You’ve secured that high-profile interview, and the journalist is coming to meet you.
You’ve had recent media training and worked through the message you want to get across.
And you’ve pulled together some human examples.
It might seem that you’re well set. But hang on, have you considered the interview location?
Don't have time to read this blog? You can listen to it here:
Location can make or break an interview, no matter how good you or your spokesperson is – as a Channel 4 News interview illustrated.
Businessman Sebastian Gerrard appeared on the programme as part of an item on the UK rental crisis to highlight the struggles landlords face during the cost-of-living crisis.
It’s a message that may have been difficult to land anywhere in the current climate.
But consider the interview setting.
As Mr Gerrard complained about people thinking "landlords are cashing in on rents going up" - regular readers will know you should not introduce your own negatives - viewers were shown his huge gated home in the background.
And a car collection that includes a Lamborghini and a Range Rover.
The camera technician even did a close-up of the Lamborghini badge for good measure (you can see the clip here at 3:25)
It’s not the sort of footage that will make viewers sympathetic to your argument or financial plight. In fact, it resulted in widespread mockery and ridicule.
Optics are crucial in media interviews because they impact how the audience perceives you.
If you want to tell people landlords are not cashing in on the cost-of-living crisis, don’t be filmed on your drive with flashy cars. It will undermine your message and reinforce the perception your set out to disprove.
Always consider what you want the audience to see. And what you don’t. Ask yourself ‘what will people think of us if that’s shown?’
Did the Channel 4 News team know what they were doing? Sure. But it is not up to the journalist to let you know you look silly.
Emma Nelson, one of our current working journalist tutors, has written in our media training blogs before about the importance of spokespeople and comms teams carefully considering the right location for interviews.
“Journalists don’t care about what you look like, where you stand or whether your background makes you come across well,” she said.
“We have a deadline to make and a story to tell. And the story often must be told using pictures.
“It is all too easy for a reporter to position themselves by or near a sign that could make an interviewee look foolish.”
And that’s the problem. Many spokespeople have found their backdrops have made them look silly – not just Mr Gerrard.
Location is a particular problem for politicians. No election campaign it seems is complete without footage of leaders standing next to Exit and Way out signs.
A picture can paint a thousand words and former Prime Minster Gordon Brown was so concerned about visual gaffes that a former BBC political editor was hired to help him eradicate them.
When he lost the 2010 election and was replaced by a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition, David Cameron and Nick Clegg were filmed in the Downing Street rose garden – a location that led to a ‘love in’ narrative.
So, how can you get the location optics right for your next television interview?
Well, a good starting point is to consider advice Mr Gerrard seemingly ignored - make sure you’re not in a place where your surroundings appear to contradict what you want to say.
Create a list of great places where you can hold an interview at short notice and make sure everyone in the comms teams is aware of it.
If you’ve got more time, such as when pulling together a campaign, try to find locations for media interviews that are relevant to the story.
Just like the interviews themselves, preparation is crucial.
A plain cream wall or an empty office or meeting room might not undermine your message. But it doesn’t make for a good location.
Take the reporter somewhere with a bit of life, such as a busy office. Or a production line. Make sure there is movement in the back of the shot. It will add colour to the piece and help keep viewers interested.
Warn your teams they may be filmed, so that anyone who’s not keen can leave, and those who do can remove anything that they don’t want to be shown on TV.
If you choose the factory floor or warehouse, be mindful of noise. Can machinery be switched off during the interview?
I know what you’re thinking – this media training blog is supposed to be about location. But what you wear should match the weather in the background if you film outside. If it is sweltering hot, don’t wear a suit. If it is pouring with rain, wear a coat.
The journalist may already have a location in mind for the interview. But you don’t have to accept it if you feel it doesn’t work best for you. It’s your interview – suggest alternative options.
Don’t let your home backdrop damage your reputation or distract from your message. This has become something we’ve had to stress more often since the start of the pandemic and the rise of remote interviews. Tidy up and remove anything from view that could cause embarrassment, like comedy mugs.
Just like another Channel 4 show, always think location, location, location ahead of your media interviews.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
Click here to find out more about our media training.