Delegates on our media training courses often fear they are going to be put through a Jeremy Paxman style interrogation.
Others worry about facing combative interviews from the likes of Nick Ferrari, Kay Burley and Eddie Mair.
If we are discussing print interviews, the thought of facing someone from the Daily Mail tends to make delegates shift uncomfortably in their chairs.
And there may soon be a new name added to the list of reporters people fear - Tova O’Brien.
The New Zealand journalist recently produced one of the most brutal interviews we have seen.
It has been praised around the world and has taken social media by storm, amassing more than 7m views.
The victim was Jami-Lee Ross, the leader of the Advance New Zealand party, which failed to secure enough votes in the recent general election to enter parliament.
The tone of the interview was set with the first question.
“Jami-Lee Ross you've just described yourself as a loser,” she began. “Your political career is in tatters – do you have any regrets?”
Somewhat underwhelmed by his response, she asked him if he wanted to have “another crack at answering that question” because he was part of a “political organisation that had been peddling misinformation during the election campaign.”
She later told him that he had “sold his soul for political ambition” and when Mr Ross began to defend his views on the pandemic – he had previously claimed Covid-19 fatalities were similar to seasonal flu - he was quickly interrupted by the presenter saying “No, no, no - I don’t want to hear any of that rubbish.”
When the politician asked if she was allowed to stop him answering, Ms O’Brien told him she could if he was “going to say things that are factually incorrect.”
And she ended the interview by asking Mr Ross if there was anything he would like to add “seeing as this is probably the last time you'll be on TV and the last time we will invite you on.”
Ouch.
If you haven’t seen it, it is well worth a watch.
It is an interview that has seen Ms O’Brien be praised by the likes of CNN’s Jake Tapper, The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald and Piers Morgan – another journalist delegates on our media training courses are not particularly keen to face.
This is @TovaOBrien and she has some fans in the US !!! https://t.co/QpUqyovBfZ
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 18, 2020
An absolute masterclass in interviewing a politician by New Zealand's @TovaOBrien - one of the best interviews of a politician I've seen. Also one of the most entertaining. https://t.co/oGWjifb33I
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 18, 2020
Fabulous... https://t.co/o4q9MJkOXl
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 18, 2020
The good news – and this is something we stress to those fearful delegates at the beginning of our media training courses – is that unless you are a politician, you are unlikely to face a grilling quite as hostile and dismissive as this example.
That doesn’t mean you won’t face tough interviews and challenging questions, but the vast majority of reporters will not deliberately set out to trip someone up or humiliate a spokesperson.
That said, corporate spokespeople can expect to face a more aggressive line of questioning and greater persistence during a crisis media management incident.
So, if an interview does become hostile, what should you do about it?
Here are some tips from our crisis communication and media training courses:
Preparation
This is something we stress on our courses and it is vital for any media interview.
That prep work should involve making sure you know what to expect from the journalist you are going to be interviewed by and the outlet they work for.
Some journalists have reputations for being tougher than others, while some news organisations are known to look for certain angles in stories.
Control
Don’t just answer the question.
You can’t ignore the questions put to you, but simply answering each one without trying to take any control of the conversation will lead you to some very uncomfortable ground.
On our media training courses, we teach techniques, such as bridging, which enable spokespeople to take control of interviews and manage difficult questions.
Composure
One thing you can say about Mr Ross in this interview is that he remained pretty composed despite the tough time he was given.
This is important. If an interview becomes aggressive, you can’t afford to show your frustration or anger.
The audience is more likely to be sympathetic if you remain calm and composed. Getting into an argument with the journalist will not help you fight your corner.
It is worth pointing out that this is equally important in print interviews, where angry comments can be reported without any mention of the provocation that triggered that response.
Avoid short answers
Not only does responding to questions in an interview with short answers sound defensive, but it also invites the reporter to ask more questions and cover more ground. And that only increases the pressure.
But the warning here is that long, rambling answers could lead to your message being misconstrued or misunderstood.
And a journalist will become particularly annoyed if they think you are producing long answers to reduce the number of questions they can ask.
Repeat
Don’t repeat the journalist’s negative words, phrases and accusations in your responses to their questions.
For example, you might be asked: “This is embarrassing, isn’t it? Aren’t you embarrassed?” You answer: “I wouldn’t say it’s embarrassing…” But you just have. The journalist’s negative language can now be attributed to you.
Whether it’s broadcast or press, they have a neat sound bite with you using their negative phrase.
Goal
Even if you expect an interview to be hostile, or the line of questioning, becomes aggressive, you need to have a bolder aim than survival.
You still need to aim to get the message across to your audience and convince them of your point of view.
About to face the media? Get your media interview homework off to the best start by downloading your copy of our free media interview preparation eBook.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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