Media Interviews - Delivering Your Company’s Message Instead of Just Answering the Questions

What are the best strategies for getting your company’s key messages across in a media interview, while still answering the journalist’s questions?

Media interviews are a great tool for gaining exposure and building your credentials as an expert. When you participate in a media interview, it is important to prepare ahead of time, and part of that preparation should include focusing on your company’s key messages when answering a journalist’s questions.

At Thorp & Company, we offer our clients media training before conducting interviews. Our media training includes preparation for the news interview; an explanation of how reporters work; a media interview checklist; training on maintaining control during an interview; and support on structuring answers and handling intimidating questions.

Preparing for an interview

Part of your preparation should include developing messages and dynamic sound bites that you can use to maximize your interview time. Before an interview takes place, work with your public relations team to develop at least three difficult questions the reporter may ask accompanied by a platform of prepared answers that will accomplish your agenda for the news interview and answer the reporter’s question. It’s also a good idea to have additional material on hand for examples including case studies, surveys, statistics, etc. This will increase your chances of being quoted and add human interest.

Media interview checklist

It is important to develop at least three “must air” points to cover during an interview. These points should reflect the key messages of your company relative to the interview topic. Remember a few strategies: avoid information overload, satisfy and steer the conversation, don’t repeat negatives and if you can’t answer a question then say so, but offer to find the answer if you can and get back to the reporter.

Maintaining control during the interview

A key strategy to gaining and maintaining control during an interview is by building immediate rapport with the reporter. If you can establish a relationship with a reporter, it is likely he or she will be more open to engaging in conversation with you instead of just getting through the interview. Also, remember to stay focused on your own agenda throughout the interview. If you stay focused on the information you want to get across, it will be easier for you to lead the direction of the interview.

Structure your answers and handle intimidating questions

We provide clients with a basic formula for structuring their answers to get the company’s message across: state your message in 30 seconds or less, support it with additional information and illustrate with examples. This concept, used along with strategies for steering the conversation and conveying key points, prepare the spokesperson to get the most benefits out of every interview.

By using these techniques and strategies, you can maintain control of the interview and will have a stronger grip on handling intimidating questions the reporter may ask. If you gain control early, you should be able to recognize an intimidating question and utilize deflectors to steer away from potentially negative conversation.