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Media Interviewing TrainingLeadership Group

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Media Policy• Refer all inquires from the media to

the Marketing Department (x2005) from 8:30 am to 5 pm• Nights and weekends refer to nursing

supervisors • Emergency care center nurse• Administrator-on-call• Administrative Director of Marketing,

Planning and Community Relations

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How Marketing Screens Stories• Date and time of call• Media representative’s name/title• Name of news organization• Address, Phone, Fax, E-mail• Thrust of the story• Information requested• Sample questions• Other people being interviewed• Deadline• When and where story will appear/air

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When you might be called upon• New program or service• New staff member• Patient profile• Charitable donation• Awareness week or month• Current or topical event• Statewide or regional industry issues• Adverse event• Crisis

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The Realities•It is not a conversation•The reporter is not who you are talking to

•It is not casual or off-the-cuff•There is no such thing as off the record

•You are owed no favors

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An Effective Spokesperson•Shows empathy•Is natural and straightforward•Is prepared•Shows credibility and expertise

•Is honest and open•Illustrates his or her points

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Use Plain English•Avoid jargon, industry terms, or abbreviations. Responses should be targeted for the general public. Speak with words that would be understood by a junior high school student.

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Limit Statistics• Don’t use too many numbers,

percentages or statistics. Remember, you are speaking to the reporter’s audience. People can’t absorb and retain too many statistics, especially in broadcast interviews. Isolate one or two statistics and repeat them a few times. As much as possible, try to put statistics into human terms.

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You can say, “ I don’t know”• Never answer a question unless you

are certain of the answer. Instead, say:• “That’s a good question. But I’m not the

right person to answer it.”• “I will be better prepared to tell you that

about 2 pm today.”• “I can get you that information. It will take

a few calls on my part. What is the best way for me to reach you?”

• “I want to make sure to give you accurate information, so I’ll need to check something first and get back to you.”

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Avoid Saying “No Comment”• “We are still gathering information at

this point can I get back to you?”• “I can only talk to you about the work I

do here at CMC/DHK as a -----. If you need info beyond that scope you should check with Tom in Marketing to point you to someone who can discuss those types of issues.”

• “I am not certain anyone knows the answer to that question at this point.”

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Speak with Narrow Authority• Speak only from your professional position. If

you are a physician, discuss clinical issues. If you are an administrator, discuss administrative issues.

• Don’t discuss national or industry trends.• Don’t discuss what your competitors are

doing. • Share your knowledge and perspectives that

are a result of your experience and training. • If a reporter is looking for comments beyond

your purview, refer him or her to marketing.

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Be Concise• Keep answers short and to the point.

Long answers will be edited. You may or may not like how the reporter edits your response. By keeping it short, you can edit yourself. Answers should be 15 to 20 seconds in length.

• Get your messages out first. The interview may only last a few questions.

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Use bridges and highlighters• The key thing to remember is…• Let me explain how it works…• If there is one thing I want you to

know…• That’s one aspect, but the most

immediate concern is• You’ve raised a lot of issues, the one

that is most important to CMC/DHK is…• What we really need people to know

about this situation is….

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Reframe Negatives• If a reporter uses a closed probe that

contains negative claims and charges, do not repeat the claims. Don’t repeat words like misconduct, infected, or discriminated

• Use neutral words like situation, event, condition, or issue.

• Posture from the positive.• Refute any accusation.

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Stay Cool and in Control• Never loose your cool. Some

interviewers might try to rustle your feathers to incite a powerful response. Remember that this is not a normal conversation. Each party is engaged in verbal tactics to fulfill their professional goals. Your goal is to present a controlled, professional, image—no matter what is alleged, accused, or asked.

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It’s never “ either or”• A question that requires a yes or no or a

series of options may be too limiting for you to respond to. You can’t say how bad something is on a scale of one to ten. You don’t need to choose among alternatives offered in a multiple choice question: “Was this pipe bomb a warning or a hoax?” Once again you will need to reframe the question in order to answer it.

• “I wish the answer was that simple…”• “The solution is not that black and white…”• “The problem is so complex that it’s

impossible for me to put it into those terms. But I can tell you that…”

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Never answer…What If?• “I can’t predict the future. But, I can

tell you what we are doing right now to…”

• “I really can’t guess about what might happen…”

• “Instead of speculating about remote possibilities, I’d rather stay focused on the facts of the matter. We have…”

• “We have a contingency plan that considers a range of scenarios. Right now, we are…

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Never Speculate About• What if• Suppose…• What went wrong• What might result• What someone might do• How someone is feeling• Whether this is a pattern• How much it will cost• Who is responsible

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Never Do the Following• Don’t get aggravated, angry, or

defensive.• Don’t attack a competitor or other

organization.• Don’t use slurs, swears, or slang. • Don’t make jokes or threats.• Don’t be sarcastic or condescending.• Don’t speculate, estimate, or guess.• Don’t adlib. Always be prepared.• Don’t avoid the media, cover up or lie.

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Protect Confidentiality• When an inpatient (>18) does not opt

out (says “no”) to having info public• When media identifies patient by name, we

can let the person know the person was admitted and give a one-word condition: good, fair, serious, critical, or undetermined.

• Under 18 need written parental permission• If unable to opt in/out, not info till able• Can indicated deceased only (not

time/date/cause) after next of kin notified.

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Accept, Don’t Cast Blame• Don’t shift blame or responsibility to

others or magnify another’s involvement or fault.• “This is a tragic event. We are deeply

concerned. We want you to know that we are taking every possible step to understand what contributed to the outcome. Based on what we learn, our systems and procedures will continue to be strengthened and improved.”

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Know when to Close• If an interview is going poorly, end it

quickly and positively. For example, “The questions you are asking are different from what I was told to expect. I’ll contact the public relations department for you. They should be able to connect you with the right person to talk with you about these issues. Thank you for your time.” Get up and walk away. If the reporter keeps asking questions, just keep walking.

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Just the Facts• What happened.• When.• Where.• Who. Types of people involved. (25

adults, two children or a registered nurse)

• What is the status of the situation is at this time.

• What is being done to address the issue or event.

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What the Media Wants to do• Localize• Humanize• Dramatize• Individualize

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The Media’s 5 Ws• Who• What• When• Where• Why• How much

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What else the media wants to know• How the organization plans to proceed?• How much money has been lost, spent,

made or requested?• Extent of damage to property.• Number of injuries or fatalities.• Background information on the facility,

person or event. • What staff, patients, or family members

are thinking or feeling?• Has this ever happened before?• What repercussions are anticipated?

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Your responsibility•Consider questions•Prepare responses•Think before you speak•Expect imperfection•Learn from your mistakes