Last night I watched Jeremy Paxman give EDL (English Defence League) leader Tommy Robinson a grilling on BBC’s Newsnight. It was a controversial decision by the BBC to give the group airtime, and while I was interested in the content of the interview itself, I couldn’t stop myself from analysing the interview from a ‘media training’ perspective.
Before the interview started the cameras cut to a very nervous but ‘up for it’ looking Robinson. When Paxman began the interview, he immediately threw a series of rapid-fire questions at Robinson, not giving him enough time to respond fully before firing the next question at him. Clearly the intention was antagonise Robinson and throw him ‘off-message’. Whether you agree with what Robinson said or not, he put in a fairly decent performance despite Paxman’s best efforts, and remained largely on message.
The interview got me thinking about the media training we give our clients. The most important advice we give is to go into every media interview prepared with two or three key points to get across regardless of the questions they are asked. However, some other really important advice we give is how to avoid being tripped up by a cynical journalist who’s looking to catch them off-message. So here are some (yes unfortunately there are too many to cover here) of the traps spokespeople should look out for during an interview.
The long silence: This is a tactic used by some journalists, particularly towards the end of an interview, to make the spokesperson feel uncomfortable. In an effort to fill the silence, the spokesperson often says something that has strayed off-message. The best thing to do in this situation is to either use the pause as an opportunity to bridge to one of your key messages “Another important issue to consider is …” or simply ask the journalist if they have another question.
Negative questions: Sometimes journalists will ask a negative question, such as: “So, is it true that your CEO was forced out by the Board?”. It’s a natural reaction to immediately refute the question by saying: “No, our CEO was absolutely not forced out by the Board”. However, that quote, attributable to you, in itself adds credibility to the allegation, regardless of how truthful it is. Never repeat a negative question. A better way to respond is to state quite clearly that you disagree with them by saying something like: “Actually, it’s quite the reverse. Our CEO left because…”.
The end of interview gotcha: This tactic is mainly used in confrontational interviews where the spokesperson has been on the back foot and has been battling to keep control. The interviewer starts winding down the interview, and the spokesperson is filled with a sense of relief that the interview is ending. As their attention is diverted, the journalist inaccurately summarises what the spokesperson has said, and the tired spokesperson distractedly nods and says yes. The secret here is to stay fully alert until the journalist has left the room.
Post-interview questions: The journalist turns of his recorder, or puts away his notebook, and thanks you for the interview. The conversation turns to small talk, and as you walk him to the lift, he surreptitiously asks a question: “So what do you think about …”. Remember this is still part of the interview, and what you say is still quotable by the journalist.
Off the record: Unless it is a journalist that you know you can trust, or one that has signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), then do not have ‘off the record’ discussions. The vast majority of journalists do not want to get a reputation for unreliability and will fiercely protect the confidentiality of their sources and reputation. However, there are a few that may go on to quote you directly, or attribute your comments to a ‘confidential source within the company’. Speaking off the record can create whole host of problems so it’s best to avoid it.
Don’t make flippant remarks: This sounds really obvious but it never ceases to amaze how often this happens. Some journalists conduct very informal interviews which feel more like a conversation between colleagues than an interview, and this can lull spokespeople into a false sense of security. The upshot can be that spokespeople drop their guard, make a jokey, sarcastic remark, and that’s what makes the headline.
Do you have any experiences of interviews where people have fallen into these traps?
Preparation is also key for interviews. Anticipate what questions might be asked and prepare your answers accordingly, especially when you are expecting negative questions. The PR team can help to manoeuvre around them.
Infamously unprepared was RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis when he was asked by Rory Cellan-Jones about security concerns in India and the Middle East: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6iGe7vuGeQ