Media interviews: golden rules for think tankers

Think tankers require a diverse set of skills. One responsibility is interacting with the media. Translating one's research for a broader audience is not an easy task. During the Think Tank School, we work with media trainer Laura Shields to offer our fellows an intensive training day on interviews and pitches. Below are her golden rules to remember when preparing for a media interview. How much time do spend preparing for media interactions?

1. Find out about the journalist (check Twitter, blogs, articles, YouTube) before entering the interview.
2. Prepare your key messages, but also reactive lines. Use short answers to tough questions.
3. Rehearse aloud – tongue memory – particularly if the interview is not in your first language
4. Don’t just answer questions, build your own storyline.
5. Don’t go ‘off the record’ in an interview.
6. Stay friendly.

Interviews, whether audio or video, can be stressful situations. Training and experience can help you feel more comfortable. Here are a few more tips for delivering convincing message and how avoid tense interview situations. 

• Use the kind of language you want people to associate with your message
• Keep messages positive and make them credible with numbers and emotional with stories or practical examples
• Don’t mirror the journalist’s language – allowing words to be put into your mouth gets you the wrong kinds of quotes
• Slow down your delivery to your maximum thinking time
• Stay reasonable, however much provoked
• Never fight with the journalist, you will probably lose
• Never make it personal (as in don’t attack the journalist or your opponent)
• Use firm rebuttals
• Use defusing phrases

Stay updated with our thoughts on what’s said in the media: Want to receive free interview hints, tips and stories? Please e-mail [email protected] and ask to be added to ‘The Thread’ mailing list.
 

Laura Shields

Founder, Red Thread 
Trainer

 

Laura Shields is founder of Red Thread. Based in Brussels, Red Thread provides hands-on, concrete and constructive media, public speaking and message training throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Background
Laura started her career as a journalist. After graduating from Cambridge University in 2000, she worked at CNN and CNBC in London, were she covered European business news and US politics. Laura moved to the BBC in 2004 where she worked as the Economics and Business Analyst and then as a producer for Radio 4’s World at One and PM programmes. She reported for Reuters TV from all the major EU Summits and as a communications consultant she wrote for Open Democracy, Huffington Post, Communication Director and Outsource Magazines.

Clients
Through Red Thread, Laura now provides communications training to a wide roster of clients, including European Commissioners and senior managers, EU and US Ambassadors, European government ministers, MEPs, Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, trade associations, NGOs, thinktanks, scientists and philanthropic organisations. You can read some of their testimonials below.

Photo Credit: RedThread