Google The Reporter
After you agree to a media interview, take a minute to research the reporter you’ll be speaking with. Google the reporter. The communications or PR staff at a larger entity may do this homework for you. The information gleaned is essential. How long has the journalist been reporting? Have they been at it for a long time? Or do they appear younger and less experienced? Do they have a defined beat such as health care, crime or cybersecurity? Or are they a “general assignment” reporter? If experienced, have they been employed by the same outlet for a long period of time? Or have they jumped around among many outlets?
Check examples of their past reporting, whether TV, radio, print or online. Does their work appear to be fair? Do they usually attempt to include all sides of a story? Is their style inflammatory or sensational? Do they frequently pit their interview subjects against each other?
Finally, check out their current employer. Does the news outlet have an obvious bias in its approach?
Does the reporter have an interesting personal history you can chat about?
The answers to these questions are clues to guide your approach during the interview.
Learn Their Name
Even if you don’t have time to do this basic recon on a journalist, at the very least take time to learn their name. On several occasions in my news career, a guest was seated at a TV set with me, and just before the interview, he or she would say, “Now what’s your name again?” I never took this personally. But it was annoying. I had prepared – researching them and the topic of our interview. But they had not done the same. It was evidence this guest wasn’t treating their interaction with me, or more importantly, the audience, with respect. The result: I was always more aggressive with a guest like this.
So take a minute. And Google me.
For comprehensive media training – individuals or groups, one time or ongoing, contact Nikitas Communications.