The interview that shows you can’t ride away from scrutiny

Doorstep interviews are notoriously difficult to handle.

They are probably the type of interview spokespeople fear the most – who would want to find journalists gathered outside their home or workplace ready to pounce?

And when they go wrong, they tend to create memorable footage that makes crisis media management much harder.

The latest person to endure a doorstep – or ambush – interview crash is former Post Office boss Paula Vennells.

She was approached by Channel 4 journalist Alex Thomson while preparing to cycle away from church.

It was the first time she had been seen in public since the TV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office shone a light on the Horizon scandal.

And since secret tapes revealed she may have known about the system issues and misled Parliament.

The reporter asked her if she had “lied to MPs” and whether there had been a “cover-up”.

But Ms Vennells was not in the mood to talk.

EXCLUSIVE:@Alextomo asks Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells if she misled parliament.

She’s been seen publicly for the first time since Channel 4 News released damning revelations confirming Post Office management knew of issues with remote access to its Horizon system… pic.twitter.com/6avYHjiIZe

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 7, 2024

Rather than answering the questions, she spoke only to address someone she knew before cycling away.

Running – or cycling – away never works out well.

That footage was quickly picked up by wider media, creating a series of damning headlines:

Moment shamed Post Office boss Paula Vennells remains silent as she's asked if she 'lied to Parliament' after bombshell tapes revealed she 'KNEW' Fujitsu could remotely alter accounts of postmasters in Horizon scandal which saw 900 wrongly convicted Daily Mail

Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells refuses to comment on whether she misled parliament Independent

Watch: Paula Vennells refuses to answer questions about Post Office scandal Telegraph

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells refuses to answer questions on Horizon scandal as she's confronted at church LBC

Moment disgraced ex-Post Office boss is confronted as she emerges for first time Express

Not pleasant reading and a lot of headlines generated by saying nothing. The clip has also been shared extensively on social media. 

But could and should she have answered the questions?

Well, she may not have wanted to say anything ahead of giving evidence at a public inquiry next month.

But saying nothing and riding away is not a good look and makes for ugly viewing.

And it was a polite doorstep interview, where she was simply asked to give her side of the story.

Doorstep interviews often feature as part of our crisis communication courses.

And they are undoubtedly a testing media format.

No one wants to see reporters gathered outside.

But it happens when senior leaders and their organisations are in the news.

And they can be handled much better.

The crucial thing to remember is journalists are only looking for a few words in this interview scenario.

I doubt the journalist waited outside the church in the expectation of getting a lengthy interview.

He probably anticipated getting just a few words. Perhaps a “sorry” to the victims and a promise to say more at the inquiry.

Reporters typically only look for a soundbite to help move the story forward from these encounters.

Refusing to comment does move the story forward, but not in a way Ms Vennells would have wanted.

Her actions look defensive and have created a narrative of riding away from scrutiny.

So, how should spokespeople handle the doorstep interview format?

The nature of doorstep interviews doesn’t allow much time for preparation – but you can get ahead now.

If you find reporters waiting to meet you, start by saying something like “Good morning” to gain a little time to compose your thoughts and consider what you want to say. If you are approached by the side of a busy road, offer to speak to them somewhere quieter.

It also helps you to appear open and cooperative.

Then say a few words to help the journalist move the story forward. It could be, for example, an update on the investigation into the cause of your crisis.

If you are confident, say you have a couple of minutes to answer questions.

If you feel there is little you can say, explain why. Ms Vennells could have said something like: “It is difficult for me to say much ahead of the public inquiry. But I would like to say how sorry I am that…”.

You can say “sorry” without admitting guilt.

Whether you say a little or a bit more, stay composed. Showing annoyance and frustration at the situation is never a good look.

There is a school of thought that doorstep interviews are a deliberate attempt to rattle spokespeople, to gain emotional responses and dramatic footage. It makes great TV, but it can be damaging. The key is to avoid taking the bait and deal with the situation calmly and with control.

The other thing to consider here is that when you are in the middle of a storm, the media are unlikely to rest until they hear from you. Ms Vennells had managed to avoid the media for some time despite the high-profile scandal.  

So, she should not have been surprised that a journalist eventually caught up with her in her cycling gear.