Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California
Talking To The Press
What to say and not say in an interview.
You're sitting in your office at the local water district just about to begin poring over a mound of papers on a new triple-osmosis filtration system when the phone rings. You pick it up, and on the other end of the line is the friendly voice of a local reporter who wants your comments for a story she's working on for the next day's edition.
Of course, you could go the easy route and immediately transfer the call to your organization's high-paid director of public affairs. Or you can apply the confidence and principles you've learned in Toastmasters. Here's what to do:
Find out what the reporter's deadline is for the story and jot it down. Tell the reporter that you'll have to get clearance to speak to the press, but that it shouldn't be a problem. You will just need to know what questions she will ask you. (When she tells you, write them down.) Finally, tell the reporter you will get back to her within an hour and get a callback number.
Hang up the phone, take a deep breath and then spend a few minutes putting together a brilliant and highly quotable answer for each question. (Hint: Think Table Topics.) Keep each answer short - a few sentences - and to the point. Next, call your organization's PR person and say something like, "Reporter Jill Smith of the Eagle Democrat News-Free Tribune has called me on (insert issue here). Here's what I plan to tell her. (State your answers.) Is that OK?"
Nine times out of 10, the PR person, since you've done his work for him, will say yes. But whether you are automatically cleared to speak to the press or must seek clearance, there are a few basic things you should remember in all of your dealings with the media.
- Never answer a question with "No comment" - This is right out of Public Relations 101. If answering a question would violate patient confidentiality or taint an ongoing probe, simply say so. If you can't answer a question because that's your company's policy, say so. People like to be given reasons when they are denied something, and when they are given a reasonable one are more apt to be sympathetic. "No comment" elicits a visceral reaction in people. It implies you're hiding something. While you're at it, don't "plead the Fifth," either.
- Never give an exclusive - You may gain in the short term, but in the long run this practice will come back to haunt you. Give all interested media the same information and equal access to you and other contacts at your company or agency. If you have an idea for a feature story, be fair and up front about the fact that you are giving all interested media equal chance at the story.
- Answer the questions and shut up - Your Table Topics experience has already taught you much about formulating your thoughts on the fly. Take your time in answering. Restate the question to ensure you understand it, and then answer only the question that was asked. This is especially important when bad news is afoot or you sense the story will not be a positive one. For a human-interest story, on the other hand, you can afford to be a little chattier.
- Never fail to call a reporter back - Ignoring the press will not make it go away. It often has just the opposite effect. Ignoring a reporter's call will likely result in the following blurb about you and your company right in the middle of the story: "(Your Name Here) of (your company's name here) failed to return numerous calls soliciting comment." This will look to the reader like you and your company don't care enough about the matter to even answer your phone - or worse, that you have something to hide.
- Always be truthful - It is preferred to say nothing rather than embellish facts or supply half-truths. If you don't know the answer, simply say so. Then, if you can, provide the information to the reporter as soon as possible. In the words of Mark Twain, "Tell the truth. It will astound your friends and confuse your enemies." Most readers are amazingly forgiving of negative news, provided they feel you are being honest and are sincerely trying to fix the situation. To quote that other great source of wisdom, your mom: "Tell the truth - it's easier to remember."
OK, you've delivered your riveting, truthful answers to every question the reporter can muster. Here are three tips for ending the interview:
- End on a cliche - Forget what your high school English teacher told you about avoiding cliches. Pause dramatically, seem reflective and say something like, "You know, hindsight really is 20/20," or "Politics does make strange bedfellows." The reporter will love you. His or her editor will love you. The public will love you.
- Get the reporter's pager number - If circumstances in the story change or you want to amend your comments, you can usually call them in to the reporter, or to the night editor, until about 11:30 p.m. (Most morning dailies go to press around midnight). Get as much callback information as you can, including the number to the publication's main news desk. Some reporters will even give you their home number.
- Unsheathe your business card - Cram a business card or two in the pocket of everyone within a 20-foot radius. This has one important purpose: It provides a printed document attesting to the true spelling of your name and title. It will help the reporter and photographer to spell your name correctly in the story and captions.
- One last point: Relax, you'll do fine. Any nervousness you experience can be turned to your advantage. Harness it to add emotion and a sense of conviction to your voice. This is where your Toastmasters experience will give you a strong edge. Think of dealing with the press as just another project in the basic manual. Better yet, take it up a level and consider the Public Relations Advanced Manual, especially if you are in a position where you are often sought out by the press.
By Jeremy_Bagott
My Five Minutes of Fame
Everyone knows that the speaking skills learned at 16 Toastmasters can get you through some pretty tricky situations - job interviews, group presentations and social toasts to name a few. They may even get you through a live media interview when you least expect it.
Let me set stage. It was the Friday morning November 29, 2001, when the world learned of George Harrison's death. Like many Beatles fans. I immediately flashed back to all those wonderful songs and how they had influenced my life at various moments I'd always liked George, the quiet one. We all know he was the lead guitarist and wrote some of their biggest hits. But did you know that the Beatles' early practice sessions were held at George's house? His mom was the only one who'd tolerate their noisy racket!
The question was, how to pay my last respects to George? Living in New York City, I immediately thought of Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Getting there around 7:45 a.m., I noticed few people, nothing like the crowds to come. There were, however, lots of TV crews, Before long a reporter walked over, notepad in hand, ''Do you come here often?' he asked. "No, l made a special trip to say goodbye to George," I replied 'Hold on a minute; he said and walked over to his TV crew. They asked if I'd do a live interview. Of course, I said OK. He brought me over to the camera crew and introduced me to Virginia Cha of CNBC. After a few minutes of setting up, we were rolling - live! Virginia asked how I fed about George Harrison and his music. How about his role as a Beatle? Did knowing about his heath problems help me to better deal with his death? Probably six to eight questions in all, kind of a sequential Table Topics
At first I was pretty nervous - I was talking with Virginia but there was a big camera about five feet away. By the second question, a funny thing happened - my Toastmasters training kicked in. Pretty soon I was smiling, thinking about vocal variety, gestures enthusiasm all that good stuff. After a few minutes, we were finished. Virginia and I thanked each other and I was off to work, wondering how I'd come across and whether I'd make the final cut that day
I didn't have to wait long. A few hours later, a friend in Maine called. She was watching me on CNBC. She said I came across poised, articulate, believable - she said they ran almost the entire interview That night my parents and other friends called; they couldn't believe I looked so relaxed and confident.
All those speeches and Table Topics at Toastmasters paid off. I survived the cut and enjoyed my five minutes of fame. So remember: The skills you team at Toastmasters car, help you in many ways - professionally, socially and even during the occasional television interview.
By John_Daysher