It’s a situation every communications advisor or media manager dreads. A spokesperson who goes “rogue”: ignoring guidance, straying off message, or showing overconfidence in front of the media.
When frustration boils over, the instruction to a media trainer can sometimes be:
“Go hard on them. Tear strips off them. Bring them down a peg.”
But does that really work? Or are there better ways to manage a difficult spokesperson and protect your organisation’s reputation?
Common difficult spokesperson behaviours
The signs are familiar to most media teams:
- Failing to follow instructions from advisors
- Not notifying the comms team before accepting interviews
- Going off message mid-interview
- Chatting off-topic with journalists and creating unhelpful headlines
- Oversharing sensitive information
- Overconfidence that doesn’t match skill level or organisational tone
Even the most experienced executives can fall into these traps, often unintentionally.
The over confident spokesperson conundrum
Confidence is vital in media interviews. It builds authority and helps spokespeople project credibility. But when confidence crosses into arrogance, it becomes damaging, both to the spokesperson and the organisation they represent.
For communications advisors, the challenge is finding the right pitch and tone: encouraging confidence, while ensuring discipline and alignment with the organisation’s message.
Why hostile briefs rarely work
Some media managers ask trainers to use a confrontational approach, deliberately setting up a hostile training session to “teach the spokesperson a lesson.”
While this may occasionally highlight the risks of going off-message, it rarely leads to lasting improvement. Instead, it can create resentment, embarrassment, and resistance to change.
Media training for difficult or overconfident spokespeople
In most cases, there are more effective ways to manage a rogue spokesperson. The advantages of engaging an external trainer include:
- Impartial feedback: A consultant can provide frank, fearless (but professional) critique that internal staff may find difficult to deliver.
- Confronting playback: Video recordings of practice interviews reveal gaps between perception and reality, leaving nowhere to hide.
- Proven methodology: Instead of humiliation, overconfident spokespeople are shown a logical, structured interview process that builds skill as well as discipline.
- Confidence with guardrails: The training preserves the spokesperson’s strengths while ensuring alignment with organisational messaging.
Often, overconfidence masks uncertainty. With the right approach, spokespeople welcome structure and practical techniques that improve their performance.
Why clear communication matters
Managing rogue spokespeople isn’t about confrontation. It’s about creating a constructive environment where feedback is honest, skills are developed, and organisational risk is reduced.
Clear communication between the media team and the external trainer before a session ensures objectives are aligned and the right strategies are applied.
Tame the risks, build the skills
A rogue spokesperson doesn’t have to be a liability. With the right media spokesperson training, overconfidence can be channelled into credibility, and difficult behaviours can be redirected into disciplined, effective communication.
Saltwater Media provides tailored spokesperson training and crisis communication training that equips leaders with:
- Practical structures to stay on message
- Realistic simulations with confronting playback
- Honest, external feedback delivered constructively
- Confidence that enhances, rather than undermines, credibility
Whether your challenge is an overconfident executive, a difficult spokesperson, or a team needing consistency, our journalist-led training delivers results that stick. Contact us.
About Luke Waters
Luke Waters is a communications consultant, media trainer, and former journalist with extensive experience preparing spokespeople for press conferences, live broadcasts, and high-stakes media interviews. He has completed specialist training in Crisis Communications at the University of Technology Sydney and holds a Certificate in Leadership and Strategy in Stakeholder Engagement from the Australian Institute of Management.
Luke Waters draws on his newsroom background and years as a communications consultant and media trainer to help leaders deliver credible, confident, and disciplined communication under pressure. His structured training frameworks are designed not only to build skills but also to rein in unproductive habits such as overconfidence, going off-message, or oversharing in interviews.
Luke’s programs are always tailored to the needs of each organisation and include:
- Media Training
- Media Spokesperson Training
- Crisis Communications Training
- Crisis Communications Spokesperson Training
- Incident Management Spokesperson Training
- Corporate Presentation Training
- Stakeholder Engagement Spokesperson Training
For a confidential, obligation-free discussion about preparing your spokespeople, including managing overconfidence and keeping interviews on message, contact us today.