Because of the increasingly shoddy way in which so-called news is collected and disseminated, it behoves any spokesperson to be aware of the dangers inherent in submitting to a media interview. after having absorbed the ideas in the first of this series of articles, build the following into your interview technique:

1. Only comment within the range of your knowledge and expertise.

If a question takes you beyond your knowledge or specialist area, say so:

“I can only talk about what I know. A salinity expert is the person you want to speak to about that.” “I have no knowledge about that specific case. It would be unfair to comment without examining the facts, wouldn’t it?”

If you don’t know, say you don’t know and promise to find out:

“I don’t know the answer to that question. But I can find out and get back to you.”

If you don’t have a figure or detail at hand, say you will have to get back to the reporter on that.

2. Assume that your own facts and figures are the only reliable ones.

“I’d need to know the sample size, and look at the framing of the questions before I gave any credence to that survey. Questions can be so easily doctored, can’t they?”

Surveys commissioned by groups partial to a particular viewpoint should be treated with extreme caution. Opinion pollsters know that subtle changes of the wording of a question can produce dramatically different results. Ensure that the words that come out of your mouth are your own. A common ploy of interviewers and reporters is to include their own opinions in a question. Go on high alert when you hear phrases like the following precede a question:

“Don’t you think….” “So…” “So what you’re saying is….”

“Are you saying….” “Isn’t that….” “Isn’t it really….” “Surely….” “Can’t it….”

3. Do not mirror the interviewer's words back to them

Make sure your main point/s is up front of your answer. Instead of: “No I don’t think it’s a case of bureaucratic ineptitude” Rephrase positively “We have to establish the real needs first before we spend your tax dollar”

Couch your answers in the positive and say what you are doing and not what you are not doing

Instead of: “No, we are not discriminating against Mexicans.” Rephrase: “We are actively encouraging Mexican people to apply for the jobs.”

4. Speak in the first-person, active voice as it is important that you convey the impression of action, involvement, and decisiveness.

Statements like “The program will be initiated on a trial basis in Pittsburgh.” reek of dispassion and distance.

“We will trial this new program in Pittsburgh first” indicates involvement and action. Always reflect your empathy towards the human side of things. Often your message can be misinterpreted or distorted unless you project empathy for victims and the vanquished.

“The economic downturn in the housing industry has forced the downsizing on us.” speaks volumes about you not caring.

“It was a tough decision. We reluctantly had to let people go because there was no work.” indicates you are taking responsibility for having made a difficult decision. Remember governments, organisations, and companies don’t make decisions or formulate policy, people do!

5. Follow Einstein’s Rule

Treat your audience as intelligent but never overestimate your audience's knowledge. Explain your terms when covering a difficult subject: better still, think of concrete terms or similes that explain your ideas.Avoid jargon, acronyms, abstract language, and polysyllabic pomp Use metaphor to illustrate your point.

6. Don’t talk down to people.

Instead of “What you have to understand…” say something like “If you consider”

7. Relate hypothetical questions to concrete examples.

It may be unwise to comment on hypothetical cases. Instead, particularise them:

“That’s a hypothetical question, so it’s impossible to know what would happen. But let me tell you what did happen in a similar case”

8. Tell the truth.

Lying can destroy the carefully built credibility of your organisation. You do not have to volunteer information which may be misinterpreted You do not have to reveal information as you would in a confessional.

You can say “I cannot tell you that. You wouldn’t want me to betray the trust of the people involved, would you?”

You can say “That will be announced in a fortnight. Everyone will get to know at the same time and that way no-one will have an advantage”

You can say “That is commercially sensitive information and as you can appreciate I can’t tell you about it”

9. Keep control of the agenda.

Beware of the interviewer or reporter who wants to broaden the agenda. Sometimes interviewers and reporters request an interview under one guise in order to put you on the spot about something else. This is a dishonest practice, and it’s perfectly acceptable to point out the dishonesty, particularly in live-to-air interviews:

“You told me you wanted to talk about employment opportunities in our industry. Now you bring up a case of alleged sexual harassment that I have no information on. Do you think that’s fair or honest?”

When interviewers attempt to expand their range of questions beyond the immediate subject area, rein the discussion in:

“Wait a moment. Let’s flesh out the problem of bringing unethical lawyers to account before we move into the so-called high costs of justice”

10. Keep your focus on your side of the argument.

Some politicians and others spend most of their time trying to demolish the arguments of their opposite numbers. This focuses attention on your opponents arguments instead of yours. There are occasions when the 'innoculation' technique can be used to good effect. Please access my blog mentioned below for for details of that technique.

By ‘sticking to the knitting’ you ensure that your points of view are the ones that get coverage State your case positively and tell people about the features, advantages, and benefits of your position.

(c) Desmond Guilfoyle 2006

Desmond Guilfoyle in an award winning commentator on influence, persuasion and charisma. He has written three books on those subjects and his book 'The Charisma Effect' has been published in seven languages around the globe. He can be contacted at mondodec@tpg.com.au For further articles, tips and information visit his blog at charismacom.blogspot.com/