The tips are expected to appear in nearly a dozen other newspapers, including Meg Guegan, who will provide tips for making the most of the Internet to grow …

Media Interview Guidelines
For Print, Radio and Television

Prepared by:
M Anthony Phipps
Director of Communications
Emergency Nurses Association

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE DOING AN INTERVIEW

What is the issue that the reporter is covering? This is different
that the topic and can lead to insight as to what they are looking for
you to provide

What is the reporters deadline? You need to know how long you have
to prepare

What is the medium for the interview? Is it for print? Radio?
Television? Internet?

When will the story run?

What is the format? For example, if it is radio, will you be part of
a panel? Will there be listener call in? Will it be live or tape?
These types of questions can be very useful in determining how you
prepare for the interview

What is your role? Try and determine what the reporter is looking for
from you Are there to provide expertise? An opposing view
point?
Will you be providing color to fill in the context of the story?

What kind of reporter will be doing the interview? For example, is in
an investigative reporter or a trade reporter As you can imagine,
they tend to write very different types of stories

Who is the audience? Is it a business journal or a mainstream
publication or show? This will help you determine how you will talk
about the subject matter and what level of detail you will provide

Can you review the piece before publication or air? Often, the answer
will be no, but it doesnt hurt to ask

General Media Guidelines

The following are general guidelines to help you prepare to be interviewed
by a member of the media In addition to reviewing this material, you
should always contact the Director of Communications at ENA to do interview
prep and get guidance on messaging before doing an interview

Not all of these tips apply to all situations In the following pages you
will find specific tips for print, radio and television interviews
However, you should still review these general tips before any
type
interview

ž Really want to do the interview If you dont, viewers/listeners and
even readers will feel it Theyll sense that you would rather be
somewhere else This will conjure up all kinds of negative and false
impressions

ž Make sure that the ENA Director of Communications is aware of your
interview including the publication, reporter and interview date

ž Do your homework on the subject matter If you get an interview
request and need information, dont hesitate to contact the ENA for
assistance

ž Anticipate key questions and be prepared to use those questions as a
launching pad for achieving your communications objectives

ž Prepare for potentially difficult questions with responses that focus
on positive points If possible, rehearse your responses, but dont
memorize them

ž Use case histories when possible Examples dramatize the message
These examples should be interesting, brief, and develop your point

ž Be certain you know your message from the audiences point of view
Your audience wants to know the answers to following questions:
So what?

Who cares?
Whats in it for me?

ž Think of your Single Overriding Communications Objective SOCO, or
main message point, that you would like the reporter to remember and
repeat it as often as possible For example, if you are scheduled to
do an interview about ENAs National Scorecard on State Highway Laws,
your answers should return to the message: The scorecard was
designed to advocate for state laws and policies that promote safe
driving and protect the public from traffic-related injuries

ž Move the conversation from where the reporter is taking you to where
you want to go

General Media Guidelines cont

ž Use the interviewers name occasionally when answering questions, but
dont over do it

ž Do not go, Off the record Always assume you are being
interviewed, even if the cameras or microphone appear to be off Your
interview begins the instant you start talking to the journalist and
does not end until you leave/hang up the phone

ž Speak in complete and concise sentences

ž If your expertise does not lie in the area the reporter is interested
in, dont
bluff, lie, or try and wing it Be prepared to paraphrase
the opinions of other experts or explain frankly that your expertise
does not lie in that area

ž When you encounter an opposing view, dont restate your critics
position Use phrases like Ill let my opponents speak for
themselves, my position is

ž Dont feel it is your responsibility to fill awkward silences, thats
the interviews job In fact, reporters will often sit silently in an
effort to get you to keep talking beyond what you want or need to say

ž Say only what needs to be said to truthfully answer the question or
to make the points you want to make Talking too much can turn a
victory into a defeat

ž Do not use technical jargon Speak as if you are speaking to your
spouse, your mother, or your neighbor

ž Ask who else the reporter has interviewed; this can help you better
understand the reporters perspective and angle For example, if the
reporter has interviewed another expert with a differing opinion, it
can help you know ahead of time what your most important message
points might be

After your interview, send the
reporter a thank you note letting him or her
know you appreciated the opportunity to discuss the topic and that you are
available if the reporter has any additional questions about this or other
ED nursing issues

Print Media Interview Guidelines

These are some additional tips that are specific to the type of interview
you are doing In addition to reviewing this material, you should always
contact the Director of Communications at ENA to do interview prep and get
guidance on messaging before doing an interview

Also, please review the General Interview Guidelines prior to doing any
type of interview

