After an interviewCheck back with the public affairs officer (if he orshe was not present during the interview) and brieflyreport on what was said, and any concerns you haveor issues that were raised. While the details are stillfresh, you may want to tell the public affairs officerhow you felt about the interview and ways to improveinterviews in the future.

What about broadcast interviews?The vast majority of media interviews at the NRC arenot on camera. On-camera interviews have differentrequirements, which the public affairs officer willhelp you understand. For example, you need to look atthe person posing the question and not at the camera,and you need to communicate in short "sound bites"of I5 to 30 seconds. The public affairs officer can alsoadvise you about your appearance (for example,not wearing plaids or prints or white shirts forthe interview).

What to do if the media contactsyou directlyMost media inquires go through OPA, but sometimesreporters will contact you directly. In that case, youare encouraged to contact OPA. That way, the publicaffairs officers are in the loop and can better prepareyou for an interview. The public affairs officer mayknow the reporter and what he or she usually coversor may know why a certain issue has arisen at thatparticular time. OPA may also determine that some-one else with a different technical background or ata different level in the organization would be moreappropriate for the interview.

It's important to act quickly on any media request tomeet the reporter's deadline. If you don't promptlyagree to the interview or refer them to OPA, the storymay run without NRC's viewpoint-a missed oppor-tunity to keep the public informed.

If you choose to answer the reporter's questionswithout first contacting OPA, keep in mind the tipsoutlined earlier. Be sure to establish ground rulesand avoid stepping outside your area of expertise.After the interview, let OPA know what took placeand the name and number of the reporter-often ane-mail suffices.

What to do about after-hoursmedia requestsThere is a public affairsofficer on call at alltimes. The Headquarters •Operations Center willhave the name and phonenumber of the on-callpublic affairs official andwill help you reach theofficial.

How to improve yourinterview skills

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The NRC offers severalrelevant training courses,including media trainingand risk communication.Check the Intranet formore information at:

www:internal.nrc.gov/training.html.

Remember that every interaction with a reporter pro-vides the agency with an opportunity to influence anews story and get our message out to the public.

NUREG/BR-o2o2, Rex. 3December 2oo4

Guidelines for interviewswith the mediaThe NRC has long been open in its activities andforthcoming with the public and the media. Buttoday-in a world of terrorism concerns, energydebates and environmental activism-the NRC'sability to accurately and promptly respond to themedia is more important than ever.

Because the NRC's Office of Public Affairs (OPA) isthe primary liaison between the media and the agencymost, though not all, media inquiries come throughthis office. If OPA needs a technical expert or programofficial to provide information, you may be called onto help out. If you have concerns or do not want toparticipate, tell the public affairs officer immediately.If you are willing to share your expertise with themedia, there are some simple things you should knowand a few things you should avoid.

Preparing for a telephone interviewThe public affairs officercan give you a generalidea of what questionsmay be asked. Take a fewminutes to gather relevantmaterials, including thecorrect title or NUREGnumber for publicationsthat you might refer-ence, and to jot down anyreminders about messagesor major points you wantto convey during theinterview.

Establishing ground rulesThe public affairs officer may have already estab-lished ground rules but it's good to clarify the rulesbefore the interview starts. For example: Will you bequoted by name or only be providing backgroundinformation? Will you be taped?

Tips for a successful interview" Listen carefully to the

questions so you'reanswering what's beenasked. If you don'tunderstand the ques-tion, get clarification.Don't guess at themeaning and confusethe reporter with anoff-the-mark response.

" Make sure you respond truthfully and completelyto questions and don't withhold important infor-mation simply because the reporter didn't knowwhat to ask. It's not in the agency's best interest fora news story to be incomplete or inaccurate.

" Keep your answers concise. If your answer isextremely complex, break it into understandableparts. Periodically ask the reporter if anything isunclear or needs further clarification.

" Avoid too much technical jargon, which'is confus-ing and can create an impression that the NRC isbeing evasive. If you use jargon, define it or explainwhat you mean. "In a PWR, a pressurized waterreactor, it's important to understand that..."Keep your answer on track and avoid rambling andtoo much detail or personal asides that are unneces-sary or inappropriate.

" Provide accurate information. Don't guess! If youdon't know the specifics, it's ok to say so andarrange to get back to them with the answer or toget someone else to respond.

" Stick to your area of expertise. If a question goesbeyond what you're familiar with or comfortablediscussing, refer the reporter back to OPA staff,who will arrange for someone else to addressthe question.

What not to do during an interview" Don't go off the record. Everything you say to a

reporter is fair game. If you're tempted to say some-thing off the record, it's probably not informationthat should be revealed.

" Don't venture opinions on policy or politicalmatters or provide information on pre-decisionalCommission matters, and don't speculate on futureagency actions or answer hypothetical "what-if"questions. For the latter, provide information aboutpreventive actions the NRC may have taken or rel-evant research studies, but answering hypotheticalquestions can lead to sensational headlines.

" Don't let yourselfbe badgered intotalking about sub-jects you're uncom-fortable with. Bepolite but firm andrefer the reporterback to OPA.

Don't get angry-you may saysomething you'llregret, which willreflect poorly onthe agency as a whole. Reporters are primarilylooking for information, not trying to make theagency look bad. Sometimes, though, a reportermay be unusually aggressive or rude. It's importantthat you stay calm and, if necessary, politely endthe interview.

Never say "no comment." Instead, explain why youcan't answer a question or give information you canprovide: "I'm sorry, but that information is confi-dential. What I can say is..."

Try to put factual information into perspective orprovide analogies or examples. When discussinga release of radioactivity, for example, you mightexplain that the amount of radiation released is "X"percent of the amount allowed by Federal regula-tions. Without the explanation, the numericalquantity might alarm people.