If you have been interviewed by a print journalist recently the chances are it was recorded on a smartphone.
The trusted notebook and pen probably still played a part, but I bet some form of digital recording was also made.
And it is easy to understand why. Unless their shorthand is very, very good it can be hard to get down accurately everything an interviewee says.
So if it’s ok for journalists to take advantage of this technology, should public relations professionals also be using it to make their own recording of interviews?
I sat in on many interviews during my public relations career and often took notes of what was being said, but I never used my phone or a Dictaphone.
But it’s easy to see the benefits of doing so.
Recording an interview digitally would obviously give PRs a full, word for word record of what was said and should give them the security of knowing their spokesperson is unlikely to be misquoted.
If the resulting article does include inaccuracies they can challenge the reporter with the recording, which can be more convincing than some hastily scribbled notes of the interview.
Having the interview recorded is also a great media training tool. You can review exactly what was said, whether messages came across clearly, whether examples worked and how you handled the negative or more challenging questions. It’s a great way for your spokesperson to learn from their own experiences and mistakes.
Sounds good doesn’t it? But, in my view, there’s a big catch – recording all your media interviews will not help your spokesperson or even your organisation, if it is a policy, to build better relationships with journalists.
A couple of months ago we wrote a blog about whether PR people should sit in on media interviews and argued that they should not automatically sit in on every interview their organisation carries out. One of the reasons for this argument was that it will create greater transparency and help build better relationships with reporters.
Responses were pretty evenly spilt, which shows it remains a divisive issue.
But if you think, like me, that having a PR present in all interviews suggests an element of mistrust, recording interviews takes it a step further.
If you start an interview by setting up you smartphone to record proceedings you are pretty much telling the journalist you don’t trust them to do their job – not a great way to encourage them to come back and interview one of your spokespeople again in the future.
It can also add an unnecessary air of formality to the interview which may stifle your spokesperson and take away from the conversational, human tone they should be looking to get across.
But, there are certain situations where recording an interview can be beneficial. For example if your spokesperson has previously been misquoted by a particular journalist, I think it is reasonable to record any future interviews you do with that reporter or publication.
Pressing record also has merits if the interview is on a subject which carries huge reputational risk.
Also, if the interview includes some really complex information or data, perhaps in an interview with a trade journalist, a recording can be helpful for ensuring your spokesperson has presented it accurately before the reporter goes to print.
But if you do decide to record an interview make sure the journalist has been told. In the same way it is considered good practice for a reporter to ask permission from the interviewee before recording starts, it is courteous to let them know if you are recording the conversation.
This is particularly important in telephone interviews where there are unlikely to be any indications to the reporter that the conversation is being recorded.
Ultimately, there are many factors to consider when deciding whether to record an interview and points on both sides of the argument have merit.
But, in my opinion, recording should be reserved for when you really need it.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and experienced on recording interviews. Comment below or email me at adam@mediafirst.co.uk.
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