Ask a Reporter Questions
Your telephone rings and a news reporter asks you if it would be all right to ask you a few questions. You freeze because you are caught by total surprise. You do not know this reporter. You do not know anything about the angle of the story. You wish you had more time to gather your thoughts.
If you were a celebrity or business mogul, your agent would screen this type of call for you and ask the questions that you need answered to be prepared for an interview. Since you are not a bigshot with an agent, here is what you can do to help yourself in this situation.
First, understand that you have every right to ask the reporter questions to get an idea of the story so that you can decide if you want to submit to an interview.
Perhaps you could open the dialogue with something like, “Yes, I would like to help you with your story. To get a better idea of what you are working on, may I ask you a few background questions?
It is most unlikely that any reporter will refuse this request. If they do, this is a warning signal that perhaps you should not talk to that reporter.
Proceed by asking the following questions:
How did you happen to contact me about this story? What is your story about? Whom else have you talked to about this story? What did they say? Whom else do you plan to talk to about this story? What is your deadline? Once you have obtained the answers to these questions, decide whether you are fully prepared to speak to the reporter. If you are not, tell the reporter that you need to gather your thoughts and some information and agree on a time for you to call back.
The following are a few caveats about this dialogue:
Speak in an open and friendly tone. Frame your questions in the context of a desire to help the reporter. Do not convey the impression that your answers will change once you learn what the reporter already knows from speaking to others. Once you hang up the telephone, gather your thoughts, and compile any research that you will need to refer to in an interview and then return the reporter’s call as soon as possible.
How to Write Campaign Press Releases
Many campaigns start out enthusiastically issuing press releases left and right. When their releases don’t always get picked up or they don’t like the way the releases are used, some campaigns get into blaming the media and may stop issuing releases altogether.
Having a clear understanding of how the media works before you start issuing campaign press releases can help you garner more and better coverage during your campaign.
First, recognize that each media organization has decision makers whose job it is to decide what information to present based on their understanding of their unique audience. In other words, an FM music station may do news, but they know their audience isn’t looking for in depth reporting on the local school board election; whereas a neighbourhood weekly may see that as front-page material.
Editors read press releases to find out about potential stories. Each editor must then decide what stories to cover and how much space or airtime to a lot to each story.
As a campaign press person your job is to provide editor’s information they can use in whatever format makes their job easier….all in the interest of obtaining more and better coverage for your candidate.
Keep in mind that no media has unlimited space or time…and that you are competing with dozens or perhaps hundreds of possible stories.
Following a few rules will increase your success rate:
1. Don’t write the story for the media. Tell them what the story is and how they can cover it, such as where and when the event will take place or how to get a hold of the candidate for an interview.
2. Keep your releases to one page. Offer to provide supporting documents, such as a position statement, but don’t flood editors with paper.
3. Don’t send your releases to every person at each news outlet whose name or email you can discover. Sending multiple copies of the same release to dozens of people can backfire.
4. Identify the decision makers at the media that are key for your campaign and develop a relationship with them. Get to know what issues they think are important in the election and feed them information on those issues.
5. Don’t call up the media to ask “Did you get my release?” or “Are you coming to our press conference?” Only make follow-up calls if you have something additional to offer.
6. As much as possible, treat all media equally. Don’t discount a reporter because she or he works for a weekly.
7. If your fax list has more than 40 or 50 numbers, use a delivery service so that each outlet gets your releases at approximately the same time.
8. Make sure the press can get a hold of someone from your campaign. Answer press calls promptly.
9. Respond to events. If your opponent makes a statement you want to comment on, put out a release that says your candidate is available to respond…or include his/her response.
10. Don’t give up if you don’t get the coverage you would like at the beginning of your campaign. Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint.
Make your Point
Whether you are making a business presentation or communicating with the media, your most important objective should be to make your point clear and memorable.
The following are three simple and effective techniques to make your point clear and create sound bites and quotable statements:
Speaking well is not necessarily the same as writing well. When speaking, use the “verbal colon” to draw attention to your main point and create a sound bite.
Using the verbal colon to draw attention to your important point, you would say, “The important point to remember is this: Despite the storm damage, we will open on schedule.”
Consider this Remember this Case in point One final point Here’s the proof The most interesting aspect is this The main point to remember is this The biggest mistake we can make is this
Make use of the “inserted question” to focus attention on your words. Anytime you use the word “because,” when writing, insert the word “why” before it when speaking to draw attention to your main point and create a sound bite.
