Amy’s Top 5 Tips for a Successful Media Interview
During my 30 years in Public Relations, I have watched so many interviews with staff. I’m usually the one that has written the “pitch,” made the phone calls, and set up the logistics. After the journalist has arrived at the museum, then I usually get to take a step back and watch. I imagine I’ve watched thousands of interviews by now. I’ve learned a lot and I want to share some of it with you here.
These top 5 tips for a successful media interview are taken straight from my media training that I do with clients. Here we go:
Be a Good Host.
Remember you are laying the groundwork for developing a positive, ongoing relationship with the journalist. Begin with a proper introduction. Introduce yourself, your position and ask the same of your interviewer. “It’s nice to meet you, XYZ, I’m excited we have the chance to talk today.” Show them that you appreciate that they are there. If possible, do a bit of research ahead of time about the reporter and the media outlet. Visit the reporters’ social media profiles and read their previous articles. This can help two ways. It can help you anticipate questions or that reporter’s style of interviewing. It may also give you some possible “ice breaker” topics during your pre-interview time. I cannot tell you how many interviews I’ve seen get off to a bad start, and sometimes even completely ruined, by the interviewee acting like an ass. Yep, there I said it. And for the poor PR professional who has worked hard to get the interview, it just stinks.
Be a Storyteller.
It’s ok to share personal stories or anecdotes as to your connection with the material you’re being interviewed about. Think about those stories and practice them ahead of time. Having an interesting story not only creates a connection with the reporter early, it also makes your interview seem more conversational and also draws a connection between you and the key messages you want to convey. Having stories and examples also brings interest and relevance, and I know every journalist appreciates that.
Be a good messenger.
Before the interview, practice your key messages. Tell them to your family, friends, pets, and the bathroom mirror. During the interview, get these key messages out early and often. Always try to bring the conversation back to your mission and your message. Finding ways to weave your key messages into your answers helps to ensure that those messages end up in the piece the reporter is writing. Try to always bring the conversation back to your mission and your message. Learning how to pivot back to your key messages is among the most important media interview skills. To do this you can use something called “bridging.” Bridging is the art of answering a question, and segueing smoothly to your key message points.
Be brief.
Long-winded responses typically fail to deliver the key message. Watch an interview and pay attention to the “sound bites” that are used. How long are they? Try timing your own responses. Ask a family member to time your response and then try to guess the length of your response. The average length of a tv news story is one minute. You should aim for each response to be 30 to 45 seconds. This goes for print interviews as well. Remember that print and online journalists are restricted by word count, so answers that are too long may never make it in their story, get cut by an editor, or shortened for length and taken out of context. You’ll increase your likelihood of being quoted when you offer a direct response that is only a few sentences in length.
Be honest.
It’s okay to say “I don’t know the answer.” If a reporter asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, it’s okay to tell them so. This will come off with you looking better than trying to answer a question that you clearly don’t have expertise on. It is ok to refer them to someone else in your organization who can answer that for them and offer to make that connection.
Bonus tip: Ask questions.
After the interview is concluded, ask about the interview. When will it air? When will it be printed? When will it post? Do you have my number? “Feel free to call me if you need anymore information or want to fact check while you’re working on the story.”
