Acing a Media Interview
December 23, 2009 • No comments
I need to make a confession.
Although I arrange media interviews for our clients daily, when I was asked to interview about our company for an article to be printed on the front page of the business section of the The Waterloo Region Record (a publication that boasts more readers than the big Toronto papers combined!), I was pretty darn nervous.Nothing inspires confidence than your publicist being nervous about an interview, huh?
In the interest of nervous authors and business owners everywhere, here are some great tips that I found helpful!
Do's
-Be yourself. An interview is not the time to change your style or become theatrical.
-Take a deep breath before you begin speaking to fill your lungs with air and help get rid of that nervous edge in your voice.
-Listen carefully to the questions being asked.
-Speak slowly and clearly, especially for radio or television interviews.
-Give short, concise answers and use simple language.
-Repeat your key points. At the end of the interview, summarize your main points for the reporter.
-Prepare a fact sheet in advance with relevant information and statistics. Give a copy to the reporter to ensure you are not misunderstood or misquoted.
-If asked several questions at once, pick the one question you want to answer and let the reporter re-ask the others.
-Prepare for the interview by asking for topics to be covered. Practice your answers to anticipated questions.
-Comment only on matters in which you have expertise and authority.
Don'ts
* Be very careful about going "off the record" or trying to make deals about what may or may not be reported. The only way to guarantee something is never repeated is never to say it in the first place.
* If a question contains negative language, don't repeat it in your answer.
* Don't assume the reporter is an expert in your industry. Avoid jargon.
* Don’t look at the camera. Maintain steady eye contact with the reporter.
* Don't limit yourself to questions being asked. To get your key points presented, you may have to rephrase a question.
* Never speculate about an answer.
* Don’t allow a reporter to put words in your mouth.
* Never interrupt the reporter. Your goal should be to establish a good rapport.
* Don’t expect to be permitted to review or edit a story before it goes to press.
* Inform, don’t sell. While it may represent an opportunity to get publicity for your business, an interview is not an ad or a sales call.
Fortunately, the interview went smoothly, the reporter was great to work with, the article turned out well, and the accompanying photo was strong. I am grateful for the opportunity for our company and our work to be highlighted in our community. The print interview even led to an interview on The Gary Doyle Show the next day!
Do's and Don'ts courtesy of Shirley Lichti, partner at Marketing Magic, a marketing communication consulting and training company in Waterloo. More great tips can be found on her website!
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