ž If you are contacted directly by phone, do not conduct the interview
cold Set up a time later for the reporter to call you back Even if
it is only 15 minutes later, the break can give you time to prepare
your talking points and get the background information you may need

ž If the interview is by phone, try and find a private office or quiet
space for the interview

ž Give the interviewer a business card with you name and title for
accurate identification

ž Although the reporter may quote you in the article,
the vast majority
of the information you provide will become background information
that is used to build the story Although you said it, it may not be
directly attributed to you

ž When doing a phone interview, if possible, stand You will sound
more energetic and credible than you do hunched over at a desk

ž Although the reporter is under no obligation to do so, offer to
review the story prior to print This is especially helpful to the
reporter if the issue is quite complicated Mainstream press rarely
allows you to review an article, but trade magazines sometimes will

ž National magazines often employ fact checkers who will call you to
verify your name and facts This may happen several weeks after the
interview

ž Always ask the expected publication date
Radio Media Interview Guidelines

Please review the General
Interview Guidelines prior to doing any type of
interview

ž Verify the name and format of the show you are doing as well as the
names of the hosts When asking about the format, verify if the
show is live or taped and whether or not it is a call-in show that
will have you interacting with listeners

ž Know the time restrictions in advance Will it be a two minute
segment? Five minutes? Thirty minutes? Knowing the time you will
have to speak will help you prioritize your talking points and
messages

ž Find out if there are going to be any other guests either during,
prior to, or following your segment that are going to be talking on
the same subject

ž Speak directly into the microphone and from the most effective
distance which is about six to eight inches

ž If you are doing the interview via telephone from a remote location,
speak directly into the receiver and do not use speakerphone

ž Smile It sounds odd to smile during a radio interview, but smiling
actually changes the tone of your voice making it warmer and easier to
listen to thus increasing credibility

ž Have water
available, and avoid caffeine and carbonated beverages
Caffeine will dry out your throat

ž Dont be concerned with dead air It is the interviewers job to
fill gaps, not yours When you have completed your answer, stop
talking and wait for the next question Reporters often will use an
uncomfortable silence to try and trap you into saying more than you
should on a given topic

ž Be sure to thank the interviewer for the opportunity to be with you
at the conclusion of your interview/segment
Television Media Interview Guidelines

Also, please review the General Interview Guidelines prior to doing any
type of interview

ž Crystallize your ideas and thoughts into a few short, hard hitting
phrases End every answer on a positive upbeat note

ž Accept a reporters offer of makeup Often this is blotting powder
to reduce the camera shine on
your skin

ž Control the overall visual effect of your television interview
through body language and how you sit

ž Sit with your lower back against the back of the chair If wearing a
jacket, sit on the hem of the jacket to avoid a jacket hump across
the back of your shoulders Plant your feet on the floor Lean
forward slightly Keep your hands in a neutral position on the arms
of the chair so that they are free to make gestures

ž Avoid crossing your legs If you must cross your legs, make sure
they are crossed away from the camera

ž Move naturally Although most shots of you will focus on your
face/head, the rest of your body will become stiff if you try to keep
from moving This restraint, lack of natural gestures, etc will show
up on screen “ if not through your body, then through your voice
inflection and rate Youll appear nervous and uptight

ž Use your hands in slow, sustained movements while making your points
Keep gestures from mid chest to under your chin, so the camera can
see them Avoid gestures like clenched fists, finder pointing, or
sweeping arm movements

ž
Channel your energy into your voice and gestures This will minimize
nervous mannerisms such as playing with eyeglasses, shaking a foot,
tapping fingers, etc

ž Avoid wearing pure white or pure black clothing Jewel tones green,
blue, etc and medium tones of gray, blue, or brown work well Solid
colors are most effective; patterns can create the illusion of
movement Avoid jewelry that swings or flashes “ even lapel pins
Men should wear over-the-calf socks and have a fresh shave Women
should avoid very short skirts and low necklines

Television Media Interview Guidelines cont

ž Schedule the interview so you can spend a minute or two with the
reporter or host before the broadcast to review the parameters of the
interview This is an appropriate time to mention the major points
you would like to raise during the interview

ž Relax when you speak to the reporter Try to imagine yourself in a
living room setting and speak naturally Be forthright Be sincere
But most of all, BE YOURSELF The audience will see if you are trying
to be something else and they will question your creditability

ž Look directly at the host or person you are addressing Unless
instructed otherwise, dont look into the television camera

ž For morning interviews, be sure to get a good nights sleep so that
you can be fresh and energized for the segment