Cynosura

Preparing for a media interview

Media interviews should be fun. Like all public presentations if you prepare well you will find nothing to surprise you; but if you put in no preparation then expect to be caught out by the interviewer albeit unwittingly.

Before we start there are some fundamentals that need airing.

Should you refuse an interview?

• Yes, if you are the wrong person
• Yes, if you are not the expert they were looking for
• Yes, if you are not authorised to undertake interviews by your organisation (but if that is the case then make sure you are helpful and put them on to the right person)
• Yes, if you are not able to do the time and date they want; in which case either ask them to change the time/date or offer someone else in your place
• In really exceptional circumstances where, on balance and after much soul searching, you feel that you will do more damage by being interviewed than by not being interviewed.

Reasons for doing an interview

• Where you need to, it gives you the chance to defend or put your case
• It helps you to raise your/your organisations profile
• It’s free publicity if played properly
• If you don’t then it might look as though you are trying to hide something.

Questions to ask

BE PREPARED: When asked to undertake an interview take time to ask a few questions:

• Where will the interview take place? If TV/radio; in the studio, on site or in the street?
• What is the purpose of the interview?
• Who is the interviewer?
• If TV/radio; is the interview live or recorded?  If recorded then when will it be transmitted
• What questions will they ask?  They may only give you broad areas rather than the actual questions
• What angle do they intend to take i.e. what is the purpose of the interview; this will help you to gauge if it is negative or positive
• Where will it be published/broadcast?⁽¹⁾
• If TV/radio; will I be appearing alone – in a one-to-one question and answer session? Or will it be a discussion involving others and if so who?
• If TV/radio; how long will the finished item be?
• Am I one of a number of contributors to a taped piece – if so, who else is taking part?  If there are others also ask in what order they will be interviewing them and where will your contribution be in the final broadcast?
• For how long will I be needed?

Do not be afraid to ask as much as you like.  Remember the more you know the better you can prepare.  Nor should you assume that every request for an interview is likely to be negative.  Sometimes they are looking for an expert to give supporting information. 

The more questions you ask the better your chances of understanding what you are about to undertake.  As you ask questions it should become clear what the story is all about.  At this point you can judge what likely story they are looking for, what affect it will have on your organisation and therefore how it will affect your stakeholders.

Golden rules

• Always think about ‘what’s in it for them’ (the audience) and not what’s in it for you
• Be clear about what it is the interviewer wants to achieve and then decide if you want to help them (positive story) or if you have to defend (negative story)
• Write down all the potential angles you could take on the story and then decide which one is best for this particular interview
• That helps you to develop your message
• For every point you plan to make, back it up with two or three key facts
• Your message should be presented in soundbite format i.e. you may have 15 seconds maximum to get your message across
• KISS – Keep It Short & Simple
• Avoid jargon, acronyms and big words – you won’t impress, you will confuse
• Simplify numbers ‘£999.99’ or ‘a thousand pounds’
• Anticipate their questions?⁽²⁾
• Use analogies?⁽³⁾ and anecdotes⁽⁴⁾
• If possible cite other sources or third party endorsers
• Rehearse – and then rehearse some more.

Message development

Any good message will have a central theme that you will continue to deliver as often and wherever possible.  Your message will be credible, appropriate and short.  It will also be addressed to the readers, listeners or viewers of the interview and not the interviewer.

Let’s take an example. 

(The fictional) Dr Azar Hussein runs a clinic involved in transplanting organs.  Recently there has been much talk of human organs being bought from developing countries under illegal conditions.  Dr Hussein’s clinic has a good record, although a few years ago they did have a case where an unregistered organ was used by mistake.  Since then the procedures have been tightened and such an incident could not happen again.

Dr Hussein is approached for an interview.  Whilst there are lots of negatives in this story, it does give him the opportunity to show that he runs a well regulated clinic, providing quality services in a safe environment and where the organs used are legally and properly sourced.

His first and most important message is that his clinic works to the highest possible clinical standards and is carefully regulated by the local health authority.

His second message is that the use of illegal organs is dangerous because of the lack of knowledge as to where and the circumstances in which they were obtained.

His third message is to condemn those people involved in this illegal trade because they put at risk the lives of the donors as well as the recipients of the organs.

In some respects for this interview the third message would be most compelling for the journalist; it contains some controversy and brings the issue alive. However for Dr Hussein, the first message is most important for his clinic as this is an opportunity to promote their work without overtly selling the clinic.

His overall, key message is, ‘Don’t take risks with your life; use a reputable clinic such as ours’.

There is one other thing that Dr Hussein should do to prepare for his interview. Never knowing what the interviewer is going to ask, it is important to have all of your facts correct. Never go into an interview without knowing your subject.

So he will spend time preparing a briefing sheet about his clinic and the organ transplant health system. His briefing sheet should contain information about the number of staff, number of doctors, their qualifications, the number of transplants in which they are involved, how long it takes for a patient to recover and the details about the care of an organ from donor to recipient.  Whilst Dr Hussein is an expert in his field, it is important for him to be able to refer to a basic sheet of information.

 After some considerable preparation Dr Hussein is ready for the interview.  His message is clearly identified and rehearsed.  He also has his 15 second message prepared should the interview be a short news item.

The other thing that Dr Hussein should be doing is preparing a series of anecdotes that he can talk about (he will need to get the permission of patients first).  To be able to say that:

“Doris Worthy came to the clinic six months ago, completely drained, looking pale and unable to lead a normal life.  Today she has two new kidneys and is playing with her grandchildren, looking fit, healthy and full of life.” Is the sort of good news story that contrasts well with the demon stories of stolen organs and abandoned poverty stricken donors.

So be clear about the message you want to give and then prepare and rehearse.  Try practising the delivery of your message in slightly different ways.  That means that you will get into the habit of telling the same message many times but in slightly different ways.  Along with different anecdotes, third party endorsements or the other tips mentioned above you will be able to repeat the message over and over again.

Dress the part

The final part of your preparation should be to dress the part.  This is covered in more detail under Dressing for media interviews.  Knowing what to wear and how to present yourself is an important part of your preparation.

There is a big difference between knowing the theory and making it happen. For help in implementing your communications practices email us now.