Promo-Chiro knowhow

Encountering the media

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Stand-up interviews

Following a newsworthy event, you may find yourself confronted by a microphone or two thrust in your face. In that setting, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind :

Do's

• Be succinct in response to each question. Otherwise, the message gets blurred.
• Answer only the aspect of the question that you feel comfortable with – or respond to the general thrust (but don’t blatantly ignore any question).
• Practice putting your head down when listening to a question. Keep it down until you think of an answer, pause and the look up and deliver a clean, self-contained clip.
• Slow down the pace. Pause before you begin to answer.
• Look directly at the reporter asking the question for the full duration of your answer.
• If a key point has been missed, raise it yourself: “I want to stress a very important point…”

Don’ts

• Don’t be afraid to repeat the substance of your message in response to a later question – but be consistent.
• Don’t refer to earlier answer – it’s irrelevant and spoils the clip.
• Don’t use a reporter’s name in your answer – it discourages other reporters from using the same clip.
• Don’t number or letter your answers (“one…two” or “a…b”). It may spoil a potential clip.
• Don’t repeat emotionally – loaded words in a reporter’s question, e.g., Q: “Do you think they’re just being greedy?” A: “Greedy? Not necessarily greedy…”

Remember:

The reporter is looking for a quotable quote. The sequence and repetition of questions and answers are irrelevant. The question is rarely included in the final clip. Therefore, each point that you want to communicate should be self-contained.