– We were asked if we had any thoughts. Then it was probably me who started and presented what I thought. I quickly got confirmation that “you shouldn’t say that”. In that sense, it was useful, says Pål Golberg with a smile. There has been a storm around the national ski team recently. Two sponsors have announced that they are leaving after the season. news has mentioned that media coverage has decreased. At a press conference last week, two of the profiles of the women’s national team, Anne Kjersti Kalvå and Heidi Weng, attacked the media. – You are harsh, negative, it often becomes whining. Often you have an agenda, it is difficult to control which direction the interviews will take. Then you get boring performers and boring answers, Kalvå told VG. Among other things, it caused a commentator in Adresseavisen, Birger Løfaldli, to react. He then wrote a comment with the title “Poor, poor boss.” Commentator in Adresseavisen, Birger Løfaldli. Photo: Glen Musk / Adresseavisen Hired PR agency Now the ski association has taken action. Before the men’s national team meeting, they hired PR agency Zynk to provide media training. – I can confirm that we have assisted the Norwegian Ski Association Cross-Country, says Johan Wilskow, who is a partner in the communications agency, to news. Pål Golberg believes this can be useful. – It is good to have confirmation that the thoughts you have must not be said. You can use the media for something positive, and not appear whiny if things don’t go your way, he believes. National team runners Even Northug (former), Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Pål Golberg during a training session in Holmenkollen. Photo: NTB – Thinking about the consequences – What specifically are you learning? – Thinking about the consequences of what you say is perhaps the most important part of such training, Golberg continues. – Do you think it was okay that they (Kalvå and Weng) said what they said? – People should be allowed to be who they are. Sometimes you need to say things as they mean it. Anne Kjersti has probably thought about it for a long time and felt the need to say it. Harald Østberg Amundsen surrounded by the media during Tuesday’s press conference in Oslo. Photo: NTB Takes self-criticism The external media adviser visited the men’s national team’s meeting in Oslo on Monday. The Ski Association’s communications manager was also present at the meeting. The same was the general manager for cross-country skiing in the Norwegian Ski Association, Cathrine Instebø. No similar meeting was arranged until the women’s press conference just under a week ago. Nor was Instebø himself present to answer critical questions. – They also received good advice. But then I see as a manager that I would have liked to have been present there. It is something I learn from, she says to news. – Why would you be there? – I am here as manager now, and I was involved in the review we had yesterday. I know that myself, that I should have been with the ladies too. – It is easy to interpret that what came out of the press conference at Hafjell was not so successful. Is it correctly understood? – No. The girls did a great job. And then, as a leader, I have to learn where I should be present and not, she says. Cross-country manager Cathrine Instebø praises the athletes. Photo: Erlend Havsgård Martinsen / news Not the first time Cross-country runner Harald Østberg Amundsen also believes that they benefited from the media training. – I think it is important that we talk together before media days. But it’s not like we plan things to say that aren’t true. We just go through what we want to get across, and perhaps what we have to answer difficult questions. Harald Østberg Amundsen believes he benefited from the media training. Photo: Anders Skjerdingstad / news – Is this type of training common? – At times we have had a lot of it. It fluctuates a little, depending on the resources we have had, which even tried to turn attention to something positive during Tuesday’s press conference. And the positive news was that the team has brought in Nidar as a sponsor until the WC at home in Trondheim in February next year. – The winnings in the spinning Even though Pål Golberg believes that Monday’s meeting was useful, he believes that it should not be necessary to spend money on external media consultancy in the future. – I hope maybe we don’t have to have it at every gathering and in front of every media meeting. Then I think the winnings go up a bit in the spinning, he says to news. Published 08.10.2024, at 19.08 Updated 08.10.2024, at 19.17
ttn-69
– You shouldn’t say that – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
