Bridging Techniques

The Bridge Library

Every spokesperson needs a library of bridge phrases they can deploy without thinking. These aren't scripts — they're muscle memory. Like a tennis player's backhand, you practice them until they're automatic.

The best bridges share three traits: they're short (under 8 words), they're forward-looking, and they shift from the journalist's frame to yours.

Category 1 — Importance Bridges

These bridges redirect by emphasising what matters most. They work well when the journalist is focused on a detail and you need to zoom out.

'What's most important here is...' / 'The key issue for the public is...' / 'What people need to know is...'

Use these when the question is legitimate but you want to reframe the priority. They respect the question while changing the lens.

Category 2 — Context Bridges

These bridges add context that the journalist hasn't mentioned. They work when the question is based on an incomplete picture.

'And to put that in context...' / 'What that figure doesn't show is...' / 'The broader picture is...'

These are particularly effective with The Policy Wonk, who often focuses on a single data point. Adding context is a legitimate and credible response.

Category 3 — Future Bridges

These bridges pivot from what happened to what's happening next. They work well in crisis situations where the past is indefensible but the response is strong.

'What we're doing about it is...' / 'Going forward...' / 'The steps we've taken since then are...'

Warning: don't use future bridges to avoid accountability. Audiences can tell. Acknowledge the past first, then bridge to the future.

Category 4 — Agreement Bridges

These bridges find common ground before redirecting. They disarm combative journalists by starting from a point of agreement.

'We absolutely agree that... and that's exactly why...' / 'You're right that X matters, which is why we...'

These are the most powerful bridges because they eliminate the adversarial dynamic. The journalist can't attack a position you've already agreed with.

Bridges to Avoid

Some bridge phrases have become so overused that journalists and audiences recognise them instantly as deflection:

'With respect...' — universally understood as 'I'm about to disrespect your question.' / 'What I'd really like to talk about is...' — 'I'm refusing to answer.' / 'That's a great question...' — Patronising. Just answer it. / 'Look...' — Signals you're about to mansplain.

If a bridge phrase has been used by every politician in the last 20 years, retire it. Find your own natural language.