When being interviewed, unless you know the journalist pretty well already, you can never be quite sure how soft or tough their approach will be. You might have a very easy time and be pleased with the outcome, but equally it’s not the reporter’s job to be your PR person, so they might be looking to play ‘devil’s advocate’ and challenge your lines of argument. Or, they may genuinely not like what you and your organisation is doing – you can’t assume everybody loves you like you do! So anticipate any likely areas of attack and be ready to deal reasonably with them – but don’t make the mistake of being too defensive. This won’t create a good impression, and who knows – you may not get those negative questions anyway!
Tom on X
When does a tough media interview become a bullying issue? And how do you make sure you're not on the receiving end?
We can now offer on-camera and autocue skills coaching for spokespeople who have to present online video material or webinars.
