Media interviews - THE ten golden rules

8/6/2019 Media interviews - THE ten golden rules

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media interviews

THE ten golden rules

1. be prepared

You have one chance to state your case make the most of it. Once you know the basics

(whos the reporter, what format will the interview be, whos the audience, whats the

publication/programme see hack the hack below) youre ready to start preparing:

Work out what you want to say and create some key messages. If youre contacted outof the blue, ask the reporter when their deadline is, then arrange to call them back,

even if its just a few minutes later. Dont be put on the spot; you need to be in control

of the interview.

Pre-empt what questions you will be asked, especially the hard ones. Its better to

think of the worst possible questions now rather than in the interview. Then write all

the questions down, easy and hard.

Decide how to use those questions to say what you want to say. Practise saying things

out loud to make sure youre comfortable, and keep focusing on your key messages.

If you want something to be used word-for-word, then write it down to give to thereporter. You cannot be over-prepared for the interview. And remember to include the

name of your organisation/campaign/project etc.

2. think of the headlines

The average soundbite used is eight seconds and the average newspaper headline is

six words, so think about how you want your interview to be encapsulated within those

parameters. The main techniques for this are:

Say the headline and then back it up with the key facts or evidence (see answer the

questions below).

Have phrases that will appeal to editors and make sure you deliver those phrases well,

repeating yourself if necessary.

Use colourful, powerful words that will appeal to your audience, and ensure that your

responses will resonate with them.

Before we go onto the interview itself, lets talk about reporters. Rule number 3:
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3. hack the hack

The media interview is a posturing exercise. Youre there to get your message across, nomatter what youre asked, and the reporter is there to get something newsworthy. Even

though most interviews are generally positive and the reporter is not out to get you, its often

safer to assume that the following are true when dealing with reporters (right up to the point

they have left the room or put the phone down):

Nothing is ever o-the-record. If you dont want something to end up in print, dont

say it. Even if the reporter says its o-the-record, you could still appear as a senior

source, an unocial spokesperson or an insider. Also, once youve said something

you didnt mean to, you cannot take it back.

The reporter is trying to trap you. This could be by asking a series of questions to

which you answer yes followed quickly by one to which you mean to answer no

but to which you regrettably say yes. Or the reporter could use negative phrasing in

a question in the hope that you will repeat the phrase in your answer dont. Or he

could compare your organisation to another dont allow him to create controversy by

comparisons; correct him immediately.

The reporter has a tight deadline. Respond quickly (minutes rather than hours).

Always return a call or the reporter may assume you have something to hide.

The reporter will not show you the story before its published. Dont even ask, it will

just antagonise them and possibly make them less favourable towards you. You can

ask them to read back the things theyre quoting you on (to make sure you gave thema clear explanation); most will prefer to get it right at this stage rather than having

to correct things later on. And you can also ask them when the story will appear,

particularly if any of your comments will go out-of-date.

If you meet, you will go Dutch. Reporters will generally not accept any hospitality/gifts

for fear of appearing prejudiced. With meals or drinks, they will pay for themselves or

for both of you, but wont allow you to pay for them.

The reporter is human. Be helpful, courteous and professional theyre doing their job

just as youre doing yours. Greet them, use their name and thank them afterwards. If

you lose your train of thought, ask them to repeat the question.

The interview is being recorded. Whether its in person or over the phone.

You can ask about themes in advance. The reporter wont usually tell you specic

questions, but may well tell you what areas will be covered. You can make this more

likely by telling him that this will allow you to make sure you have the right information

and therefore dont waste his time.

OK, youre ready to start thinking about the interview, and the rst thing to sort out is what

sort it is. Rule number 4


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4. manage the medium

There are certain things that apply whatever the medium. With TV and radio opt for a liveinterview if possible; it might seem scarier but at least your answers wont be edited. If the

interview is recorded and you dont like the way youre answering a question, cough, pause

and start again; Editors wont use clips with coughs in them. Also, repeat your headline and

key message a number of times to increase the likelihood of it being used.

Always ensure that you let the reporter nish the question (and leave a slight pause) before

you start to answer. This will look good for live interviews and make the Editors job easier for

recorded interviews.

Be wary of open-ended questions at the end of the interview (or even afterwards) such as Are

there any other developments taking place that we should talk about?

And keep your interview-head on until it s all denitely over; directors sometimes want to

shoot background footage called cutaways, noddies or wildlife-tracks, or do one or two shots

again, so make sure youre still concentrating throughout. Prince Charles and Gordon Brown

have both been caught out by these so learn from their mistakes.

There are also certain media-specic techniques to bear in mind:

Television:

Appearance. Wear what you would normally wear when you want to be taken

seriously (business or smart/casual) as that will make you feel most comfortable andfocused. Solid colours, particularly blue, look best (avoid black or white), and denitely

no patterns or heavy/noisy/shiny jewellery. If youre wearing a suit, then button up

the jacket. Look in the mirror before the interview to check your hair, face, teeth and

clothes look right, and make sure the backdrop is appropriate.

