PRDV107: Crisis Communication

Television and Radio Interviews: Understanding Your Role

Broadcast (television and radio) is a headline service. Make your point and stop. TV news is to journalism what bumper stickers are to philosophy. Broadcast needs "talking heads". It needs a spokesperson, a voice, a face.

Working With Television

The News Division

• The news director and producer determine what is to be covered, in coordination with the assignment editor.
• The assignment editor is the primary contact for news; the producer is the primary contact for feature shows.
• There is a weekend staff, as well as an after 7:00 p.m. staff, with the weekend and evening shift making assignments and news decisions for their segments.
• News reporters are looking for the action/conflict in the story. The evening news is drama – visual and moving.
• TV news looks also for the local angle to the national story of the day.
• Primarily, TV wants it in 30 second segments, no time to "background" the reporter.
• News reporters have a maximum of three hours to spend on the average story, most of the time far less, including the filming of the story. This produces only a couple of minutes on air, and boils down to around 30 seconds for your message.
• News interviews or segments are short, to the point, and concise.
• "Cutaway" or "Reverse Shots" can be expected, where the spokesperson is asked to remain on camera while other angles are shot for later insertion in the interview, showing your reporter listening, nodding, etc.

The Interview/Talk Show:

• The "host," who frequently is not the person who produces the show or schedules the guests, has an image or personality as either a nice person or controversial one. There will usually be a representative from the opposition; sometimes you are event asked to suggest a representative from the other side.
• Topics need to be broad enough to fill at least 15 minutes.

The Panel/Call-in Shows:

• More in-depth coverage of issues.
• Usually no longer than 30 minutes, and frequently include a representative from the opposition.
• Sometimes segments are excerpted from these shows for use on news segments.
• Frequently interrupted by commercial breaks.
• Most often, these shows are taped on weekdays and shown on weekends or mornings.
• Some shows with audiences are live and some accept call-in questions from viewers.
• The person contacted to make the arrangements for the show, usually the producer, initially receives the information and forwards on to the show host what he or she thinks is necessary for the interview.
• The personality and preparation of the host/interviewer varies widely, as does the extent to which one can promote a cause or position.

The Remote Interview:

• If the host is in one studio and the guest is in another, this can be distracting.
• Must look at the active camera (the one with the red light on) directly and imagine that the lens is the person seeing you, to simulate a feeling of "someone out there".
• Tips for the spokesperson: Don't feel glued to same position and gesture or move just as you would if someone were there. Reinforce your remarks with gestures, facial expressions, and the pacing of your response.
• If the earpiece goes off and you can't hear the questions, don't show your irritation or confusion. One way is to think about how upset the interviewer is at the distraction, feel sympathy for him or her and in fact, focus on making them feel at ease about the problem.

Preparing for a TV Appearance

(Partially Applicable to Radio Interviews)

Homework:

• The key to a successful TV appearance is confidence. Anticipate as many questions as possible and be prepared to make sure you have your say.
• "Bridging:" If you are asked a negative question – answer it fast, if it's answerable at all, and move on to something positive that makes a point you want to make. Never repeat the negative in your answer.
  
• Set objectives; Prepare "mini-speeches" you can bridge into.
• Don't rehearse remarks until they sound canned.
• If you decide to use visuals, check with the producer and director in advance on size and appropriate color or tonal contrast.
• Analyze the potential audience. Consider the type of situation, time of day, nature of the community and possible audience attitudes toward the subject. Plan comments to appeal to this audience.
• Analyze your data. Don't speak in generalities. Determine ahead of time specific examples you can use to illustrate major points. If you have the statistics, have them available, IF you can make them meaningful to the average person.
• If possible, determine in advance how much ground the subject area will cover and which topics will be presented. Is the interviewer interested in a representative opinion from the "industry" or your company's specific policies? Are your personal views of chief interest?

