A practical step-by-step guide to becoming an on-air expert on radio and TV

Learn how to define your expertise and get interviewed by newspapers, radio, and television

 

Are you an expert who wants a wider audience by getting on television and radio? Do you wonder how those "talking heads" you see on television or hear on the radio keep showing up when a big news story happens? Do you want to be one of those people? It takes work to make it happen, but it will be easier if you learn from someone who has been doing it for over 20 years. This 10-day email course lays out the path you can take from being a expert know by some to an expert seen or heard by millions.

Each lesson a short, easy to complete set of tasks that will help you create the tools that you can use for years to come. The upcoming emails will cover the following areas:

  • How to prove that you are an expert
  • Essential no-cost resources for the modern expert
  • Documenting the other resources you have
  • Identifying your competition and your possible media outlets
  • Learn how to write a sound bite
  • Learn how to write an effective Tweet
  • Create FAQs for your expertise
  • Ordering business cards
  • Making your first media contact
  • Preparing for your first interview

By the end of this course, you will have all the basic tools and techniques to not only get invited to be interviewed as an on-air expert, but to also confidently present your expertise clearly and concisely.




Your Instructor


Todd Curtis
Todd Curtis

I’ve spent most of my career in aviation safety and security, including a career as a safety engineer at Boeing, and have also frequently been interviewed by various broadcast media outlets, often in the wake of serious aviation events. Since I created the airline safety and security site AirSafe.com in 1996, I have interviewed by major radio and television news media outlets and documentary productions in the US and around the world, including CNN, BBC (radio and television), CBS (radio and television), NBC, ABC, NPR, CTV, Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Al Jazeera, China Radio International, and National Geographic.

What drives me to continue seeking interview opportunities is a desire to provide useful information about aviation safety and security to the general public and to other aviation professionals. Being interviewed by major media outlets has proven to be a very effective way to reach out to a very wide audience.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. However, to get the most out of the course you should take the time to complete the tasks in each lesson before the next one is sent to you. The goal of the course is to build up your skills and to take actions that will make it easy for you to accomplish the goals of the course.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you feel that the course isn't helping you achieve your goal of becoming an on-air expert, we want you to contact us so that we can address your issue, and more important improve the course so that others benefit as well.
What media outlet should I try to get on first?
In the beginning, anyone who will have you. The level of preparation and practice will be the same no matter how small or large the audience. Also, every time you are interviewed is an opportunity to practice and improve your skills. Also, getting interviewed by any traditional broadcast media outlet makes it more likely that other traditional media outlets will find out about you.
Which is better, radio or TV?
That depends on many factors, especially the size of the audience. Typically, radio interviews are much more flexible, since your basic requirement is finding a relatively quiet place.
What about podcast interviews?
These are excellent for getting experience with being interviewed, and you should definitely take advantage of them if you have a chance. However, in almost all cases, podcasts have a very limited audience compared with radio and television. However, once it is published, you can mention (and whenever possible link to it) it in your social media posts in places like Twitter and Facebook or in your LinkedIn profile to help you convince potential radio and television interviewers or producers that you are an expert.
What about getting interviewed for a print article in a newspaper, magazine, or website?
Like podcasts interviews, these can also be excellent for getting the experience of being interviewed, and once published you can link to them in your social media posts and LinkedIn profile.
Where do interviews happen?
Typical ways that interviews happen are by telephone (landline or mobile), with Skype (audio or video), or inside of a studio. This means that most interviews will take place with you in one location and the interviewer somewhere else. That somewhere else can be around the corner or the other side of the world.
What if my area of expertise is too narrow?
Figure out a more general subject area where you can comment on the part of that area where you are an expert.
How much can I get paid?
In most cases, you will not be paid. You are basically exchanging the value of your expertise with the opportunity to share that expertise with a wide audience.
How hard is it to get interviewed?
The opportunities to get interviewed are vast. Every television, radio, and cable news outlet, whether local, national, or international, is constantly in need of content, and many of them use interviews with relevant subject matter experts to provide insights and information about the subject.
How do I know if I know enough to be an expert?
You are an expert if you can provide insights about some subject area better than the average person, and if you have a combination of experience, credentials, and training to back up those insights.

Thanks for taking the time to consider this course. Over the next 10 days, I’ll provide you with what I believe are a set of basic skills that you can use to enhance your skills and your career by communicating directly with the public about your area of expertise.

This will not the only course that I have planned. As other courses become available, one or more of them may be of interest to you, and I would encourage you to check them out. Until then, I’m looking forward to a future where I see or hear you being interviewed.

Get started now!