Using the inserted question, you would focus attention on your statement by saying, “We have added many safety features to our building plan. Why? Because we do not want even one injury on this project.”
Make your points in short sentences, preferably with six to ten words.
Media Interview Questions
“How may I help you?”
Media relations practitioners often make fools of themselves by either begging a reporter for free publicity or trying to cajole a reporter into covering a story. Instead of using these ploys with a reporter, build a relationship with each reporter you speak to by simply asking him/her “How may I help you?” Use the reporter’s answer as you cue on how to continue the conversation and what to say next to sway the conversation to a point where you can make a pitch for your story.
The following phrases are other excellent conversation starters to use with reporters.
“Is now a good time to talk or is another time better?”
Demonstrate respect for the reporter’s time by asking this question when you begin your conversation.
“When is your deadline?”
Asking this question accomplishes the following: It demonstrates your sensitivity to the reporter’s on-going dilemma of meeting a story deadline. It also illustrates that you understand the news business. Additionally, it provides you with an indication of how much time you have to fill the reporter’s request.
“What would you like for me to send you in advance of the interview?”
This considerate gesture helps both you and the reporter prepare for an interview and saves you both time.
“Would you like suggestions on other sources for your story?”
Reporters need multiple sources for a story. They usually want as many as possible. This is a helpful way to save a reporter time and potentially create a better story.
“Are you looking for any information that you are having trouble finding?”
By asking this question, you are again demonstrating empathy for the reporter’s fact-finding challenge and ingratiating yourself with the offer to assist the reporter to do his/her job.
“Would you like suggestions for settings or photo ideas to accompany your story?”
Settings and photos are often something that reporters think about last and near their deadline. This means that they often use whatever is handy or easiest to use although better options might be available. If you provide this early in the story composition process, you have a greater chance for increased exposure in the story.
“What visual supports would you like for me to provide you that could accompany your story?”
The modern media has a constant need for all types of visual supports, especially those available electronically and free. If you can provide, maps, illustrations, photographs, charts, graphs, or video footage, you will not only ingratiate yourself to the press, but also increase your chances of being covered in a story.
“Would you like a list of our other clients or other areas of expertise that I possess that might assist you in the future?”
If you have asked the questions previously listed in this article, you have probably proven your worth to the reporter as an outstanding source. Most reporters would like to have more background information on you or your clients for future reference.
“Would you like the information that I have just provided you in writing?”
By asking this question, you are helping the reporter and yourself. You’re helping the reporter by providing information that is already written and available as documentation for his/her editor. You are helping yourself by greatly improving your chances for both accurate and expanded quotes.
“Do you need additional documentation on any of the topics we discussed?”
If the reporter believes that he needs supporting documentation for his/her story, make sure that he/she views you as a willing source to provide this information.
“Do you have all of my contact information in case you think of something else you need at the last minute?”
Reporters like the idea that they can contact their sources anywhere/anytime. Make sure that your press contacts view you as one of accessible sources.
Meet More Journalists Online
Modern technology notwithstanding, I sometimes wax nostalgic for the old days when teletype machines clacked out stories one keystroke at a time, and bells rang when an urgent bulletin announced a catastrophe in some faraway land.
There are no bells in today’s newsrooms.
Nowadays, news is transmitted in muted silence at electronic speed. At any given nanosecond, hundreds of press releases are posted on any of millions of Internet websites, put there with the belief they will be found by members of the press. Too often, though, the delivery can’t be completed because the website is not designed to welcome the arrival of a journalist.
Can I be describing your organization’s website? Take this simple test: Invite a co-worker, someone who doesn’t share your familiarity with your website, to find your latest press release. Count the seconds it takes to find a homepage button marked “media” or “press” or “news” (I’ll bet I’ve encountered at least 50 different names for this button) that opens to an index of your organization’s most recent press releases. Can’t find the button in less than 5 seconds? Don’t have an index page; or, worse, it takes more than 5 seconds for the index page to download? You are in dire need of help. Even if you pass this test, you may still have room for some improvements.
Here are a few important things to remember:
• The information age has a huge upside: you can email your press releases to as many thousands of news reporters whose email addresses you can find, without licking a single postage stamp or paying a single penny. But it also has a huge downside: on average, today’s journalist receives 500 or more emails every day, and they can—and do— mass delete them with a single keystroke.
