Professional Training: Working with the Media

Working with the news media can be a very rewarding experience. To become a popular and respected news source, though, you need to master the basics of an interview: develop key messages, control the interview process and communicate effectively.

How Does a Story Become News?

Some events affecting our lives are always considered newsworthy - disasters, political elections, medical breakthroughs. If you can add any insight to one of these events, reporters will want to get your opinion. Your comments can become news.

National or international stories may also warrant a local angle. Thus, a major toxic chemical spill in Great Britain will send reporters hunting down U.S. experts to say that their chemical plants are secure.

Journalists can also create issues that turn into media events. A number of newspaper stories on real estate developers paving over prairies or wetlands can send angry environmentalists down to city hall because they are worried that their town is next. In that case, city officials nationwide may be called upon by local news reporters who want to know "Can that happen here?"

Develop Your Message and Deliver It

Reporters can't know your business as well as you do so it's imperative that you take the time to educate them. Craft concise message points about several issues affecting your industry or profession. Study these messages before the interview. You'll be more in control when you have anticipated possible questions and can deliver the answers quickly and confidently.

Don't forget to find out about the reporter's audience. Your answers should be structured to appeal to that audience or they may never make it into the final story.

Once the interview is under way, remember to restate your key messages as often as possible. The reporter's agenda is to get a good story - yours is to make sure it accurately reflects your opinion.

Reporters think in terms of headlines and so should you. Forget what you learned in school about building your case by stating supporting detail before you draw a conclusion. In a news interview, state the most important thing first then back it up with explanation. That's known as the "Inverted Pyramid" of communicating.

Reporters only have so much time to jot down your answers; thus, the first things you say are recorded accurately. Broadcast and cable reporters appreciate a concise sound bite of 10-15 seconds in length. With so many reporters now filing stories on websites, it's becoming even more crucial to be brief! Stories are much shorter on the Internet.

Keeping the Interview Under Control

The best way to exert some control over the outcome of your media interview is to keep the questioning on track. If a reporter starts to wander into areas you don't want to talk about, you can use these control techniques to help you refocus the interview.

Bridge: You answer the reporter's question briefly then emphasize the key points you want to get across.

Example:

Q. How many employees will be laid off when the new owners come in?

A. We don't have a final restructuring plan, but our employees will be offered generous severance packages and attractive early retirement plans. The city can be assured that we will continue to be one of its leading employers. We're here to stay.

Lure: You answer the reporter's question in such a way that it entices her to ask a question you want to answer.

Example:

Q. Why have your prices doubled in the past year?

A. In fact, our price increase is half the industry average. We're able to keep it that low because of all the cost savings we're implementing at our manufacturing plant.

Q. Tell me about some of those savings...

Alert: You can emphasize that the statement you are about to make is one the reporter should remember.

Example:

• The key point is...
• I want to highlight...
• What is really important...

Give It Your Best Shot

Other tips to help you maintain some control over the interview:

• Offer charts and graphs, video clips, CDs or DVDs with background information.
• Get the reporter's name, phone number and email address in case you want to follow up with more information.
• If you make a mistake during a taped radio, TV or cable interview, pause and begin again.
• Wear professional attire if appropriate; every situation is different.
• Avoid flashy jewelry that can distract a viewer's attention from what you are saying. Loud or busy patterns in your clothing should be avoided.
• You're always on - the photos on your desk, the kind of clothes you wear, how you address subordinates - anything that contributes to your personality can be reported on.

Your Rights During an Interview

If you'd like to see the results of your interview before the public does, it's okay to ask reporters to read back your quotes. Some may decline if it's against their company policy, but most national media outlets have fact checkers that call to verify quotes.

Reporters often are under tight deadlines and may not have the time to call you back. But, offer to be available if they have any questions once the story is edited.

You cannot edit a reporter's story. The rare exception is the trade journal that returns an article to you for technical editing. But don't rewrite the text! Just get back to them with any corrections.

If you feel your industry or profession has been inaccurately portrayed in an article, a letter to the editor is one way to set the record straight. These letters are one of the most-read parts of any newspaper or magazine.

If you ask a reporter not to quote you directly, make sure his boss can't override his decision to grant you anonymity.

Very often, reporters have no control over the final outcome of a story. They never write the headline, either. The fact that some reporter's notes can be handed to an editor thousand of miles away to file the final story is one more reason for you to state messages clearly and concisely.

Media relations is a give and take. You're giving an interview and, in return, you hope the results will educate the public and enhance your business and professional image. Journalists want to be fair. It's in their best interest to have a track record of producing accurate, balanced stories. If you could write the reporter's story then we wouldn't have a free press. Because journalists form an unbiased, third-party observation we accept the information appearing in the Wall Street Journal or on CNN. Think about it - if you knew a CEO had complete control over her company's profile in a major news magazine, would you believe the resulting article?