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1. Have Your Own Agenda Before the Interview
Don't be led by their questions. Your agenda can help form the direction and tone of the story.
2. Know the Job of the Interviewer
Any story written about you or your team will be affected by whether the interviewer's a columnist, feature writer, broadcast journalist, radio host, or other. Ask in advance what kind of journalist will be interviewing you, then customize your comments to their style. For example, a columnist's job is to write opinions that will create controversy, while a feature writer may be looking for a human interest story. The best way to prepare is to ask for samples of their work such as past articles or tapes of other interviews. Knowing what to expect will help you make the best of the interview.
3. Don't Go "Off The Record" - There's No Such Thing!
"Off the record" statements can be dangerous, because they take many shapes and forms:
- Information will be paraphrased and attributed to an unknown source.
- Your exact words or statement won't be used, but will be attributed to 'a source close to the team."
- The information won't be used in the story at all; it's only to help them better understand something.
- Your identity won't be disclosed at all - even to an editor, a news director, a court of law, etc.
Note: If you say something Is "Off the Record" after you've already offered the information, the interviewer probably won't accept it. If you choose to take the risk, you must say it out loud and get verbal agreement from the reporter before you go any further.
