Empica can help you handle different types of interviews
By Darren Bane, PR manager and media trainer
Mention the phrase ‘media interview’ or ‘media training’ and chances are most people immediately imagine standing in front of a TV camera. But that is not the only type of interview you might undertake. To have the best chance of delivering your key messages clearly, it’s important to understand the different types of interview.
No matter how knowledgeable and confident you are in your chosen field, a majority of people we work with are initially anxious about interviews. From feeling camera shy and self-conscious about being seen on screen, to being asked a challenging or negative question, there are many reasons why people worry about talking to journalists.
Media training with Empica
Empica’s experienced team will give you the tools and confidence you need to conduct effective interviews. Learn more about our PR and media training programs designed for anyone preparing for interviews.
Our trainers have ‘been there, done that’ and will share lessons learned over many years of real-life experience, as ex-journalists who have been posing the difficult questions, to being put on the spot themselves and interviewed by local, regional and national media, sometimes in extremely challenging circumstances. Empica’s team know all the anxieties someone may feel before an interview and really enjoy sharing their collective expertise with others.
Different types of broadcast interviews
TV and radio interviews are either live or pre-recorded in advance, both of which have pros and potential pitfalls. Live means that whatever you say ‘in the moment’ is broadcast into the public domain immediately. Pre-recorded allows you to have another go if you lose your train of thought or trip over your tongue.
But pre-recorded interviews can be – and often are – edited – with the risk that the one message you consider most important is left on the cutting-room floor. With live, whatever you say is what is broadcast, unfiltered, unedited.
The other main consideration for broadcast interviews is location. Sometimes, you might be invited into a TV or radio studio, sometimes the media will come to you and on other occasions, there will be interviews ‘on location’, depending on the nature of the story.
Other types of interview
Not all media interviews involve TV cameras or radio microphones. Print journalists may meet you in person, armed either with a recording device of some kind or, even in this modern digital era, a good old-fashioned notepad. But the most likely scenario is that a print journalist will probably speak to you on the phone, which could take quite a while and could certainly start very informally and friendly.
But, of course, you do not know when they have started taking notes and how much of what you are saying they are actually recording. And then there are the platforms such as Zoom or Teams. Many media, including radio stations, are conducting their interviews through these platforms, which could mean you might well be at home rather than in your workplace. Again, these interviews can be live or pre-recorded.
Bespoke training
Empica doesn’t have a number of ‘off the shelf’ media training courses; each of our courses is created bespoke, to ensure we meet the needs of the client in the most appropriate manner. Some clients only want radio interview training, as this is the most common format for their interactions with journalists. Others want a broader range of interview experience and maybe even a press conference.
We are currently working with a client on a specially tailored package of media training using a variety of formats. It began with a half-day, face-to-face training course for three candidates, who had the chance to undertake simulated live and pre-recorded radio and TV interviews, using scenarios we created for each individual which are specific to their areas of expertise.
They then each had a one-to-one simulated interview using Teams, which we then reviewed and provided feedback on. The final part of their training will feature each of them having a telephone call from a ‘print journalist’, after which an article is written based on their conversation, for them to be able to assess whether or not they were able to effectively communicate their key messages.
With all our courses, we discuss the PR and communication advantages of the types of interviews being simulated, and work with the delegates to identify risks, and how to address them. Whatever questions you might have about media interviews, Empica will have the answers!
