By
Sheri L. Singer (Published July 17, 2006)
Understanding the Differences When Talking to Print, TV and
Radio Journalists
While media and message training provide a foundation with which
to conduct media interviews, they also are techniques that can be
used to deliver presentations to potential or existing clients.
The first step in creating an effective presentation or in talking
to the media is to identify and understand who comprises your target
audience or the people you want to reach. Once the audience is identified,
you need to draft three key messages that reflect your organization’s
mission and are created to resonate with your target audience. These
concise, pithy, quotable messages will help you or your designated
spokespersons represent your firm consistently and accurately.
When addressing the press, it’s critical to understand the
differences between print, Internet, radio and television journalists.
Regardless of what type of medium you are addressing, here are some
general guidelines:
• Be sensitive to the reporter’s deadline.
• Provide as much quantifiable (statistics) information as
possible.
• Use pithy quotes such as “The axis of evil.”
• Be concise.
• Assume that nothing is “off the record.”
• Check your information to assure its accuracy.
• Be honest even if you need to say you’re not able
to discuss that now.
Print
In general, print interviews tend to be the most in-depth. Before
the interview, familiarize yourself with the reporter and the publication.
A daily newspaper journalist may be covering several beats, whereas
a trade press reporter will have a more in-depth knowledge of your
industry. Since most print interviews are conducted by phone, it
is recommended that you have notes and statistics in front of you
during the conversation. If a reporter asks a question that you
unsure about, ask if you can check the information and get back
to them.
Internet
On the surface, communicating through the Internet might appear
to be similar to a print interview. But unlike most Internet communications,
which are usually casual in tone and style, it is advisable to be
somewhat more formal because anything included in an email may become
part of the story. Check to ensure that your messages are consistent
and that your grammar, spelling and syntax are perfect.
Radio
Generally, radio interviews are shorter than print interviews. Usually
conducted in person at the radio studio or on the phone, radio interviews
can be “live” meaning they are conducted in real time
or “taped” which means they can be edited. Typically,
radio interviews are comprised of “sound bites” or short,
quotable sentences. The more concise the answer, the more challenging
it is to edit or to take the quote out of context, so it is advisable
to keep your answers short. It is often helpful to bridge back to
your key messages during the interview.
Other radio interviews, such as when you appear as a guest on a
radio program, may be longer. In this scenario, keep the interview
as casual and flowing as a conversation with a friend, while frequently
returning to your key messages.
Although radio is limited to audio, feel free to use hand gestures
and to smile (where appropriate). Nonverbal communication will help
convey your expertise, enthusiasm and passion and keep the interview
lively.
Television
Television is the most complex medium since it involves visual and
audio messages. Unlike other medium, TV provides you with three
seconds to make a positive impression through nonverbal communication.
Similar to a radio interview, when you start to speak, deliver
short, concise messages. As with radio, on TV feel free to express
your enthusiasm by using hand gestures and facial expressions to
help convey your passion and expertise on the topic. But err on
the side of caution; you don’t want to come across as a Howard
Dean in the 2004 Democratic primaries.
Since appearance is an important element of a TV interview, both
men and women should consider their clothing and how it will convey.
For men, a dark suit, light blue shirt and bright tie, socks that
cover your calves, and dark shoes are recommended. For women, a
brightly colored dress with scarf, or bright suit with neutral top
or a neutral suit with a bright top works well. Jewelry and make-up
should be kept to a minimum so they are not distracting. If the
station offers to have a make-up artist work with you, take them
up on their offer since their professional touch will improve your
appearance.
Questions
Responding effectively to journalist’s questions may be the
most challenging portion of the interview. To learn from the masters,
watch any televised political debate. Politicians are trained and
drilled on how to validate the journalist while getting their own
message out to their audience.
In general, there are four techniques to effectively answering
a reporter’s challenging question:
• Bridging refers to returning to one of your key messages
such as “That’s an important point, but more importantly
is…”
• Restating helps ensure that you understand the question,
so you might say, “So what you are asking is…”
• Answering a portion of a complex question allows you to
choose the part of the question with which you feel most comfortable,
so you might respond by saying, “The most important part of
your question is…”
• Clarifying buys you time to ask the reporter to simplify
the question by asking something such as, “Is your question…or
did you mean…?”
Conclusion
Understanding the variances between print, the Internet, radio,
and TV will help you frame the process and conduct a successful
interview that will yield positive press for your company.
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