Media Relations: Simple Tips For Difficult Media Interviews

Even the best products and companies can fall into some sticky situations. How do you deal when the media wants to talk to you about it?

Achieving trust is the aim of anyone practicing public relations. The most practical consideration in achieving trust is through your dealings with the news media – anything less than total honesty will destroy credibility, not only for you personally, but for your company as well. The news media will be depending on you as a source to provide honest information about your company that they, in turn, convey to their readers and listeners.

So what to do when you’re under fire?

Above all, prepare in advance, and keep your cool. This is true for every interview, but particularly when you have a difficult situation to discuss, you never want to come off as angry, embarrassed or flustered.

In all your dealings with the press, if you don’t know the answer to something, the only acceptable way to address this is to say you don’t know, but will look into it and see if you can find a response – then follow up in a timely fashion. Never make up an answer to something you don’t know or about which you are unsure. And if there is something that you simply wish not to answer, you can simply say that the particular information requested is not available at this time.

If the journalist presses, you are under no obligation to provide a response. You can utilize a technique called “bridging,” in which you use the line of questioning as a way to turn your response into something positive. For example, “That information is not available at this time, but what I can tell you is that we have a new line of products about which we are very excited.”

Sometimes a reporter will inaccurately cite information; this may be a way to trick you. Only deny the accuracy of the information – do not correct it unless it helps your story.

Remember, what may seem beneficial in the short- term, could come back to haunt you down the road. It is far better to build a long-standing and trustworthy relationship, than to jeopardize your credibility for immediate gain.

Visit this site for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and this web. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: tips, media, interviews, publicity, news