Media training: How to prepare for a media interview

Media interviews can be daunting, but with the right media training it gets easier

It's nerve wracking being interviewed by a journalist, but there are many things you can do to take control and be at your best before the cameras start rolling.

We once worked with a client whose busy preparations for a media interview were interrupted by a phone call from an unknown number:

"hello...?"

"Oh hi, you're live with BBC Radio Leeds in 2 minutes...."

"but, but.... er, I thought...."

Our client had the wrong date, the wrong time the wrong everything for the interview, but to her credit, she went ahead anyway, aced it in fact.

We do not recommend this approach!

The checklist

What we do recommend is a media preparation checklist. You can write a checklist today! It will save you so much anxiety later, when you're booked to appear on a show at 30 minutes notice.

Get the basic details right

Your first contact will usually be with a producer or booker asking you to take part. By the end of the conversation you need have the following:

• Producer / booker's name, phone and email contact details.

• The time, date and place your interview will take place

• The name of the media organisation (eg BBC), show (Today Programme) or slot (Business slot at 06:05 am) you are appearing on.

• The name of the presenter who will interview you - this really matters.

• The "format" (see below for more).

• The names of anyone else who is appearing at the same time and why (you might be up against someone else with a different agenda to yours).
  

What's the format? interviews come in all shapes, sizes, which one is yours?

• TV or Radio?

• Live interview or pre-record?

• Down the line (in a studio) or down the phone. Tip: if they want you to get to a studio ask if they will provide transport.

• Skype or Zoom (very common since covid)

• Is it a 1:1 between you and the presenter, or will it be a panel?

• If it is a 1:1, what is the name of the presenter who will interview you?

• If it's a panel, who are the other panelists? What are their names? Who do they represent? Why have you and they been chosen?

• If you don't understand the format - ask the producer or booker to explain it.

Know your interview "safe space"

Where would your media interview "safe space" be?

• Know your interview "safe space." If possible, have a space in mind where you know you will always be able to do an interview without being disturbed. This could be a space at home, or it could be at work.

• Avoid tight or constrained spaces, these can make you look and feel defensive.

• What's behind you? It's become common for interviewees to sit in front of a bookshelf. This is fine, but remove any books you don't want the public to see!

• Try to maintain eye contact with the camera. It's important (but not entirely natural) to look directly into the camera during an interview.

• If the camera is on your laptop stick a fluorescent post it note behind the screen on your laptop. If your eyes drift away, post it note will help your refocus.

• Camera at eye level. Again, if you are using a laptop, you might need need to stack up some books to elevate the laptop camera to eye level.

• We recommend thick cookery or picture books - they're wide enough to place a laptop on, and thick to stack quite high, when needed.
  

Your appearance: people can smell your values before they can rationalise them. Think about the ethos you want to project

• The way you present or appear conveys a message about your ethos and credibility.

• The objective of an interview should be to "persuade" people. Think about how your appearance can convey authority, particularly if you are being filmed.

• Have a "go to" suit jacket or top on hand at all times. Consider keeping a jacket or shirt / tie combo in the office, if necessary.

• Most importantly: feel comfortable and familiar with what you are wearing / how you appear.

Having this checklist down will save you so much stress and anxiety down the line. It's a whole bunch of stuff you can nail today, to avoid stress tomorrow.

But most important of all, the checklist frees you up for the most important part of the media interview: working out what you want to say.

And that's where we will pick up in Part 2 of this series of blogs on media training: how to prepare for interviews.