How many times have you seen a spokesperson you have put up for interview say something which makes you cringe and infuriates the journalist?
All of us who have worked in comms have been there - often with our heads in our hands.
You can brief until you have got your key messages absolutely nailed, but you can’t control everything which your organisation’s spokesperson says to a reporter.
The danger period is usually while the journalist is either getting started or while they are packing up at the end of the interview. But, more worryingly, some of these comments are said during the interview itself.
The more experience and practice a spokesperson gets the less likely they are to make these mistakes. That’s where realistic media training comes in. Being aware of the pitfalls is also important – which is where this blog may help.
So here is a helpful guide, of what not to say to a journalist, to put before your organisation’s spokesperson before they are interviewed:
‘No comment’ – Do not say this to a journalist under any circumstance. It suggests you have something to hide and will encourage the journalist to follow this line of questioning. Use the bridging technique to move the conversation on from a negative or unhelpful question posed by the interviewer.
‘This isn’t newsworthy’ – No-one likes to be in the media spotlight when the story is negative, but don’t take your frustration out on the journalist. It is not your job to tell journalists what they should be reporting on. Focus on getting your message across. What we refer to as the CARE technique may come in handy here – make sure Compassion, Action, Reassurance and Examples are evident in your answers.
‘Ask me about this’ – Again, it is frowned upon to try to tell the reporter how to do their job. There are much more subtly techniques you can use during the interview to gain control, such as the bridging technique or signposting, where you make it obvious to the reporter what they should be asking you next.
‘Can you not just use our press release’ – A press release is used to get a journalist’s attention. Now that you have got it make the most of it and take advantage of the opportunity to get your key messages across to the people listening, watching or reading the interview.
Have you read my book / research paper - It’s possible that they may have skimmed some of it, or maybe a broadcast assistant or producer has taken a look and helped come up with some questions for the journalist / presenter. But the chances are are they won’t have actually read it all. They simply do not have the time.
‘Can you not just use our statement’ – A statement is a useful tool in the initial stages of handling press interest and can buy you so time. Asking a journalist to use a statement instead of an interview, however, is denying your organisation the opportunity to get its message across to the public, which can be crucial in a crisis media management situation. The best you can hope for with a statement is a couple of lines at the end of a much longer piece.
‘Can I see the questions in advance?’ – Journalists are often asked this and the answer is always ‘no’. In some cases they may let you know roughly what the first question is likely to be, but that is as far as it goes. They don’t want you to appear to be over rehearsed. Concentrate on crafting the messages you want to deliver in the interview rather than obsessing about what you may be asked.
‘Can I see your article before you publish it’ – This is arguably the most annoying question you could ask a journalist. Not only does it portray a complete lack of trust but it is also completely pointless - no reporter with any credibility is ever going to agree to this. The reporter is not writing a press release for you. While you can control what you say to a journalist, you cannot ultimately expect to have any control what they do with those words.
What is the most embarrassing thing you have heard said to a journalist? Let us know in the comments box below.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers. To find out more about our highly practical Media Skills courses, contact us here.
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