Posture. Sit if possible, and if youre wearing a jacket, unbutton it and sit on the tail to

stop the shoulders hunching. Face (and talk to) the reporter and lean slightly forward

with your feet crossed at the ankles. Dont rock, sway or bob as this can look shifty

and also means the camera has to keep moving. Get comfortable and feel poised and

ready, and then move every now and again (but not when youre speaking).

Body language. Try and be yourself, but be conscious that every movement will be

magnied, especially if the camera is in close. Use natural gestures to emphasise a

point, but dont dget. Look at the reporter, not the camera, especially during tough

questions, and avoid rubbing your nose, covering your mouth or tugging your ears.

Focusing on the bridge of their nose helps you to keep your gaze consistent. Only nod

your head if you agree with what the reporter is saying, but do smile as appropriate.

Speech. Talk in a normal voice (the microphones and engineers ears are very sensitive)

and assume that you are being recorded at all times.


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Radio:

Appearance. Even though you wont be seen by the audience, follow the appearance

guidelines for television. That way, youll feel professional and focused for the

interview.

Speech. Use words that will paint pictures for the audience. Concentrate on using the

correct pace and tone for the points youre making. As with television, talk in a normal

voice and assume you are being recorded.

Notes. Have your headlines and key messages on a single piece of card (paper will

make too much noise and wont stand up on its own) and keep it where you can see it

without having to move your head away from the microphone.

Press:

Appearance. As above look the part.

Words. You have much more latitude to use your prepared notes. Refer to them, and

give the reporter copies (electronic and paper) of anything that might need to be

quoted verbatim or will save him time.

OK, youre ready for the interview itself, but how should you behave? Your demeanour

throughout the interview is vital to its success and rules 5, 6 and 7 will give you the answer

5. keep it shortThink back to your headlines and use them in your answers. Speak at a normal pace and

watch out for the reporter using silence to coax you into elaborating. Do not allow yourself

to ramble at best you will say nothing worth using and at worst you will say something you

didnt want to. Make your point and stop talking.

6. keep it sweet

Remember that when people watch/hear/read your interview you will be a guest in their

homes, so be polite, enthusiastic and conversational throughout. Let your everyday

personality come through that way youll feel more comfortable in the interview. Do not

allow yourself to become angry or provoked, even if the questions are oensive, because your

anger will become the story rather than what you wanted to say. Dont demean the questions

and dont blame anyone as these reactions will reect badly on you.

7. keep it simple

Use simple, everyday language in getting your message across (eg need rather than

require) and remember that people will have had a hard day at work. Avoid jargon and

acronyms if you absolutely have to explain something complicated or technical, then do so

as simply as possible. If you use a technical term, immediately explain what it means, and say

two out of three people rather than 66% of people.


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So thats how to behave, but what about what to do? Rule 8

8. answer the questions

Media interviews arent the same as job interviews; youre trying to win the audience, not the

reporter. However, where media and job interviews are similar is that in both you have to

answer the questions put to you. And questions will fall into one of two categories; those you

want to answer, and those you dont.

Those you want to answer. In your desire to get your point across, make sure you

rst answer the question. Do so succinctly (possibly with a yes or no) and then

immediately move on to make your point, ensuring that your point links back to the

question. This is known as bridging. The reporter knows that you are there to get your

message across and will give you time to do so as long as you rst answer the question.You could use bridging phrases such as:

Yes thats right, and most importantly.

No, thats incorrect, and Ill tell you why its incorrect

Our reading of the situation is very dierent.

The most exciting thing about that is.

Those you dont. Tough, you still have to say something. Which brings us onto rule

number 9:

9. never say no comment

This is true unless you specically want to antagonise the reporter and appear guilty to

your audience. Validate the reporters question but then switch things onto your agenda by

bridging. This allows you to retain control. As long as its truthful, you could use phrases

such as:

Im legally prevented from answering that, but what I can say is.

I cannot answer that question because.

Thats a good question and one which Im unable to answer. Let me nd the person who can

answer it for you.

Thats condential information which Im not prepared to tell you, but what I can tell you

is.

If youre being asked about a hypothetical situation, you dont have to answer it unless you

absolutely want to. Use a phrase such as:

Im not going to deal with hypothetical situations. Lets concentrate on reality by looking

at


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And the nal rule

10. tell the truth and nothing but the truthRemember, youre not going for a job, and youre also not going to Confession. Weve

established that you need to answer the questions, and you must never, ever lie, blu or

mislead (you will be found out and the lie will become the story). However, you are not

obliged to tell the whole truth; only make public those elements you want to be made public.

This is extremely simple to do unless the reporter identies the missing truth. If he then

presses you on a particular point (especially with a closed question) you need to adopt the

approach in never say no comment (above).

This can be tricky if the interviewer is persistent; you need to weigh up (very quickly!) whether

it is better to carry on avoiding the question by talking about your key messages (and

possibly appearing shifty to your audience like Michael Howard on Newsnight), or whether

you can answer the question and not compromise yourself. Only opt for the latter if you are

very condent that it is the right thing to do.

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Media interviews - THE ten golden rules