Why should anyone care?

Author name

Thoughts on what interests an audience

Michael Melling

Why should anyone care?


It’s a question that should be at the top of the list for any organization trying to get its point or story across.


In my two decades in news, one of the most powerful concepts I ever learned was taught to me by a gentleman named Al Tompkins at The Poynter Institute. The concept involves tying your story to a “motivator” for engaging an audience with your story. What will “motivate” someone to care?


The five great motivators are:

  • Money
  • Family
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Community


For example, if you’re trying to get a message out about a regulatory change, you need to frame the story so the average audience member can understand the issue through one of the motivators above, and what it would mean to them.


It sounds like a simple concept, but it can actually be a pretty tough thing to do consistently. Under the pressure of deadlines, workloads, and heaps of conflicting information, I’d often see folks struggle to attach a clear motivator to a story, or simply overlook it, as they aimed to deliver their work on time. I suspect it’s a common challenge for anyone trying to communicate a message or tell a story.


One of the best ways of overcoming the challenge was taking a pause and coming up with a simple focus phrase for each story centred around “who did what”. For example, “a patient’s relief at getting a family doctor”, “investors lose after business fails”, or “neighbours fear coyotes”. The phrase focused on putting the audience in a situation they could relate to, and therefore care about.


There was one other motivator that Mr. Tompkins mentioned, but was usually best avoided – Innate Curiosity. This was usually the motivator that would get used when someone was struggling to attach their story to one of the initial five motivators. You’d often hear “but it’s just really interesting!” or “this is really important!” as the reason for wanting to use innate curiosity as a motivator and do a particular story. But what’s “really interesting” or “really important” to one person is often of no interest or importance to another person. The solution was always to go back to the drawing board and find a way to attach the “interesting” or “important” story to one of the original five motivators to ensure it resonated.

How AI can be a helpful follow-up tool after a Media Training session

By Michael Melling • April 29, 2026
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly useful tool in professional communications, including media training. While AI cannot replace traditional media training led by experienced professionals, it can serve as a valuable resource for follow-up practice after formal training sessions. Traditional media training helps spokespeople learn essential skills such as delivering clear messages, staying on topic during interviews, and handling difficult questions from journalists. Trainers often simulate real interview scenarios and provide feedback on tone, body language, and message clarity. These sessions are important because they prepare individuals for the pressure and unpredictability of real media interactions. After completing media training, AI tools can help individuals continue practicing these skills. For example, AI can simulate interview questions that a journalist might ask about a company, product launch, or industry issue. This allows spokespeople to practice answering questions out loud and refining their responses. AI can also generate unexpected follow-up questions, helping users strengthen their ability to think quickly and stay focused on key messages. In addition, AI can assist with reviewing and improving responses. Users can type or summarize their answers and receive suggestions on how to make them clearer, more concise, or more engaging. This kind of practice can reinforce the techniques learned during professional media training sessions. However, AI does have limitations. It cannot fully replicate the pressure of a live interview, interpret body language, or provide the nuanced feedback that an experienced media trainer can offer. Human trainers bring industry experience and real-world insight that AI cannot replace. Ultimately, AI works best as a complementary tool. When used alongside traditional media training, it can help spokespeople maintain their skills, practice regularly, and build greater confidence in media interviews.

Using AI to help you practice thinking on your feet

By Michael Melling • April 29, 2026
It can’t replace real-time human thinking, but it can serve as a practice partner and preparation tool to help prepare for real conversations. Here are several ways AI can help: ⭐1. Practice with Simulated Conversations AI can simulate conversations, interviews, or debates. By practicing with AI, you can get used to responding to unexpected questions or ideas. For example, you could ask AI to act as: 🔵A job interviewer 🔵A customer with a complaint 🔵A debate opponent This kind of practice forces you to form responses quickly, which helps build confidence in real-life conversations. ⭐2. Generating Practice Questions AI can generate challenging or unpredictable questions about a topic. Practicing answering these questions out loud helps train your brain to organize thoughts quickly. For instance, if you are preparing for a presentation, AI could create possible audience questions so you can practice responding clearly and calmly. ⭐3. Improving Idea Organization AI can help you learn how to structure answers quickly. It can suggest simple frameworks for responding in conversation. Practicing with these structures can make it easier to respond quickly in discussions. ⭐4. Building Topic Knowledge Thinking on your feet becomes easier when you understand a topic well. AI can help you quickly learn background information, explanations, or different viewpoints, giving you more ideas to draw from during conversations. (Just make sure it's accurate!) ‼️Helpful, but with limits Where AI is limited as a practice tool for verbal communication is its inability to provide feedback and coaching on your performance to help you improve even further. Verbal communication, whether its in an interview, meeting, or one-on-one interaction involves so much more than just the words you say – how you say things is often just as important as what you say. This is why it’s important to have a trusted human partner who can provide coaching and guidance to help you become the best verbal communicator you can be.

Artificial Intelligence can help with your communications, but verbal skills still need to be prioritized.

By Michael Melling • April 29, 2026
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we communicate, especially in writing. Tools powered by AI can help people draft emails, summarize long documents, correct grammar, and adjust tone for different audiences. These technologies make written communication faster, clearer, and more accessible. For students, professionals, and organizations, AI can save time and reduce the stress of writing by offering suggestions and helping structure ideas effectively. One of the biggest advantages of AI in written communication is clarity. AI tools can review a message and suggest ways to make it more concise and professional. They can also help people who struggle with grammar or language barriers express their ideas more accurately. In workplaces where communication happens through emails, reports, and messaging platforms, AI can improve efficiency by helping people quickly create well-organized and understandable messages. However, while AI is a powerful tool for written communication, it cannot replace the importance of strong verbal communication skills. Speaking clearly, presenting ideas in front of an audience, and responding to questions in real time are abilities that require practice and confidence. Skills like thinking on your feet, explaining ideas verbally, and engaging with others in conversation are still essential in many areas of life, including meetings, interviews, and public presentations. Verbal communication also allows people to convey emotion, build relationships, and show authenticity in ways that written communication often cannot. A strong speaker can adapt their message based on audience reactions and respond instantly to new ideas or challenges. As AI continues to improve written communication, it is important for people to remember that communication is not only about writing. Developing strong speaking and presentation skills remains just as valuable. The most effective communicators will be those who use AI as a tool to enhance their writing while continuing to build their confidence and ability to communicate verbally.