Media interviews: some people love them. Many others would rather walk on a tightrope between two skyscrapers. It’s not uncommon for even the most poised and extroverted person to be apprehensive when it comes to formally talking with a journalist.

One of the most important things reporters want you – the source – to know, is that being as comfortable as possible during an interview is priority number one. The second most important thing to keep in mind is that you have been selected because you are a subject matter expert in your field.

Journalists have faith in your ability to speak on the topic chosen for you, but at the same time, understand that it’s normal for interviews to induce anxiety. To provide some peace of mind and insight into what journalists are truly looking for and help ensure a successful interview, we’ve put together some helpful insights based on our team’s cumulative decades working with the media.

Be Prepared (But Not Too Prepared)

Thomas Edison once said, “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” To help prepare for your media interview, work with your PR representative to gather the intel you need.

  • What is the topic you’ll be covering for the interview?
  • How will your interview content be utilized?
  • When and where will the article/broadcast appear, and who is the audience of the final product?
  • How long will the interview last?
  • Will you be provided with interview questions ahead of time?*
  • What are the key messages you want to relay?

*It’s generally okay to ask a journalist for interview preparation questions. Keep in mind, however, that not all media outlets will provide them. Prep questions are helpful for both the interviewer and interviewee as a jumping-off point. Neither the source nor journalist must be attached to the outline, but at least it provides a frame of reference for the discussion and helps with interview expectations and pacing of the live interview.

Keep in mind, some outlets may not provide questions ahead of time due to internal policies, time constraints or because sometimes sources over-prepare when provided with prep questions, and the journalist prefers more candid responses.

Sometimes, in lieu of exact interview-prep questions, reporters will provide interviewees with broad topics. This way, while you won’t have specific points to prepare for, you’ll still have a general idea of the areas of discussion ahead of time.

Don’t Recite Written Responses

Let’s reiterate again how common it can be for even the most seasoned business leaders to be nervous going into a media interview. For this reason, they may feel the need to write out their interview responses (if provided prep questions ahead of time) or some type of formal content prior to their interview. And this is perfectly reasonable!

Written answers are good for practice. But during an in-person interview, it’s best to refrain from reciting formal written responses.

Here’s why: Unless you’re speaking at a press conference, reading directly off a piece of paper can come off stiff, robotic and less conversational. In turn, it makes it difficult for the writer to make your quotes sound natural, engaging and in some cases even fit contextually into the story.

Rethink Your Tagalong

Most of the time, journalists don’t mind – and often expect – a PR representative to accompany you to your interview. But what about your mom, friend, dog groomer or other “moral support” tagalong? Believe it or not, this happens more than you might imagine. There have been many occasions when a mom, dad, grandma, friend or neighbor have shown up with a source for an interview.

The best advice on plus ones: always ask permission. Do not assume it’s okay to bring a guest.

Be prepared that if you do show up with your cousin, mentor or bestie, he/she/they may be asked to wait for you in the lobby during your interview. While your guest may initially help you feel comfortable, sometimes – unwittingly – they can end up making you more nervous during the interview. They can also, with good intentions, occasionally add what they feel are helpful anecdotes or information during your discussion (this also happens more than you might think!) Not only can this detract both interviewer and interviewee from the flow of the discussion, but it can also whittle away precious time. Usually, interviews only include a limited duration (generally 15 to 30 minutes).

Do Offer Additional Resources

Many interviewees wonder if they should offer back-up statistics, information and source material before, during or after an interview. The answer to this is yes, yes and yes. Journalists almost always are looking for:

  • Statistics related to the topic and/or industry for which you are covering. It’s vital that whatever statistics, quotes or other type of source material you send to a journalist, that it is credible and fully vetted. If possible, include the original origin of the content (either with an embedded link from a website or an attachment from the source in PDF or Word format).
  • Your headshot (usually high resolution; 300 dpi).
  • Photos for consideration: depending on your industry this could be an artist rendering of a new commercial development; a photo of your headquarters or storefront; a snapshot of a groundbreaking or a product image, as examples.

Relax (You Can Do It!)

It’s normal to feel nervous. Whether you’ve interviewed one or 100 times, media interviews can feel intimidating. But for the most part, journalists want you to feel comfortable. It’s okay to be forthcoming about your trepidation. Be sure to consult with your PR agency ahead of time to prepare; they will guide you on what to say as well as what not to say during a media interview

Your interviewer will likely reassure you – if they know you’re nervous – that the process will go smoothly and kick off with some icebreakers to soften the atmosphere.

Media interview anxiety can also be borne out of fear of failing or forgetting to mention something important. Again, it’s okay to contact your interviewer via email to add an interview postscript, i.e., “I neglected to mention during my interview…”

Remember, you are the expert, and journalists are honored and privileged to have your input.

Our highly skilled Aker Ink PR Team routinely prepares clients (from a wide variety of industries) for all types of media interviews — from television and podcasts to print news and feature stories. We’ve also built relationships with local and nationwide publications enabling us to know exactly what reporters are looking for. We invite you to learn more about our PR services.