Media Training Articles
When The Call Comes
When the call comes, there are certain questions you (or your PR people) must ask.
Who are you going to be interviewed by? Does the interviewer have a known agenda? Is he/she an ardent environmentalist, feminist, or neo-conservative? Does he/she have a dislike of big business, or officialdom - or just everybody?
Who is going to be listening or watching? The business world, for example, or the world in general?
What sort of programme is it? Regional, national - or international?
Is it a news programme like Sky News, Radio Five Live, or the Six O'Clock News?
Or a specialist programme - the Money Programme, Working Lunch.
Or a consumer programme - Watchdog, You And Yours.
Or perhaps a more relaxed programme like the morning programmes on local radio stations, or This Morning. Or Richard and Judy.
And the most important question of all.
Am I the right person to be doing the interview?
If you're not the right person, if it's not on your own subject, don't do it. And if you have nothing to say, don't go on the air to prove it.
If you are the right person, then it is time to prepare, prepare, prepare.
This is vital. Failing to prepare is like walking into battle unarmed. Even if it is a friendly, non-confrontational interview, lack of preparation will leave you looking inept, confused, unfocussed.
Preparation means looking for the things YOU WANT TO SAY. For example:
- Firm, positive facts that will mean something to the audience
- Not more than two or three main points - otherwise you will have difficulty remembering them
- Facts and ideas that support the impression you want to give
- Statistics (but not too many) that support your main points
- Examples that will illustrate the points you want to make, and perhaps put a human face on them
But...
...don't try to second-guess the interviewer's questions. By all means, work out how you would answer the trickiest questions that could come your way. But you will never be able to forecast all the questions.
...don't try to learn any of your material. At best, it will sound stilted, and will prevent the interview sounding like a normal conversation.
And remember...
...you're there because you are an expert.
...you know more about your subject than the interviewer ever will.
Draw strength and confidence from that.
