Media Interview Tip Sheet
provided by the APS Communications Office
Overall
Tips to Remember
·
Know your message. Before your interview, review
your message points. Identify two or three essential points that you
must get across during the interview.
·
Be prepared. Prepare several facts and anecdotes
from your experience that you can share to underscore your main points.
·
Be cool. If animal activists try to provoke a
confrontation with you, ignore them. Do not engage them verbally or
physically. They want to make a scene. You want to avoid being part of
one.
MEDIA
INTERVIEW DO’S AND DON’TS
General speaking tips:
·
DO use short words and simple, declarative
sentences. Avoid scientific jargon if simpler words will do. Be
descriptive, using images that the listener can picture.
·
DO be likable and enthusiastic – but not a
cheerleader.
·
DON’T allow yourself to be provoked. Keep cool.
·
DO remember the bottom line: Be engaging, natural
and firmly in support of your message – animal research is beneficial
and necessary to advancing medicine and the health and longevity of both
humans and animals.
When interacting with reporters:
·
DO treat your interviewer and the audience as you
would your friends. Be friendly, spontaneous and responsive.
·
DON’T assume your interviewer is an adversary.
Reporters usually want to get both sides of the story and attacking an
interviewee will make them look bad. Relax, but stay mentally alert.
·
DON’T speak “off the record.” Before and after the
interview, you are still fair game. Consider your entire interaction
with the reporter as “on the record.”
·
DO be non-confrontational but assertive, so that
the conversation centers on subjects you want to talk about. You can
answer a different question than the one asked.
·
DON’T repeat an interviewer’s words, unless they
are what you want to say.
·
DON’T feel obligated to accept unfamiliar facts or
figures. If a reporter quotes numbers or examples that you have not
heard before say “I haven’t heard those figures, but let me share what I
do know…”
·
DON’T lie to a reporter. Ever.
When answering questions:
·
DO start your response with a general reply which
sums up your position succinctly and accurately. Narrow down the second
part of your answer by giving the specifics of your stance. If your
interview is then edited, your main message is still conveyed.
·
DO use illustrations and anecdotes to “humanize” and
explain your topic, such as personal experiences or illustrations of your
work.
·
DO listen carefully to the question. If you consider
it difficult, pause before you answer. Taking a few seconds to formulate a
response will make you appear thoughtful and deliberate. If you don’t
understand a question, ask that it be repeated.
·
DO use your time to set the record straight or
present facts.
·
DO “flag” key points with phrases like, “The most
important thing is…” or “I think the bottom line is…”
·
DON’T try to answer hypothetical questions, which
tend to obscure your true position. Turn the tables by clearly stating
your general position and then offering your own example.
·
DON’T attempt to bluff your way through a question
that you don’t know the answer to. Simply say, “I don’t’ know. But I’ll
find out the answer and get back to you.” If you have a legitimate reason
for withholding certain information, then politely say it’s confidential
or proprietary.
·
DON’T overanswer. When you’re satisfied with
your reply, stop.
APS Contacts
Donna Krupa, Communications Director
(301) 634-7209
Christine Guilfoy, Communications Specialist
(301) 634-7253
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