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Media Interviews

All of your well-placed media information efforts may result in contact from the media. Media interviews provide an excellent opportunity to develop credibility and a strong professional image for your organization and its programs.

Here are some guidelines to ensure a positive working relationship:

  • Always promptly return a reporter's phone call
  • Be attentive to the reporter's demands and help them meet their deadlines
  • Have additional facts handy
  • Suggest additional knowledgeable people (and phone numbers). You may increase your chances of getting your story on the air or published if you can tell the station where to reach a second spokesperson (from a different organization).
  • Have willing, informed and prepare staff on hand to be spokespersons
  • Be ready at any time. Media requests almost never come at preferred times.
  • Everything you say can be quoted. Parts of sentences - even words or sentence fragments that are totally out of context - can be used.

Take Time To Prepare

  • Plan up to three main messages you want to get across during the interview
  • Think of ways to explain in ways that are easy to understand such as analogies
  • Do not stress out. Most interviews are very easy and over very quickly
  • Remember: You are the expert, that is why they want to talk to you
  • Prepare any evidence or examples.
  • Try to think of possible questions and how you will answer

During the Interview

  • It will go by surprising fast - get your main points across right away
  • To increase your chances of being quoted, particularly for broadcast media, talk in colorful language and use bold, short, catchy statements (“sound bites”)
  • Listen carefully to the question and take your time to formulate an answer; an example or analogy may be used to clarify your answer.
  • Be concise and keep your language simple (no jargon), as though you were explaining to your neighbor. If needed, it's alright to stop and rephrase your answer.
  • Explain how your issues affect people.
  • Volunteer important information. You do not have to wait for the reporter to ask.
  • If you feel strongly about the issue, do not be afraid to let your feelings show.
  • Always tell the truth, do not fudge or hedge. If you are not authorized to give certain information, connect them with the person who is.
  • If complete information is not yet available, tell the reporter when you expect to have that information and follow through.
  • Do not use “no comment” or “I’m not going to speculate” as it implies that you have something to hide.
  • If you do not have the answer to a question, get back to them with the answer (keeping deadlines in mind).
  • Do not say anything “off the record” or “off-microphone” as there is no guarantee these comments will remain confidential.

Television Interviews

  • Wear plain, neutral colors with simple accessories; your “look” should not distract from your content. For technical reasons, avoid wearing solid white.
  • Practice your key points in simple, direct language.
  • Do not start the interview until you are physically comfortable, check that your chair is stable and will not rock or swivel unexpectedly.
  • Speak to the interviewer, not the camera.

Radio interviews

  • Double check the time, arrive early if you are interviewing in-studio, be clear about who calls whom if it is a phone interview.
  • Do not use an intercom phone or mobile phone - the sound gets distorted
  • When doing a telephone interview do not speak straight into the mouth piece - keep it a bit away from your mouth and do not move the phone around because the noise will transfer
  • Do the interview in a quiet area-close your door.
  • Do not worry about voice. You do not need a professional, velvet voice. But it helps to have your explanations concise and organized.

Follow up

  • Be sure to thank the reporter
  • Give him or her your number in case of further questions
  • Ask when to expect the interview to appear in the paper/radio/TV
  • Expect he occasional error or misquote-complain only if it is terribly serious, and if then start with the reporter and move your way up, if need be.

If you are pleased with a resulting story, feel free to call and thank the reporter or send a note through email or mail. This makes you stand out!