Master Media Interviews - 10 Tips

1. Bridge. When done correctly, a bridge takes you from the reporter’s agenda to your agenda without making it seem as though you’re avoiding the question. First, answer the question as briefly as possible, then bridge (make a transition) to get to one of your key messages. Bridges are endless, everything from "but" to "what's even more important" to "another way to look at that is."
2. Hold your ground. Don’t let reporters get you to say more than you want to say about a particular answer. Stick to your messages. Don’t feel you have to come up with a new answer just because they ask the same question over again. Repeat what you've already said in different language or with additional proof points. If you don’t know an answer, say so, and offer to get the information.
3. Stay positive and keep your cool. Never repeat a reporter’s negative or inflammatory language, even to deny it. Once those words get put in your mouth, they will overwhelm anything positive you say afterwards. What is Richard Nixon's most famous quote? "I am not a crook." What's most memorable is the word "crook." Much better to start with a positive: "I am an honest man." Also ever get defensive or lose your temper, even if you feel you have a right to. You'll be the one who ends up looking bad.
4. Be clear and concise. Keep your answers short and to the point. Boil down information for the interviewer. Make your answers simple and understandable. Avoid jargon and acronyms that neither reporters nor the audience will understand.
5. Invert the triangle. Start with the most important part of your answer, the bottom line or summary statement. This "billboard" statement helps frame your answer, making it more likely reporters will hear your most important point before their eyes glaze over. It also makes it easier for them to follow the rest of your answer.
6. Use colorful statements. You are more likely to get quoted if your answers are colorful, pithy, and interesting.
7. Pause before you answer. A pause lets you think before you open your mouth. Make the pause silent (no “ums” or “ahs”) and maintain eye contact. And don't let reporters put words in your mouth. Say what you want to say. If a reporter says, “So what you're saying is … ”, you reply: “No, what I'm saying is … ”
8. Don’t predict or speculate. Your words may come back to haunt you later. Only talk about what you know for sure. "I can't speculate on that, but what I can tell you is..."
9. Don’t go off the record. You’re bound to get burned some day if you play this game. Assume that everything you say might be printed.
10. Don’t fill silences. Don’t let silence trap you into saying more than you want to say.
Bonus tip: Stay on guard. Whether or not the microphone is on or pens are in their hand, reporters are always listening and can use anything they hear. Be careful at trade shows, cocktail parties, or when dining with a journalist. Reporters are never just “socializing.”