Reporters are not out to get you. People looking for positive publicity often fear that. When you pitch a story and they bite, what they want is more information to flesh out the pitched idea and craft it into a story.
Still, doing a radio or TV interview is not like having a conversation, no matter how cordial and easy-going the interviewer may seem. It's their job to put you at ease and draw you out. You want to have good energy and be responsive, but have a clear idea of what you want to say and keep your answers heading in that direction.
Remember, in a taped interview, they're going to choose only some of what you say to use as sound bites, yet everything you say could be included in the report.
Here are two techniques that might get you to reveal more than you want:
The first is silence. Here's how it works. After you've given your answer, the reporter just looks at you, seemingly waiting. Most people have a tendency to break the silence by saying something more. Don't do it. Once you've delivered your message, you're done. Wait for another question.
The other technique happens at the end of an interview. A reporter may ask, "Is there something else you would like to say?" or "Is there something I've left out?" or words to that effect. My recommendation is to add nothing more. The best response is "I think we've covered it."
If you make a comment, do it to reinforce your main points. You could say something like, "The bottom line here is... or "What's most important to remember is....," then give a brief summary of what you've already said.
Be careful not to add new information or go in another direction here.
In the edited interview, that last off-topic comment could become the whole story and the story you intended, with your earlier more thought-out answers,will be lost.
I was listening to a radio interview recently in which the guest made a point by recounting a conversation she's had with her teenage son. She concluded by saying, "That was T-M-I."
The host's next question was, "What do you mean by T-M-I? That can mean a lot of things."
Now, the host may have known this shorthand term for "too much information," but a good interviewer never assumes that their audience knows. I'd say most acronyms, other than the most familiar ones like F-Y-I, the CIA or the U-N, should be stated in full the first time, before you start using their abbreviated form.
For example, the E-U has been around quite awhile, but Americans don't talk about the European Union much. Those letters could stand for different things in different places. If a listener has to mentally pause to think, "What do those letters mean?" for even a moment, they've tuned out and you may not get their attention back.
To avoid a communications melt-down, watch out for technical language, unfamiliar abbreviations, slang terms and pop culture references, unless you're
absolutely certain the audience will immediately "get it."
Heck, when I was just starting out in TV new, when you said T-M-I, you were referring to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant and its near melt-down. That's quite a different story from today's T-M-I."
I generally like to take the positive approach, but sometimes "What Not To Do" is more effective. If you don't want to squander your "moment" in a hard-won interview on TV or radio, here are three "Don'ts" to keep in mind.
1. Don't Ramble.Decide the main message you want to deliver going in. Make sure what you're saying is relevant to the particular media audience watching or listening. Have three major points worked out in advance and a variety of ways you can phrase them simply and directly. Practice smoothly transitioning from an interviewer's questions to the points you want to make in a conversational tone.
2. Don't Lecture. Many interviews fall into the, "How did you do it?" or, "How can I do that?" category, so there's an opportunity to do some teaching. But it's important not to give a dull and boring lecture. Resist the urge to show off your expert education and training by using arcane language, insider jargon or highly technical details. The best communicators take complex topics and express them in an engaging way that even a 5th grader can understand.
3. Don't Preach. Most people hate being told what to think or do and will naturally reject anyone trying to force their views on them. It's fine to have strong opinions in an interview and back them up with your expertise, but don't be tied to the outcome. Present fascinating information, insights and stories that support your points. Then, let it go. The host, viewers and listeners can make up their own minds. They'll be more receptive to your ideas if they don't sense you're pushing an agenda.
I recommend doing some mock interviews to get an outsider's perspective on whether you are rambling, lecturing or preaching. People consuming media today have lots of choices and very short attention spans so you can lose them fast. You'll become a Media Darling, not a Dub, if your interview is so lively and interesting, the audience has no reason to channel-surf or tune-out.
I found this article by Lisa Braithwaite on buzzle.com. (and of course, I couldn't resist the title.)
It's good advice for effectively getting your message across with print journalists. (and would also mostly apply to telephone interviews with radio reporters).
Your Media Moment: Give a Successful Interview
Prepare your key points in advance and never waver from your main message, and you will always be ready for media interviews.
The phone rings. It's a journalist who wants to ask you a few questions
for a story she's writing. You, flattered, take the call and flub your
way through the interview, because off the top of your head, you can't
remember your elevator pitch or a single talking point about your
business or product. Oops!
