On The Record: Conducting Strong Interviews with the Media

How you participate in an interview is almost as important as what you say to the reporter. Keep some simple interviewing tips in mind, and it will be smooth sailing.

ARM YOURSELF WITH KEY MESSAGES

Before every interview, you should take time to refamiliarize yourself with your key messages and talking points. This will help you focus your answers and allow you to feel more comfortable, because you already have an idea of what you will say. Remember, it’s ok to have a cheat-sheet, and keep some notes with you.

Key messages can be understood more thematically. These are ideas that you would like to express at some point during your interaction with a reporter. Key messages might be broad pieces of memorable information that you intend for your audiences to retain.

For example:

Company switching to more sustainable practices…

Talking points are supporting statements that are tailored to a specific audience. These are normally shorter lines that are meant to be used to reinforce your key messages.

For example:

Company is now using 95% recycled materials in our products. Our goal is to be 100% recycled products in the next two years.

BE IN “INTERVIEW MODE” THE ENTIRE TIME

The interview starts once you step into the room with the reporter and ends when they’ve left the building (or you’ve left their office). It can be tempting to make small talk, but remember that whatever you say is generally fair game, so keep it light (i.e., the weather, sports). Don’t gossip or say disparaging things. You never know when a microphone or camera is on.

Tip:

Once they put the mic on you, everything is fair game. Just assume it is on, and any remark you make could end up being recorded and broadcast.

SPEAK CLEARLY AND AT A NORMAL PACE

Relax, and take a deep breath before the interview starts. Reporters—and reporters with cameras—can make people feel nervous or uncomfortable, and this comes across in their speaking patterns or pace. So take care to speak at a normal pace, not too quickly or with too much animation.

ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES

Reporters need full sound bites and sentences to flesh out their stories. If you answer in incomplete sentences or, even worse, with one-word answers, they will have a tough time including you in the story. Take the time to speak in complete sentences, and answer “yes/no” questions with insight.

RECAP THE QUESTION

When a reporter asks you a question, instead of simply diving into your response, restate the question in your answer. This helps ensure proper context and makes it easier for the reporter to properly quote you in their story.

Tip:

If you are speaking at a press conference or a question and answer session, remember to repeat the question back for everyone in the room. You are amplified, but they might not be. The audience will appreciate you saying what the question was, and it allows you a few seconds to gather your answer in your head.

DON’T RUSH THINGS

Take the time to work through your messaging points, and provide insightful answers to the reporter’s questions. Even if you have 100 things to do after your interview, keep your full focus on speaking to the reporter, and give them your time and attention. You will regret not relaying all of your points if you rush out of the interview.

NEVER SPECULATE

When a reporter asks a question, our initial response is to answer it. But, pause to consider if you are being asked to speculate about something or predict the future. If you are, it is best not to answer directly. You never want to respond based on “what if” scenarios, because it is impossible to predict all of the intricacies of the future. To avoid these questions, acknowledge that you cannot speculate, and pivot back to your main point (i.e., “Well, I can’t predict the future, but I can tell you that right now our focus is…”).

SPEAK TO THE ISSUE

Sometimes you will not know the answer to the question or, in a delicate situation, it may not be in your company’s best interest to answer too specifically. In this case, revert to your talking points, and speak to the overall issue at hand instead of the very specific question in front of you.

REMEMBER WHO SIGNS YOUR PAYCHECK

At the end of the day, you don’t work for a media outlet or anyone other than your company. Remember to speak from your employer’s perspective when you are being interviewed. If you do not feel like you can do this, let your company know, so they can arrange an interview with someone who can.