How To Act In A Media Interview When You're Being Attacked

I picked up the phone Wednesday and heard a woman say "Hello, this is ______ from "60 Minutes" and we're preparing a story on...

I don't know how many times you've received a call like that in your career, but when it happens to me, I always feel an instant surge of both excitement and fear.

Fear because all of us have seen stories from the television newsmagazines that have ruined careers and bankrupted companies. Excitement because these stories can also do the exact opposite.

There are several keys that you should understand if and when you are in the position of dealing with one of televisions newsmagazines:

A. It's the producer, not the on-camera star that structures the story, develops the angle, scripts the voice overs, and most importantly, chooses what goes on the air in the end. So never underestimate the power of the producer when you come into contact with them, no matter how young they appear or how awed you are by the prospect of interviewing with a big-name talent in the next step of the process.

B. This genre thrives on controversy, emotion and visual images. They tend to push for slants that show how the story applies (or could apply) to the viewer on a personal basis. If a producer can illustrate the story visually (rather than just an interview) all the better. So if you've got visuals (preferably film) that shows your point of view, make sure you make it available.

C. Because of the quest to find controversy, by the end of the story development process, the producer and the on-camera talent have oftentimes developed a definite opinion about who is right and who is wrong. If they decide that you're in the wrong, you can be assured that you won't be having much fun when your turn comes to be interviewed. It doesn't always happen this way, but be prepared for the possibility.

Ironically, I just finished reading Michael Crichton's "Airframe" just the night before this 60-Minutes call came. I recommend that book to you as not only a gripping read, but a good lesson in media interactions.

In "Airframe" you'll get a fictitious, but in my experience, fairly accurate description of some of the techniques news magazine reporters use to build their stories, especially if they think you are guilty.

In one chapter, the protagonist gets a visit from a media coach just before going to her interview with an antagonistic on-air talent. Several of the comments the coach made in that chapter are exactly the ones you're going to hear when you go through your own media coaching. Here's just a few of those hints. These pertain specifically to interviews when the reporter is on the attack, but also apply in any type of television interview situation.

1. Sit back in your chair and relax. When you lean forward you tend to appear too eager, too tense.

2. Don't clench your hands or clasp them together. Try to keep them flat on the desk, until it's time to gesture. Then try to gesture naturally, that will look good and help to calm you down.

3. Some reporters who are on the attack try to get you to agree to a series of questions, so that you're nodding and replying without thinking, then they hit you with something out of left field. Those who use this tactic have a mission to get your relaxed and catch you off guard so they can get your unrehearsed reaction on camera. So if you find yourself being lobbed a series of softballs in a row, be watching for the switch. Focus on controlling your facial and body reactions when it comes.

4. Some reporters like to make a provocative statement, then pause, waiting for you to fill in the vacuum. When that happens, just sit and wait it out. You don't have to answer anything, because they haven't asked a question. Don't rise to the bait. Just relax and wait for the question.

5. Some reporters will restate what you say with a tone of disbelief or as a question. They're trying to get you to defend yourself. All you have to do is to reply with one word, "yes." That's it. Then just sit and wait. Don't add anything else until you're ready to later on.

6. If the interview is being taped (not live), take all the time you want in answering questions, they'll cut out pauses. (Just be sure that you don't do funny things with your facial or body language during the silences).

7. Sometimes reporters will ask a vague question trying to provoke specific responses. If you don't understand a question, ask them to clarify.

8. If you're not comfortable looking at the reporter, choose something just beyond them and talk to that instead. The camera can't tell that you're not really looking at the reporter, and the increased ability to ignore his reactions may help to calm you.

There are two more key things that I'm isolating from this list so that you recognize their importance:

9. You've probably worked in your business for years and know what you're talking about. The reporter probably just flew in this morning, or just spent 10 minutes looking at background information before your interview. The reporter may be bright, communicative and a quick study, but they don't know a fraction of what you do. Make sure you keep that in mind.

10. Your business is complex. You're naturally likely to try to teach the reporter about the details about your business, the ones that created the situation at hand. But here's the key - the reporter doesn't care about that background. He wants the story, and in his mind the story's not in the details you're trying to enlighten him with, it's in the single sentence answer that seems on the surface to explain the situation.

Television isn't about information, it's about emotion. It's about entertainment. They want you to give them information in a single bite-size chunk so the audience feels they understand.

Unfortunately, this means that a reporter who is convinced that you're the bad guy will oftentimes provoke you, trying to get you to make an emotional outburst, to lose your temper, to say something outrageous that he will then show as the bite-sized chunk that explains the situation. He wants a media moment. If you understand this motivation, you can deal with him, and ensure that the media moment is the sound bite that communicates what you want said, rather than the shot of you losing it, which convinces the world that you're wrong.

Finally, I'd like to make two key points - first, I don't believe that most of the media is out to get you. This list is just provided to help you in case it ever actually happens to you.

Second, I believe that it's important that everyone in the PR arena to get some formal media training and preferably personal coaching. You need to see yourself through the eyes of someone else, someone who is on your side and who can help you to make the adjustments so that you can come across more like you want to. this is especially true if you are going in front of a national television newsmagazine interview. Trust me, no matter how good you are, there's something that you do, probably unconsciously, that's hurting your ability to interact with the media. Spend the several thousand dollars to go through the process. It could save you millions in the end.

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Tags: Media Interviews Negative Reporters