Many of us will be called upon by the media for a quote or more, and
knowing how to prepare will eliminate much of your anxiety as well as
set the stage for an article you can be proud of.
Pointer 1: You can't control what the reporter writes
You hope that, if you prepare an answer to every possible question and
give as much detail as possible in your responses, your interview will
be published verbatim with brilliant and accurate quotes, and
everything in the article will be exactly as you want it.
Wrong.
No matter what you say or how you say it, the reporter always gets the
final word. Literally. Your quotes will be taken out of context. Your
key points will be edited, condensed and paraphrased. The reporter will
decide which points are most important to write about - especially if
you have given so much information that the reporter can't tell which
ones are your key points.
This is not to say that the reporter is out to get you, or deliberately
trying to undermine you. It's your responsibility to know exactly what
your main points are and to stick to those points. If you only have
three points, and you keep coming back to them, it's going to be hard
for the reporter to write about anything else.
Rather than anticipating every question you might be asked, focus your
preparation on your most critical points, and practice answering any
question by coming back to those points. You can only control your own
words, so make sure your message is clear, concise, and easily
delivered.
Pointer 2: Take the call when you're ready
It's tempting when a reporter calls to jump right into the interview.
You don't want to keep her waiting, and you're afraid that if you don't
take the call, you'll miss your "big chance."
Resist the temptation and take a few minutes to get ready. Ask the
reporter what the topic is and when her deadline is. Let the reporter
know that you can't talk at the moment, but you will call back in a few
minutes, or before the deadline. You can try asking the reporter to
e-mail or fax you the interview questions, and sometimes the whole
interview can be conducted by e-mail, but be prepared for the reporter
to decline.
Now that you've got some time to prepare, sit down at the computer or
open your file drawer and pull up your marketing documents, your bio,
your website, your blog, and anything else you can think of to have the
information you need at your fingertips.
Determine and clarify the main points you want to cover - no more than
three. Look at your mission statement, go over your elevator pitch, and
take a couple of deep breaths.
Now, when you call the journalist back, you are ready to give an interview!
Pointer 3: Don't take mistakes personally
Even with excellent preparation, you may be misquoted or find a factual error in the article. In fact, it's very likely.
When a journalist is taking notes over the phone, it's difficult to
write everything down exactly as you said it. Even when interviewing in
person and using a recorder, it's not easy to get everything right. And
everyone has personal filters through which information is fed, meaning
that the reporter's interpretation and perception of what was said may
be different than yours. Again, the reporter is not out to get you. Her
sole purpose is to write a good, accurate story that informs her
readers.
If the factual errors are minor (your business was founded in 1997, but
the article says 1998) and readers will never know the difference, then
let it go. If you're slightly misquoted but you don't sound like a
murderer or a racist, then let it go.
If the mistake is more damaging, like a misspelled web address or, say,
the wrong person credited for an important invention, then by all means
ask for a correction to be printed. The beauty of web-based media is
that it can be corrected at any time, unlike print media.
If you think you can head off errors by asking to see the article
before it's published, don't bother. A journalist doesn't need your
permission or approval to publish the piece - it's not an advertisement
that you've paid for and can control. Journalists cannot be influenced
by their sources to change their stories - their job is to remain
objective and credible by telling a story based on their own research
and interpretation of the facts.
If you're lucky, the writer will send you your quotes or any complex
data for fact-checking, and that is a wonderful courtesy. But asking to
see the piece before it's published is generally considered poor
etiquette and will not endear you to the reporter.
Remember, you have total control over the words that come out of your
mouth. This is the one opportunity you have in an interview to get your
message out there in a way that is unambiguous to the reporter and to
the readers. Take the time to prepare your key points in advance and
never waver from your main message, and you will always be ready for
your media moment.
I love interviewing people. There's something great about exercising your curiosity, asking questions and getting answers. You learn information, listen to their stories and can get a sense of their personality as they tell them - who they are and what they're passionate about.
One thing I dislike is when you pose a question and get the automatic canned response, "That's a good question." This sentence must be written in the "How to Give Interviews" rule book somewhere and I find it maddening. I know it's supposed to give the interviewee a moment to gather their thoughts, but I don't see how it can work that way. It seems to me when you're speaking, even if it's this throw-away line, your mind and mouth are engaged and you're not necessarily pondering your next comment.
And that's the thing, this rote repetition ---That's a good question. That's a good question ---is an insincere throw-away. Some people get into a habit of saying it after nearly every question!
