Media Relations (Part 5) – 10 Essential Keys To Master Media Interviews

Step 6. Establish a rapport with the media…

Find out some personal information about the journalist interviewing you. How long have they been with the media outlet? What was the last story he/she reported on? Any sincere praise or recognition you can offer a journalist will often smooth relations going forward. Thus, review their recent reporting. Perhaps there are some common interests you share or related personal background information — such as where you grew up, went to school, etc. This will help lay the foundation for positive media relations by forging common ground on a direct human level.

Step 7. Practice, practice, practice…

Also, recall that many types of communication are non-verbal in nature.

If you’re a native New Yorker, like me, you may recall the answer to this famous question, How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your answers and do a mock interview with the communications team in your organization. If you are conducting a broadcast interview then videotape and review your likely responses — even practice in front of a mirror. Also, recall that many types of communication are non-verbal in nature. You want to avoid any awkward or embarrassing physical gestures, such as ducking out of the camera to grab a water bottle and taking a big gulp on live TV (as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida once did while delivering his party’s official response to a State of the Union address)

What to Remember

Okay, you’ve done your legwork and are now ready for the big interview. Take a deep breath, stay calm, cool and remember that YOU are in control.

Step 8. Take charge of the interview…

Repetition of your main points is key, especially on camera, even if you sound like a broken record.

Don’t let the media dictate the interview. Rather, deflect and deflate questions you don’t want to answer by reiterating your main points. Repetition of your main points is key, especially on camera, even if you sound like a broken record. Moreover, don’t feel compelled to respond to negative or loaded questions. Rather, respond with a deflecting statement, such as those listed below. Then repeat your key talking points and proof points (data/anecdotes/stories). Some examples of deflecting statements include:

• “Let’s look at this issue from a broader perspective…”
• “There is an equally important concern here…”
• “Let’s not forget the underlying problem at hand…”
• “That point may have some validity, however, let’s look at this a different way…”

Step 9. Ask that a question be repeated or restated…

This is especially important if questions are unclear, loaded or surprising. You may need a few seconds to formulate your answer if unprepared for the question. You may also give your answer a second time as new thoughts and points may surface during the interview. To repeat or expand on an answer already given, use some of the following phrases:

• “In addition to what I noted before…”
• “On second thought, let me provide a more complete response…”
• “Please scratch what I said earlier, what I meant was…” (for non-live interviews only).
• “Let’s go over your second question again. I want to point out that…”

Step 10. Maintain eye contact and avoid distracting gestures…

Don’t give a reporter hellbent on sensationalism the chance to go for the kill.

Focus on either the interviewer (preferably) or the camera, webcam, etc. — but not both. Do not glance away or shift your eyes from side to side. Do not fold your arms or talk with your hands, as this looks defensive and awkward. If needed, keep your hands tightly clasped on your lap. Most importantly, always maintain focus and appear confident, calm, cool and collected. Reporters may detect weakness like sharks smelling blood in the water. Don’t give a reporter hellbent on sensationalism the chance to go for the kill.

Bonus Point

Despite what some people tout as “conventional wisdom,” honest journalism is not dead yet. Nevertheless, the media landscape has radically changed from prior decades. Moreover, you still never know when an interview may turn into an ambush. Therefore, use the following advice at your discretion if an interview turns ugly:

Sometimes a reporter or producer will relentlessly pound away at you with highly negative questions during a pre-recorded interview.

In this case, you may need to simply stop the interview in midstream and walk away. Don’t simply give into biased questions and provide the answers they want (at your expense) — which may be detrimental to your message and organizational brand.

Rely on the expert judgment of any communications aide who is staffing the interview.

It’s the communications staff who are more familiar with the reporter, media outlet and any history of covering your organization. Therefore, as an absolute last resort, call off the interview if it turns into a game of “gotcha.” If the reporter broke an advance interview agreement, then the reporter does not deserve an interview. The story is likely to be negative anyway. Thus, show some spine and self-respect by ending it prematurely. Again, this might be necessary if a reporter or producer continually asks questions that both sides previously agreed would not be asked, or if a reporter engages in unprofessional conduct and interrogations.

Final Thoughts

As I’ve previously written: despite a conspicuous shift in the media landscape caused by the 21st century Information Age, tens of millions of Americans still consume news that is originally reported and produced by traditional media. Further, a majority of Americans still get their news via TV (on average for all age groups), according to Pew Research Center. Thus while it remains important to focus on maximizing social media, today’s public relations (PR) pros and professional communicators should also not forget about traditional news media (also known as “legacy media” or “old media”).

Old media still plays a vital role in modern journalism.

Therefore, by adhering to the aforementioned 10 points (and bonus point) you will be ready to face the so-called “Media Beast” head-on, especially on camera. You will be able to leverage any media interviews to make the best case for yourself, your organization and brand. It’s important not to fall into the trap of a prolonged interview in which only limited or negative information is used in the final story. You might initially be satisfied with the interview before your words are sliced and diced — or even taken out of context — to fit a biased media narrative or agenda.

You might only make one mistake in a half-hour interview, yet that’s what could appear in the story.

That’s why repeating your main points makes sense. Don’t feel obliged to answer loaded questions or be goaded into a trap by unscrupulous reporters. Be smart and stick to the game plan. Try to control the direction of the interview rather than letting the interview control you.

And, finally, don’t forget to smile for the camera.

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