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Publications > Youth voices > Aotearoa Youth Voices toolkit > Action guide 4
Action guide 4: Doing a media interview
Your efforts have paid off and you've been approached by a reporter to do an interview. Here are some tips to prepare you for an interview with a reporter from a newspaper or radio.
Before the interview
First up, decide who is going to do the interview. It does need to be
someone who is clued up on what to say and is comfortable doing it.
If you can’t find anyone to do the interview, or you can’t do it
yourself, make a time with the reporter when someone will phone them
back to do the interview.
But do make sure you phone back when agreed – otherwise you may find it
hard to get the media interested next time you send out a media release
or want some publicity.
Get prepared
What is your reason for wanting to speak to the reporter? Think about
the main message you want to convey, and how to weave it into every
answer you give. That way, even if your answers are cut and spliced
during the editing process, your message will still come through.
Obviously whoever is doing the interview should know something about
the topic they are going to be talking about. This doesn’t mean you
have to know everything – but you should brush up on the important
information the reporter will want to know.
To help you prepare, brainstorm some questions and write down the
answers. Think about the Who, What, When, Where, How and Why questions.
For example, if you are hosting an event at your school or as part of another group, possible questions are:
- What is the event all about?
- What is it called?
- Who is involved?
- Who is it for?
- Why is the event being held?
- When is it happening?
- How will it happen?
During the interview
Remember to keep to your topic – don’t ramble, focus on sticking to the question.
- If you don’t understand the question, just tell the reporter and get them to ask it in a different way.
- If you don’t know an answer to a question, be
honest and say you don’t know. You can also suggest that you will get
back to them with an answer later on when you have had a chance to find
the information they are asking for.
- Speak clearly and take your time. There is no need to rush, think about the answer in your mind first.
- If you think you’ve made a mistake or said
something that’s wrong, don’t be frightened to tell the reporter or ask
them to fix it.
- Be relaxed and be yourself.
- ENJOY IT – have fun and relax! Remember, it’s also your chance to say what you want to say!
Tips for doing radio interviews
If you’re doing a radio interview, the rules are the same, but the
approach is slightly different. Because no one can see you, or read
what you have said, this means your voice and how you use it is really
important.
It may sound strange, but how your voice sounds will affect how other people “see you”.
For example, if you sound bored, then people will think you are boring!
But if you sound cheerful and enthusiastic (even if you’re not feeling
it), then people will think that you and whatever you are talking about
is interesting.
By sounding passionate and interested in what you are talking about, others will feel inspired about it too!
Again preparation is important. Sometimes it’s possible to get a list
of the questions you'll be asked ahead of time. This is common
practice for television and radio interviews. It gives you the chance
to think of what you want to say before you're asked the questions
on-air.
Make sure you know your subject as well as you can. Write down answers
to any questions you think may be asked – you can use these as a
prompt, which is really useful if you’re feeling a bit nervous.
Even though there are heaps of people listening in, try to imagine that
the interview is just basically a conversation between you and the
interviewer. It’s also good (if possible) to have just one or two key
messages to finish the interview on, so that this will be the last
thing left in the listeners’ minds before the interview finishes.
Your rights
Remember you don’t have to give an interview to a reporter or you could always say that you aren’t able to comment.
Some people say "off the record" to a reporter if they don’t want them
to record or report. However some reporters will still report “off the
record” comments, so it’s better not to say anything you don’t want
reported.
If you feel your rights were violated during an interview, or that you
were misrepresented in a news story, there are some things you can do:
- Write a letter to the news editor of the station
or newspaper about your concerns. You could also send a “letter to the
editor” which can be published in the paper.
- If you don't receive a reply that you are happy
with within a week, your next step would be to contact the
organisations that monitor the media. Check out www.presscouncil.org.nz
or www.bsa.govt.nz
- You may also want to send a copy of your letter to
an elected official, such as your city councillor, or your Member of
Parliament.
Copyright Ministry of Youth Development 2006
This action guide is one of a series of guides in the Ministry of Youth Development's
Aotearoa Youth Voices tool kit.
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