Tips to help you feel confident and comfortable during media interviews.
- Know what you're being interviewed for. Be sure to ask the reporter what the story is about and what information they want to get from you. Once you have this information...
- Craft your message. Be able to state it briefly and succinctly in one or two sentences. Some people find it valuable to write or type out the main point they want to get across during the interview.
- Stay on message. Sometimes the reporter gets sidetracked and the story changes dramatically. If you feel this happening, and you have a stake in getting a specific message out...
- Reel the interview back to its original focus. It's okay to say, "The point I want to make is..." or "I don't understand why that's important to this interview."
- Take charge. If the interviewer fails to address something you feel is important to the story, raise the issue yourself.
- Contact Margaret Bumann at (402) 618-6313 or e-mail margaret.bumann(at)cox.net for more information about upcoming media trainings or to schedule a media training workshop for your group, association, or organization.
