followed by a week of travel). I slipped a jacket on, combed my hair, and went over the topic in my head a few times. Then I waited.
And waited.
The reporter didn’t show up.
Before I even turned on the TV and saw him at the scene of “Breaking News,” I knew what had happened: I had been bumped.
Ah, the bump.
