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How to do a Media Interview
Interviews influence how the news will be reported. Your physical cues can be as important as the content of what you say.
Body language:
- Don't slouch!
- Dress appropriately for formal interviews. At demonstrations, wear a T-shirt with your logo or a message that you want to convey to the public, if possible.
Verbal basics:
- Never believe that a camera or a microphone is off. Never say anything you don’t want recorded.
- Nothing is ever "off the record," even if you stress that what you are saying is "on background."
- Always have your top three messages in your mind before speaking or answering a question.
- Offer constructive comments. Example, don’t say "Jane Smith is evil." Say, "Jane Smith has worked for X Corporation, which is aggressively promoting nuclear power."
- Calm always wins the day. Being defensive and angry are signs of a person in a weak position. If you are easily excited or angered, take a breath and pause before speaking. Don’t be surprised if a reporter's demeanor changes dramatically once the camera or tape begins to record.
- Support your messages with anecdotes, statistics and sound bites. For TV, realize your interview will be substantially edited to fit into a short time frame. And print reporters will be looking for concise quotes that explain the story. Keep your answers to between 10 and 20 seconds. Network TV sound-bites are 8 seconds; learn to be concise.
- Don't think that because print reporters have more space they may use longer quotes. Remember, they are taking notes as you speak. Speak slowly, use short sentences, and repeat yourself. It will help ensure the reporter gets your point and gets it written down correctly.
- Use "off-message" questions to bridge back to your message. Use phrases such as "That's a good question. Before I address it, I'd like to go back my earlier point..." Politicians do this all the time.
- Don't hop around in an interview just because the interviewer is jumpy. If they interrupt you or barrage you with rapid-fire questions, remain calm; finish your sentences; wait until the interviewer takes a breath and then pick one question to answer and answer it with your message.
- If an interviewer misstates something or has a fact wrong, don't be polite and keep quiet - speak up. If you don’t correct the fact, it will be reported incorrectly. Correct the statement and turn it back to your message. For example, "Company X said that nuclear power is a cheap form of electricity. Respond with, "Actually, economic studies of the report showed that alternatives like wind power actually cost less and provide more jobs."
- Give it to them in writing. Create a one-page summary sheet of your main points and leave it with reporters, along with a phone number where they can reach you with follow-up questions. The more the reporter has/sees your message, the less likely she/he is to misquote you.
- Use flag words to get the audience's attention:
- "If I could only say one thing about this it would be..."
- "Finally . . ."
- "The most important thing to remember . . ."
- Repeat, repeat, repeat.
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