• Getting a journalist’s attention is a zero-sum game based on the number of minutes (sometimes just seconds) that a journalist can devote to reading email and opening websites. The winners are the ones whose email is read, or whose websites are opened. And, the more time a journalist spends reading a particular email or opening a particular website, the greater the number of losers there will be when the allotted time runs out.
So the best advice I can offer is: Make it as easy as possible for reporters to find press releases on your website, don’t clutter your press release page with extraneous materials, and don’t ask them to fill out a registration form so they can receive your email alerts to future press releases. Just mark an easy-to-follow path to your press releases, and give them the name of a contact person in case they want to make further inquiries.
Meet the Press
So your candidate has an opportunity to be on the six o’clock news. Here are some quick pointers to make the most of a great free press opportunity.
1. Remember who the audience is. The “audience” is always the average TV viewer – it’s not the most knowledgeable person watching. Try to use a slowly delivered high school vocabulary when on-camera. Popular television and radio news programs rarely feature sophisticated language or detailed discussions for a reason. Audiences want simple “punchy” responses to questions and brief statements.
2. Audience Interest. You’ve probably heard for some time that the average person has a 15-minute attention span. It’s actually much shorter than that unless the subject matter is particularly riveting (violence, sex, etc.) So, it’s often necessary to use your concluding sentence as your first sentence. By beginning your response with your conclusion, the listener or viewer is more likely to accept your basic point before they fade. Few things matter more than brevity in a successful media appearance.
3. Posture. Comfortable is important, but so is presence. Keep your shoulders straight and don’t slouch. Use changes in voice inflection and dramatic pauses to make them pay attention to you. Lean into the camera if you feel comfortable doing so.
4. Speak slowly. Viewers and listeners rarely put any effort into viewing or listening. Often they’re doing other things, which limit the amount of mental capacity they can dedicate to what you are saying. Make it easy for them – talk slowly, don’t slur your words together and repeat key points.
5. Smile often. It sounds almost too simple, but you can improve your public speaking performance by just smiling more. A smile is perceived as an indication of sincerity, truthfulness and self-confidence. Although it might not be appropriate to give a goofy smile during a serious question, it’s entirely appropriate and necessary to find a reason to smile during even the most policy-intensive speeches.
6. Enunciate each word completely. Occasionally, we all have a tendency to trail off while we’re speaking. A microphone is cruel to subjects who do this because everything is captured and conveyed. Each and every word you speak must be stated completely, fully and slowly for maximum impact. Try to pronounce each and every consonant, especially the ones at the end of a word.
7. Gestures. Use hand and facial gestures if they are comfortable for you, but don’t force their use. Keep them around you heart.
8. Exaggeration is a necessity on TV. Every move of your eyebrows, mouth and other facial muscles needs to be exaggerated by 25 per cent to be effectively conveyed from the podium or on television. Unless it feels as if you are exaggerating, you’re not exaggerating enough. This requires practice in a mirror and with video record and play back.
9. Preparation. The ultimate key to any successful public speaking or on-air performance is preparation. Asking who the interviewer is on the way to the studio virtually assures a below-par performance. Take 15 minutes before the interview or before you travel to the TV station to practice answering the questions you’re likely to be asked. Think about your responses and frame the shortest possible responses. Write down your three-sentence message statement – the message you want to convey through the interview.
10. Make-up and clothes. The strong lights and one-dimensional nature of television and podiums makes make-up a necessity for both men and women. If offered, always accept some powder, lip-stick, rouge, etc. If not offered, bring some with you for a light application before you go on the air. For men, the darker the suit, the more seriously you will be taken, Burgundy coloured ties with very simple patterns are preferred with a blue or grey tab collar dress shirt. White shirts and wild ties distract the viewer from your mouth and therefore from your message. For women, dress in neutral colours and avoid large patterns and big jewellery. Also avoid open to shoes and bright lipstick.
11. Get to know the people behind the camera. When arriving “on-set,” introduce yourself to the camera operator(s), set manager, production assistants, etc. These people can help you look good on TV. Talk to the interviewer off camera to get a better sense of where they’re headed with questions. Being nice never hurt anyone appearing on TV.
12. Post-mortem. Always review your performance on video and audio tape a day or so after you’ve been on TV or radio. Jot down a few notes of things you’d like to do better and note over time which criticisms you seem to be consistently making of yourself.