Many moons ago when I worked for a local evening newspaper we had one edition a day.
Our deadline was 12pm and anything that didn’t hit the sub-editor desk before that noon strike would not hit the presses.
So, unless it was a breaking story or a court ruling, articles were largely planned in advance and contributors given a fair amount of time to “give us a quote”.
Those halcyon days of visors and typewriters (remember those?) seems so sedate on reflection.
Now is the era of 24-hour news. Rolling commentary. Never-ending chatter of social media. The constant ping of internet feed. The deadline is more a concept these days. We want it now. Right now.
Okay, maybe not right now but the pressure to get news articles written, published and up on a website is immense. Those 24 hours of TV news channels need feeding constantly. The editor’s and audience’s appetite seems insatiable.
Part of that pressure may be felt by you if you are asked to contribute to a news story, be it print, broadcast or web-based. The journalist or blogger will be desperate to get a quote, response or interview from you because the pressure is on for them to get the story out before their competitor. It’s not called a press pack for nothing. As in a pack of wolves. And they’re hungry.
Deadline pressure
First of all, that pressure is not your responsibility. If you get an unexpected call from a harassed hack, demanding a quote or an interview there and then, do not be bounced into it.
Be helpful and calm but don’t let reporters transfer their stress to you.
A lack of preparedness for a media interview can do some real damage. When we shoot from the hip, we often land the bullet in our foot.
Assess
Is the interview bid something that is too good to miss? Is it vital that your respond? Or do you really need to say anything at all?
We always stress to delegates on our media training courses the great opportunity that a media interview presents.
But there are some occasions when we should decline the interview, such as when the right spokesperson isn’t available at short notice, or if the story just isn’t right for your organisation. Weigh up whether saying something would inflame an issue and reflect negatively on your organisation.
Perhaps a brief holding statement (a sentence or two) may be safer than putting someone up for interview.
Bargain
Try to negotiate with the reporter over deadlines. They may be flexible if they really need your interview.
Don’t let them hold all the cards, but equally don’t miss the opportunity if it is one you really want to take.
Know the basics
Preparation, as ever, is everything. Even when time is short, it is still possible to prepare and ensure you know the basics. It is also essential.
Is this a feature piece? Is it a news article in relation to something else? Research what has been said or reported previously. Another important factor to consider: who else is the reporter speaking to? Do they share or oppose your view? Will it challenge your opinion? Do you even want to be involved in an article that features this person, organisation, lobby group?
Armed with that information you can make a decision about whether this is an interview bid you should accept and whether you have a spokesperson available you could put forward for the interview.
It is also worth searching for the reporter on Twitter to see what issues they have been covering recently.
Messages
As with interviews where you have longer to prepare, you need to know what the message is you want to get across and what examples you can use to support it. Be clear on what you want to say and be able to back it up.
Be wary of the ‘context’ and ‘background’ requests
Often last minute interview bids may take the format of a journalist asking for ‘just a bit of context/background’.
Remember these requests are still on-the-record. Once you’ve said it, it is out there - forever. So choose your words wisely.
Will the journalist will be well prepared?
It is generally perceived that the journalist will have done a lot of research on the story.
But it is not always the case – particularly if they are working on something last minute.
It is likely that they haven’t gone beyond some top-level research.
So it is worth remembering that even if the interview bid has come to you very late, your spokesperson could still be better prepared than the reporter.
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