Are you a media supremo?

20.01.2012

See if you know the top 10 DOs and DON'Ts of how to conduct a media interview

Love to get some positive publicity for your company?  Then a great way to secure coverage is to invite a journalist to meet you.  You'll need to have something newsworthy or interesting to secure the interview.  But once the date's set, what then?

At giraffe, in addition to offering media relations support, we provide training courses on successful PR.  Themes range from 'An Introduction to PR' to 'How to Conduct a Media Interview'.  We thought you might like to test how many of our Top 5 DOs and 5 DON'Ts on 'How to Conduct a Media Interview' you know.

TOP 5 DOs 

1. Research your journalist and media outlet thoroughly beforehand and ask what their line of questioning will be
2. Plan what information you wish to impart – and stick to the plan!
3. Remember to name-check your organisation and prepare ‘sound bites’ – short impactful phrases that will entice the journalist to use them in the article
4. Show, rather than tell.  Instead of saying how great you are, give examples of why your service or product is so good
5. Promptly follow up – thank the journalist for attending and issue them with information within the agreed timescales.

TOP 5 DON'Ts

1. Ever think anything is off the record
2. Criticise or mention competitors by name - it's unprofessional.  And why give your competitors the publicity?
3. Use acronyms or ‘management speak’ – it’s bland and unmemorable
4. Be vague. Wherever possible be quantitative, eg instead of saying “our clients love us”, use a fact such as “because of our service and value, % of our clients recommend us”
5. Be tempted to promise future exclusives or any other material you can’t deliver - it's crucial to build trust between yourself and the media.

Our 'How to Conduct a Media Interview' course also includes techniques for handling aggressive questioning aswell as how to generate sustained coverage from a media interview.

Dependent upon the number of delegates, courses start from just £195 per person + VAT.  To find out more, call 0121 363 0077 or email us.

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