Media Interview Requests: Advice for any professional engaging in Media Interviews
Requests for media interviews are common for speakers we work with at Spoken with Authority -- especially as they take on new and higher profile leadership roles. Our colleague Lynne Adrine (formerly a senior producer at ABC News and the director of the Washington, D.C. graduate program in Broadcast and Digital Journalism for the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University), shared this foundational advice for any professionals who are starting to engage in media interviews.
When you receive an interview request:
The first thing you want to do when somebody makes a request to talk to you is to find out what it’s for; what publication, broadcast outlet, or platform where it is going to appear, when is it going to appear and the deadline. Be sure to research the reporter and publication or network and understand you can refuse an interview request. If you agree to the interview, acknowledge it is because you think there is some value to you and that value matches your intention for the messaging of your organization.
You may want to ask whom else the journalist is interviewing because there can be a variety of voices in the development of the story they are going to tell. They may or may not share this information with you but suggesting it to them shows you are looking to help them get a fuller picture.
When you agree to an interview:
Be intentional. Highlight the issues you want to make sure demand the journalist’s focus, with awareness of the reasons that you agreed to do the interview in the first place.
As we recommend at Spoken with Authority, use our Sandwich Structure Method to create talking points that you say it in a succinct way. Let them ask for more. Use the depth of knowledge you do have to pull out what you think is the most useful information for that person or for the audience the publication is representing.
If you are being interviewed regarding your own publication, you may think you know everything there is to know about what you authored. However, in preparation for an interview, re-read your publication and research other publications on the same topic. If you become nervous in the interview, you will have information at the ready, as well as being prepared for possible contrary opinions.
When you participate in an interview:
When you have an encounter with any journalist, understand that NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD (including banter as you are getting ready to start the interview), unless there is an agreement up front between both parties.
To be effective, make sure you understand each question. Repeat it if necessary for clarity.
Be your authentic self and be succinct. Remember if it’s broadcast or print, they are only going to use a segment of what you say. If you give a long expository answer, then they’re only going to use a portion of your response. If it’s a broader interview, they are taking little bits of it to fill in the rest of their reporting, and for quotes in a longer article. Saying less is usually better, and if the journalist wants to follow up with more questions, they will.
When you get a question for which you can’t or don’t want to effectively respond:
If you don’t have the answer to a question, you can say, “I don’t have an answer for that right now,” or “That’s not in my sphere of expertise.” You don’t want to be baited into supplying an answer which can be taken out of context. Remember, everything is on the record. Maintain a level of calm and maturity, even if you’re frustrated.
Be an expert, but never make stuff up. You can always ask a reporter to be specific about their deadline and offer to get back to them, whether by telephone, email or text. This is can be an opportunity to educate the reporter and add to their knowledge base.
Maintain presence. If you feel the interviewer is trying to move you in a direction that is inappropriate, you can push back in a respectful way and say what you want to say.
After the interview:
Follow up afterward. Don’t assume your interview has gone into the ether. Ask where and when you will be able to read this or listen to the finished piece. Assess how are you represented and if this a reporter you can trust in the future. Just as we ask clients to record and review themselves during their Spoken with Authority engagements, be sure to apply that same practice to read or watch what you’ve said to a journalist. Take time to reflect and congratulate yourself on what went well and find areas where you can improve in your next media interview.
Build relationships. You want to be known as the “go-to” person, even if the journalist doesn’t use your quote when they interviewed you because there was limited space or time. It’s more important that they remember that the experience with you overall was good, and you were trying to be helpful.
If you need support preparing to speak to journalists generally or help getting ready for a specific high-profile interview, schedule a time to learn more about working with Coach Lynne Adrine and other presentation skills experts on our team.
