Five mistakes to avoid when being interviewed by a journalist

Let’s be honest, being interviewed by a journalist makes most of us nervous. And that’s okay. To relieve some of that high-pressure you might feel when you’re being interviewed, this article articulates how a bit of knowledge and preparation can help set you up for success.?

Right off the bat: Going in with the assumption that a journalist is “out to get you” is unhelpful to both parties—and most of the time incorrect. As former US Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey said: “It is always a risk to speak to the press: they are likely to report what you say.” In most markets, interviews take the shape of a (friendly) conversation, and the article reflects the answers you gave. So, VP Hubert might be on to something here. We have but one addition: those that excel in interviews all have something in common: They practice.

A decent media training can help you shape your company’s messages, and a good training also focuses on how to deliver them. If you don’t have that kind of time, or if your interview is tomorrow, here’s a few tips to get you started.

1) Overcomplification

That’s proper English for: Making difficult things more difficult than they need to be. Please keep it simple.

Buzzwords, management speak and “big words” are shields to hide behind. They’re also hard to understand for anyone not in your bubble. Ideally, you prepare an interview based on just a few (3-4) key messages you want to share. Key messages are the main takeaways that should stick in the journalist’s mind after the interview ends.

What to do instead:

Practice your messages out loud, and share them with others. That’s not just with your communications manager or PR firm, but also at the kitchen table. Speak with people that have your best interest in mind, but are not a specialist in your field. The end result will not be “dumbed down” or confusing corporate speak, but understandable and clear key messages.

2) Limiting yourself to yes and no’s

Yes, no and maybe don’t make a great story—and will give your interviewer a headache.

An interview is an opportunity for you to expand on something. It’s perfectly okay to go beyond the realm of the question. If you can’t or don’t wish to answer a question, you can always pivot. In other words: Be helpful, share something useful. Guide the journalist to where the story is.

However, that does not mean you just have to give away everything. The journalist is in charge of the questions—you are in charge of the answers you give. Those answers should not be diluted by every piece of information you could share. Focus on the information you’d like to see appear in the article: Your key messages.

An example might illustrate this better: When you’re asked about figures that haven’t been released yet, you can say: “No, I don’t have those”. On the other hand, you could give them last year’s figures or projections for this year. It's not necessary to give the exact answer when prompted, especially if a slightly different direction can provide more clarity to the interviewer.

Following leading questions, or (wrong) assumptions in a question rarely lead to anything good. Instead, reframe the conversation. When asked about an area where you’re “losing”, also point out a field where you’re “winning”. Asked about something that went wrong, acknowledge it, but talk about what you’re doing to address the situation.?

What to do instead:

Address the question – pivot – refocus on the key message. For example, you could say: “Indeed, X is important. What is even more crucial is how we deal with Y. Therefore, [key message]”

The input you give now often dictates what the follow-up question is about. What would you like the journalist to focus on?

3) Answering questions you don’t know the answer to

It’s okay if “I don’t know,” is all you can say right now. You’re still the expert, even if you didn’t know the answer to every specific question, right then and there. However, if you promise to look it up and follow up, you have to follow through.

To be fair, some questions you should be able to answer. A CEO knows how many employees his/her firm has; a CFO knows revenue and profits; an HR manager knows the three key aspects of their hire and retention strategy. There’s no excuse for poor preparation. Oh, and cheat-sheets are perfectly acceptable.

The alternative is much worse. I don’t mean lying per se—but making it up as you go along is never a good strategy. What starts as a mistake or white lie could end up in the printed article. That’s far from ideal for you, but put yourself in the journalist’s shoes. In our era of fake news and disinformation, it’s hard enough to distinguish the truth. As an expert in your field, you are invited to share your knowledge, therefore, your information should be reliable.

What to do instead:

Very few articles appear the minute you’ve left the room, giving you ample time to look up an answer. When you do find the correct answer, drop it in an email. If you simply don’t know and wouldn't know where to even look for it, it’s okay to say: “I don’t think I’ll be able to help you answer this question.”

4) Blame game

Leave blaming and banter at home.

Even if you’re asked to comment on something highly political (and have chosen to do so), don’t make it personal. Remember, a cheap quip or sarcastic comment could easily become the headline of the story. A contentious quote might be just what the journalist is looking for, but when taken out of context, it will look like a personal attack or accusation. It’s probably best to leave the clever quips at home. Clear and concise is what we’re going for.

The same applies when addressing internal matters. When asked about matters that went wrong internally, leadership takes responsibility (even if it was the intern). Mistakes were made, you blame no one, you’re working to address the situation, and will therefore do X,Y,Z.

What to do instead:

You address the issue—never the person—and bring a solution (or key steps already taken) to the table. Address why it’s an issue, but spend most of your time focusing on solutions and fresh ideas. Finger-pointing at the person who should resolve your issue usually doesn’t do the trick.

5) Loose lips sink ships

There is no such thing as off the record. Not in the elevator, on your walk up to the meeting room, at the coffee machine, or “before the interview starts” on a Zoom call.

A helpful starting point is if you agree internally, beforehand what you’re willing to share. This helps shape the conversation in the form of key messages, but also in terms of mutual understanding on “what if X comes up”. Anything you say can and will be used (perhaps against you). If it happens, it’s easy to blame the journalist for it—but it’s a problem of your own making. You said it.?

And if you’ve given your answer: Stop speaking.

What to do instead:

Stick to your message. I mean it, no matter how awkward that silence is, don’t try to fill it. You’ve already said everything you’d like to say. Don’t dilute your message. Don’t fill the void saying things you weren’t meant to share. Thank you, next…

Wrapping up

In this article, we’ve covered five don’t and five do’s:

1. Don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be — Please keep it simple.
2. Don’t limit yourself to yes and no’s or the question — Expand, tell a story.
3. Don’t answer questions you don’t know the answer to — Stick to what you know (and follow up later)
4. Don’t blame anyone (even if they were the culprit) — Be constructive, bring a solution.
5. Don’t say things to fill the void — If you’ve given your answer: Stop speaking.

The importance of having key messages cannot be overstated. This helps you both think through and clearly articulate what you’d like to say. While drafting the key messages in preparation for the interview, you should keep in mind which parts you’re supposed to say out loud. That’s very different from written text.

Know the journalist and the outlet you’re talking with, but speak to your audience—help him or her piece together an interesting article.

It’s not a back-stop for “if all goes wrong”, but it helps to ask to review the article (or at least your own quotes) before publication. Not every journalist will agree to it (and tread lightly, because in some markets it’s not done), but it can help to make sure your quotes are an accurate reflection of the conversation.

All this being said, a lot of issues can be prevented before the interview even starts: practice, practice, practice.

About the author

Niels van Velde is an experienced PR consultant for Evoke–a Brussels-based PR firm focussed on technology and mobility PR. Their bread and butter is to make a company’s voice heard, in the crowded space of B2B media. Niels previously worked as Communications Manager for the European continent for an association representing tech businesses and before that helped profile global brands in his role as consultant for a leading global PR firm. For more information about Evoke, visit EvokePR.be.