TV and radio interviews

TV and radio interviews can be a powerful way to get your message across if you follow some simple rules. If you’re well prepared you can eliminate the worries about going blank, or saying the wrong thing, or being quoted out of context.

Remember that if you are useful to a journalist, you are more likely to get your stories covered in future. However, just because you’re asked for an interview, it doesn’t mean you have to do it. If you don’t think the journalist or show is sympathetic, or you suspect your good news will be twisted into bad news, then you can and should refuse to give the interview.

You should try to find out as much about the interview beforehand such as whether it is live or recorded; what will it be used for; what exactly is the subject and can you have an outline and the main questions. If they want to interview you over the phone, find out as much as you can about the interview by asking the questions outlined above and try wherever possible to arrange to do it later so that you have some time to prepare.

Some preparation tips before the interview include:

· Remember your key messages (and a couple of back-up facts) and stick to them - keeping your messages as short and simple as possible.

· It sounds silly, but actually practise saying your messages out loud as this will help you to feel more confident during the interview.

· Know the obvious things about your organisation and why you are taking your particular action in case you are asked.

· Anticipate what the difficult questions might be and prepare some short answers - it might help to think about who your potential opponents are and what issues they would raise to counter your campaign.

· Try to develop some phrases that might be used as soundbites

· If it’s a TV interview, think about what to wear. Smart but bland is good - anything too casual or remotely eccentric will distract viewers from your message.

And during the interview:

· Remember that anything you say to a journalist can potentially be quoted. If you don’t want it in the media, then don’t say it, even if you think you’re having an off the record conversation

· Try to sound passionate, but do stay calm - shouting or ranting won’t help your cause.

· Nor will preaching - people don’t want to be told what to do, but they do want to know the benefits of joining your campaign.

· Take charge of the interview if you can. Try using the ABCD technique:

A Acknowledge the question (1 second) eg yes….no….I don’t know….I’m not able to answer that…….

B Bridge (3 seconds) eg but….however….what I can tell you is….let’s be clear about this…

C Control and clarity (30 seconds) eg key messages

D Dangle eg what’s really interesting is……….

· Watch out for the signs of the interviewer trying to draw you into an argument and don’t take the bait - respect their view, point out where they are wrong and stick to your messages

· Make it real by using examples and the stories of real people.

· Keep it simple and don’t use jargon. Find some analogies to use if what you want to say is quite complex.

· Don’t lie and don’t pretend to know something if you don’t.

· Give your campaign legitimacy by talking about your organisation.

· If it’s a TV interview, be careful with your body language and try not to fidget. If you’re sitting down, have your bum in the back of the chair, lean forward and use your hands to communicate (without flapping!)

· If it’s a pre-recorded interview ask to do part of it again if you’re not happy with how it went.

When it’s all over, don’t forget to send a short message to the media outlet thanking them for the opportunity to participate. Watch or listen to your big moment and try to appraise your performance and ask others to help you with this - did you get your message across as well as you could have done? What would you do differently next time?