Office Filming:

• Allow time for equipment setup. This will take a minimum of ten minutes.
• Use this time to get to know the reporter or get your point across and indicate the focus you want to establish. The reporter will be grateful because a line of questioning may not have been prepared and he or she may not know much about you or your topic.
• Often the reporter will be interested in talking to you privately to narrow the area of questioning down, generally in the interest of saving time and film. This can usually be done while the crew sets the camera up. Take the reporter into another room but remember not to say anything that you wouldn't want repeated on the air. And even though the reporter outlines the interview for you, don't be surprised if he or she brings something else up in the course of actual questioning.
• When everything is ready, let the interviewer tell you (or the designated interviewee) where to sit. Let the technicians attach the microphone on you if they are using lavalieres (a small microphone pinned to the shirt of the interviewee). Try to forget it's there until everything is done, and then let a technician take it off for you.
• The interviewer may ask for a "voice level" at the very beginning of the interview. This means they want to preset the volume on your microphone. Simply talk in a natural voice until you're told to stop. Do not mumble three or four works and then ask, "Is that enough?"
• At the end of a filmed interview in your office, the reporter may want to film "cut-aways" also known as "B-Roll". These are short segments of film that can later be inserted between your responses. This allows the station to rearrange the whole interview to fit any time slot. So the reporter will probably ask the questions all over again, this time with the camera trained on him or her.
• Stick around just long enough to satisfy yourself that substantially the same questions are being asked. Then feel free to excuse yourself. They would probably rather pack up their equipment in peace anyway.
• A news crew can be one or two people, with very portable equipment, including lights. They will light up your office or other location quickly and easily with a few portable lights. Normally two lights are used. Since TV lights are very bright, you should ask that they be turned on a few minutes before the interview begins so your eyes can get used to them. You may have trouble seeing at first. It's a bit like coming out of a dark theater into bright sunlight, but after a few minutes your eyes will get used to the light. If the light is shining directly on your face and it still bothers you, ask the technician to change the angle of the light a bit.

10 Key Media Interview Tips

1. Establish ground rules. Don't hesitate to speak to the reporter ahead of time about the duration of the interview and the topics you will or will not address.
2. Identify yourself. Give your full title and provide biographical information when appropriate.
3. Stick to the point. During the interview stay focused, use short and concise sentences, and use everyday language. Formulate each response to make your point upfront, followed by supporting and explanations.
4. Be clear. Avoid acronyms and jargon. Imagine that you are speaking to a neighbor or relative who is not involved in planning.
5. Avoid saying anything "off the record". It is better not to tell a reporter anything you do not want to see in print or on television. Remember, off-the-record isn't retroactive. You can't tell a reporter something and then take it back.
6. Use humor carefully. A facetious remark often seems sarcastic on the air or printed page.
7. Maximize non-verbal communications. What you wear, your body language, and your gesticulations should support your message and build your credibility as an expert.
8. Take control. Always remember, you don't have to answer the questions they ask! Understand and utilize bridging phrases to transition from the question that was ask to the message point you want to make (see more detail on bridging in the last section of this document).
9. Offer to check the facts. Always offer to review factual information and quotes for accuracy. If the reporter declines to let you review copy for a printed article and you are concerned about being misquoted, ask the reporter what he or she intends to quote from your interview.
10. Provide informational materials. Never send a reporter away empty-handed. Provide news releases, journal articles, a biographical sketch, or a summary of your main points.

Interview Follow-Up:

• Confirm placement date. Ask a reporter when the story will air or be published.
• Recognize a job well done. If the story is good, write a note to that effect to the reporter. This can help build a positive relationship.
• Address mistakes. If the reporter gets it wrong, you can consider calling the reporter to correct a misunderstanding or mistake.

"Bridging" Techniques for Media Interviews

A variety of "bridging" techniques can be helpful in media interviews where you are asked difficult questions or questions that are not related to your key message points or the topic you would like to discuss.

Bridging techniques, or more specifically, phrases, can also be used to reframe or redefine controversial issues so you are not just responding to an opponent's arguments, but are effectively recasting how the issue is viewed and discussed by the media, your target audiences, and ultimately, (if applicable) your opponents:

Examples of phrases that can be used as a "bridge" in interviews:

• I can speak to…
• My particular expertise is in…
• Let me put that in context…
• You make a good point, however…
• Let me get back to you in…
• I can't respond to a hypothetical, but what I can tell you is that…
• I appreciate that perspective, but my experience has been…
• In fact…
• The way planners view this is…
• Our research and analysis show…
• The real danger lies with…
• What is not being talked about is…
• What is important to understand is…
• Let's put the issue in a broader context…
• There may be consequences that need further examination. For instance…