Preparing for a Media Interview

A media interview is a fantastic opportunity to raise your profile, and when handled correctly it can position you as a key expert and generate you business. But it can also be can be the source of much fear. So here are nine tips to help you successfully prepare for an interview if you are contacted by a journalist:

1. Research the media
If you have been contacted by a journalist research the publication or program they work for. Knowing their audience and the type of stories they cover, will give you an indication of the type of interview you will have

2. Define Your Objective
Know why you want to take part in the interview and why it makes sense for you to say yes.

3. Determine Your Key Messages
Before you make any public statement, establish in your mind what key messages you want your audience to be left with and then stick to them. Generally, you should have no more than three messages.

4. Keep It Simple
Use simple-to-understand examples or anecdotes to illustrate what you mean. Avoid jargon and don’t express ‘off-the-cuff’ original thought – stick to your planned messages.

5. Tell the Truth
If you are well briefed on the subject you are less likely to get caught out. If you are asked a question you don’t have the answer to, say you will endeavour to get that information to the interviewer. Never lie or exaggerate, you don’t need to and you will be found out, anyway. If you can’t say something, explain why, but respect corporate and individual confidentiality.

6. Anticipate Questions - Especially the Question from Hell
Who, what, where, when, why and how are the questions on which journalistic writing is based, so make a list of questions you would ask if you were interviewing someone on the topic or issue. This will help you to identify likely questions a journalist will ask you. You should also consider what the worst possible question you could be asked is – and have prepared your response. Don’t be caught out – if you’d really rather not talk about something, you can bet an interviewer will have it on their list!

7. Talk in Sound Bites
When answering questions you need to have quick and succinct answers, ideally no more than a sentence (35 words or less). Practicing talking in sound bites will help you to sharpen your messages and develop more powerful quotes.

8. Repeat yourself
Getting your key messages across is the reason you are doing the interview, so don’t be afraid to repeat one or two things if there is time.

9. Practice the interview
Once you have established the likely questions you will be asked, practice the interview. This can be very useful in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your case and helps you hone the messages.