The “Don’t Quote Me” PR Guru Offers Tips for Getting Quoted

That’s right, I’m not interested in being quoted in the media, but you very well may be! So, here’s a crash course into the world of media interviewing! But first, a cautionary tale…..

I once took a freelancing gig to coordinate interviews with a Bravo network reality star as her show was returning for a new season. I scheduled a phone interview with an outlet that I had worked with for years and years. I felt very confident that this would be an easy conversation, however, instead of the editor identifying a reporter to conduct the interview, he decided to manage it himself. “That’s odd,” I thought, but I didn’t read too much into it. That is until the interview began and this editor started going IN with his questions. Turns out he wasn’t a fan of reality television, and that came across vividly in the tone of his questions! After about three questions, I had to jump in and end the interview because I could sense that the star was becoming agitated. Yikes! From that moment on, I learned to always expect the unexpected during interviews even when you have a great rapport with the reporter.

Fast forward a decade later and I’m conducting interviews with America’s favorite TV mom who was just announced as joining the administration of a prestigious university. This time, I make it a point to tell each reporter who is approved for an interview that we are ONLY discussing the new appointment. One reporter tells me that she understands, however, she was hoping to ask a question about some other recent news that was circulating on the internet. “Sorry,” I said. “Due to the limited time, I’m going to need you to keep your questions related to her new appointment.” The reporter assures me that she understands. The interview is scheduled as a zoom due to the pandemic, and America’s favorite mom and the university president, my boss, are both on the line with the reporter and me. The first 15 minutes go by without a hitch. Then, it happens. The reporter tries to sneak in a question about that subject I told her we were not discussing. I immediately interject, “I’m sorry, we’re only going to be able to talk about the appointment at this time. If you have any additional questions on that subject, we’d be happy to continue.” America’s favorite mom smiles politely at the camera and waits. The reporter tries to explain why she deviated from the subject. Again, I let her know that unfortunately we’re unable to address additional subjects. Eventually she got the hint and went back to her original list of questions and America’s mom responds to the appropriate questions as if nothing happened. After the zoom ended, my boss called to thank me for how quickly I jumped in to handle that line of questioning.

The good news is that “gotcha moments” are not a regular occurrence, but these examples help me illuminate the role of an experienced publicist. Nine times out of 10, working with the media will be a straightforward exchange of information. The more you work with a journalist, the more you will become a trusted resource on your areas of expertise. However, sometimes media will ask you to speak on subjects that are sensitive or complicated, and it’s important to be prepared so that you can present yourself and the information clearly and concisely. Thus, here are a few tips for those interested in speaking with the press.

Hire a PR professional and/or Seek Professional Help

If you work at an organization that has an in-house communications team, please start this process by connecting with that office to find out what are their guidelines for staff who speak with the media. You don’t want to engage with the press on your own and accidentally imply that you’re an official company spokesperson. Some organizations may prefer that you direct media through their office so they can help coordinate the interview, particularly if the reporter is requesting to come on-site to speak with you. Even when you become a regular for media requests, it’s always a good idea to keep the PR team informed of your upcoming interviews for awareness and support.

Alternatively, if your organization doesn’t have a PR team or if you work for yourself, you should hire a professional. A trained PR professional will sit down with you and determine if the things you want to discuss with the press are newsworthy. The likelihood that you can be successful will depend on your subject, the timeliness of your pitch to the news cycle and how charismatic you are in delivering the content. For example, March and April were ideal months to pitch the media on tax experts as everyone got ready to pay Uncle Sam. A PR professional can help a tax expert position their message into key talking points or tips. Then they will send an advisory to the media to let them know that you are available to speak on that subject. They can also help schedule the interviews and offer media training to help you prepare. ?

Use Talking Points To Help You Stay on Message

A reporter from the local daily paper wants to talk to you about your area of expertise, congratulations! Although, it’s easy to assume you’ll know exactly what to say when the questions are asked, take some time to think about the possible questions that may come up and how you will respond. Make yourself a cheat sheet so you will hit all the important points when the time comes. That way, when the reporter closes with the question, “do you have anything you’d like to add,” you can reference your list and add anything that wasn’t covered.

As a reminder, use your talking points to jog your memory and not to read verbatim (for phoners). You want to sound conversational and not scripted.

Don’t Ask to Review an Advance Copy of the Article

I know this may seem like a harmless request. You probably want to make sure that the reporter understood your comments correctly. However, making this request is the fastest way to get yourself blacklisted with professional journalists. Don’t do it! If you’re working on a story with your in-house PR team, yes, they will likely let you read what they write before it’s shared with the media. That’s one of the big differences between PR writing and journalism. However, that is not the norm when dealing with a journalist who will only see this request as you trying to screen their work and creativity. I’ve witnessed reporters who have literally cut an expert out of an article rather than provide the article for review, it is that serious of an offense. The best way to make sure you are not mis-quoted is to do this final step….

Only Say What You Want to Have Quoted

You never have to worry about being mis-quoted when you only say what you want to see appear in the news. When a reporter asks you a question, you should provide the answer and then stop talking. Period. Hard stop! You don’t have to elaborate unless you feel confident about the subject, or you are providing an anecdote or an example. However, oftentimes those who are new to this process will feel the need to fill the silence with more explanation when the reporter may be just pausing to write some notes. Resist the urge to ramble.

The same tip can be used when you’re doing an interview on a controversial subject. Reporters will often ask you the same question in various ways in order to motivate you to go deeper into your response. You must be savvy enough to stick to your talking points and repeat what you said as many times as necessary. I use this technique when I am training students to talk on sensitive subjects. It helps them to be on the lookout for when the questions begin to get repetitive so they will know that they don’t have to feel obligated to come up with something new to say.

Alright, I’ll stop here for now so all my PR colleagues don’t disown me for sharing too many trade secrets. Happy interviewing!!