Six Questions with Michelle Mandara: Meta’s Former Global Head of Broadcast on Building a Broadcast Profile

I sat down with Michelle Mandara, Managing Director at Prosek Partners, who previously held the role of Global Head of Broadcast Communications at Meta. Michelle shared her biggest learnings from leading this tech giant’s broadcast communications, her advice on breaking through the noise, and the best ways for PR professionals and spokespeople to prepare for a broadcast segment.

What is the number one lesson that you learned while leading broadcast at Meta?

Relationships matter.

When I started at Meta in 2017, Mark Zuckerberg hadn’t appeared on TV in more than a decade. As we prepared to announce a new company mission, I wrote in my PR plan: “We need Mark to do TV.” I was initially told he was too “green” for TV, and that it wasn’t an option—but I felt differently and worked overtime to shift that perspective internally.

When I say relationships mattered for Mark, I mean it, and building his broadcast profile in the media took a “crawl, walk, run” approach. We spent time building relationships with producers and on-air talent. I had him meet with Gayle King, Lester Holt and George Stephanopoulos on-background, then on-the-record (for sit-down meetings), and then we progressed to an on-air interview. Those baby steps helped Mark and the network shape its coverage around Facebook.

By the time we got Mark in the hot seat to talk about these issues—whether it was midterm elections, interferences, fraud, fake news or the company mission—he felt more comfortable because he had the relationships. Relationships matter even more than picking up the phone and pitching the story.

How have you applied that lesson to your time at Prosek?

In my book—which includes 20 years of consumer comms—there is always a story to be told. My drive is finding what that story is, the best person to tell it, and where it should be told. Whether you’re pitching the CIO of a bank, Mark Zuckerberg, or the head of Nintendo, there’s always a story to be told. On the consumer side, I find it’s about tying that narrative into something the viewer can personally relate to and humanizing the story. Finding the connection. No matter what, if I’m pitching, I ask: “What’s the news that consumers can use—and why does it matter?”

How can PR professionals help their clients stand out amid the slew of pitches that producers receive?

Today’s media landscape is insane. There’s so much out there that you need to diversify your PR portfolio. Like a financial portfolio, you need both risk and reward. You need legacy media and also new media to cut through the clutter. Nowadays, the news cycle moves so quickly, and headlines are at readers’ fingertips. I find it starts with a strong subject line. It’s the subject line that really makes it or breaks it. But also, going back to why relationships matter, taking the time to get to know a producer or the on-air talent and uncover what their interests are, and how you can offer something that no one else can—that will also make it or break it.

What are the critical elements to making a spokesperson shine on TV?

No matter what, your spokesperson needs to be mediagenic, they need to be relatable, and they need to be engaging. Not everyone is a good fit for TV, and that’s okay. And that’s where, as PR professionals, we need to help make the decision of what the right medium is for the spokesperson and where they will truly shine. Some spokespeople are a better fit for podcasts and radio versus TV, which can still move the needle. Others may be a good fit for satellite media tours (SMTs). While some could call SMTs antiquated, they’re a tried-and-true tactic where you can stick a spokesperson in a studio and bang out 10 to 20 interviews in one day, hitting across the country. While there are different ways that you can leverage spokespeople, at the end of the day, there needs to be some sort of hook. For broadcast, everything is visual—so thinking through the hook and the visual element (whether it’s B-roll or other imagery you can offer the producer) is critical.

What practices should spokespeople engage in before an on-air appearance?

When I was at Meta, one of my personal goals was to appear on TV, so I did a satellite media tour. One of the best pieces of advice with the messaging I had to deliver was to voice-record myself and play it back. I would listen to how I was sharing or delivering that messaging. I was able to hear not only how it was coming off, but also my inflection and tone.

Media training is building a muscle, right? I would say that even to the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. You have to keep strengthening that muscle over time. Regular check-ins, quick refreshers—these go a long way.

Finally, you need to be conscious of the news cycle. News breaks every day. For us, knowing when to lean in and when to lean out is really important.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a brand-new spokesperson who is trying to grow their presence on TV and radio?

First, start small. There are so many mediums and platforms and channels. As one idea, start with local TV. You don’t need to be on the Today Show as your first appearance. It’s also important to remember that broadcast often follows print. Scale up from print reporter meetings to the higher-stakes live broadcast opportunities.

Second, don’t lose who you are. Especially with broadcast, it’s a visual medium, so you have to be able to connect with your audience. You’ve got to find some sort of shared interest or connection. There needs to be some sort of relatability there. Bring your passion and energy to the segment—because the audience can tell; they can feel it. It goes back to authenticity.