How to Use "Blocking" in a Media Interview

Have you ever heard of the "blocking" technique? It's a tactful way not to answer a media interview question without saying "no comment." Blocking allows you to respectfully articulate the aspects of an issue that are most important to you or the organization you represent.

Blocking enables you to maintain a position of transparency and engagement while guiding an interview's direction. This technique allows you to express the point that you want the listening audience to hear. You still provides journalists with information, but it's the information you want to share.

A recent example of an interviewee who used the blocking technique effectively is Mayor Brandon Scott, during the first press conference that followed the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland. The tragic incident occurred when a 984-foot-long container ship collided into one of the bridge's support towers. At the time of the press conference, search and rescue efforts for the victims had just started.

After both Mayor Scott and Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski shared that the primary focus was on the families, a journalist asked Mayor Scott how long the bridge rebuilding process would take. This is how he responded:

“We shouldn’t even be having that discussion right now. The discussion right now should be about the people, the souls, the lives that we’re trying to save. There will be a time to discuss about a bridge and how we get a bridge back up, but right now there are people in the water that we have to get out. And that’s the only thing that we should be talking about."

How did Mayor Scott's response to this question incorporate the blocking technique?

1. He shut down the introduction of a new angle. Mayor Scott stayed focused on the victims and their families. When the journalist tried to lead the conversation towards rebuilding efforts, the Mayor refused to expound on that angle.
2. He kept his key message as the primary focus. Mayor Scott acknowledged the importance of the journalists' question, but insisted that lives come first. He said that there would be a time to discuss rebuilding, but the first press conference was not that time.
3. He reiterated his message at the end of his statement. Mayor Scott used a "sandwich" method here - he shared his message, acknowledged the journalist, and restated his message. This strategy helped the listening audience to remember the mayor's focus on the families as his key point.

If you're catching up on news and want to learn more about this incident and Mayor Scott's journey to become Baltimore's youngest mayor, I really enjoyed Hackney Suzette's coverage in USA Today.

If you want to practice "blocking" for your next media interview, I'd love to hear from you!

To find out more about the work we do, visit missionkeycommunications.com.