Maybe it bugs me because it's my job to ask questions. Although I try to make them the best questions I can, praising a question almost sounds as if you're surprised I came up with a good one. Ouch.
When you're looking for on-air publicity, you're pitching ideas for soft news interviews and feature stories. But even for a feature story, a reporter may ask a question you don't like and don't want to answer.
How should you handle pointed questions? Keep your cool. Anticipate and have a plan for dealing with uncomfortable questions in such a way that you don't appear angry, guilty or evasive. You never want to seem ruffled, annoyed or as if you're trying to hide something.
In radio, that could take the form of an edgy tension in your voice, nervous laugh, higher pitch or talking faster or in a louder or softer volume. On TV, it could mean getting red-faced, a tight smile on your face, rigid body language or otherwise visually indicating your discomfort, along with the voice changes. Role-playing practice on tape can help you control these tell-tale signs.
An interview is not a conversation although a skilled interviewer makes it seem that way. There's a give-and-take to a good interview, a rhythm and flow that's similar to music. Depending on the format (live or taped and edited later) the interaction can feel like an exchange of ideas, except one person is asking all the questions.
It's important that as the guest expert, you don't get lulled into this "we're just two friends talking" mood. It's the interviewer's job to make you feel at ease, but if you get too comfortable and chatty, you're more likely to say something without thinking, perhaps off hand or in jest, that you regret later. Keep focused in the moment and never forget this is an interview.
I'm not saying you should be curt or suspicious. I don't want you to appear stiff or robotic. Be engaging, genuine and open. Depending on the topic, smile. (even if you're on the radio, a smile lifts your voice energy and sound. If you're interviewed over the phone from your home or office, you can also stand up to get more breath support and a more energetic sound.)
Just remember no matter how laid-back, warm and friendly they are, the reporter or host is not there for a casual chat. They've invited you on or come out to tape you with a purpose. They want to get your story to entertain or inform their audience. Keep in mind the topic of the show or segment and work in the three or so points you decided before the interview that YOU want to get across.
It's great to show some personality. Help the interview flow. With practice, you'll find all kinds of ways to fit your message into the "conversation."
Do you like courting controversy? Do you have the goods to back it up?
One of the best ways to get on-the-air is to be controversial. Conflict is news. Whether it's Talk Radio, daytime TV gabfests or the nightly news, on-air disputes and squabbles, even fights make news.
If you love a good argument and it feels natural for you to fan the flames of controversy, position yourself as someone with "an opposing point of view." Pitch your expertise about what's making news in current events, new products, research, legislation, public policies, etc.
However, consider carefully what "character" you want to be. Consider the show format and style of the host and decide whether your
"character" will fit into the way the show works.
Still want to tap into controversy? Keep reading....
Your pitch worked! They want to interview you. Are you ready for their questions?
Suggested Questions - If you sent a media kit or they checked your online media room,
they may have seen a list of suggested questions.
But don't expect them to use them.
I've known some harried show hosts who
stuck right to the list the guest gave them. Others make it a point
never to even read over the questions guests offer.
If you don't know what they'll ask you, how can you
prepare? Read On...
You've made a successful pitch and an on-air interview has been set up. Now what? People always want to know what will the questions be?
Most journalists hate to answer that. Some might be quite rude about it, but many will offer you general guidelines or a few basic questions. Why are we reporters so reluctant to reveal our questions? Heck, often we don't
know exactly what we're going to ask you. We're in "find an expert" mode. We
also don't want canned responses, or practiced robotic sound bites. Plus we want to be free to
"fish" a little if the interview goes down an unexpected road. From the reporter's perspective, it's best not to make any hard and fast rules or promises about how the interview will go.
Of course, you discussed the topic they were interested in before you
agreed to the interview, right? Don't be so anxious to get on air that you don't take the time to get a few things straight.
Find out:
why they want to talk to you
the story angle they want
the format of the segment
who else
they plan to interview
whether the
interview will be live or taped (pre-recorded) and how long it will
take.
This is also the time to ask how they will introduce you and suggest what
you'd like said and whether they'll mention or show your book, product,
website, etc.
You don't get to call all the shots, when you're interviewed for radio and TV, but that doesn't mean you give up total control. Yes, it's the media's sandbox, but you control how you behave and what comes out of your mouth. In Part 2, we'll look at ways you can learn to give interviews with ease.
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