Tips for doing the interview

1. Understand the audience. In any interview, keep your audience in mind as you are talking about your topic. If you are talking to a radio station that focuses on young people, picture that you are explaining your topic to a young person, rather than talking to your boss, for example. If you are talking to a newspaper that communicates only with residents in one local area, make sure your information is relevant to those people.

2. Know what you want to say. Every interview is an opportunity for you to promote your organisation, expertise and point-of-view, so think about what you want to say before you start talking. If you are trying to persuade or convey an opinion, a helpful planning tool is the MBE (Message, Because, Example) method of expression. In an interview, an MBE statement would look like:

   M Young people should have to wait until they are 21 to get their driver’s licence
   B Because too many young people are dying on our roads
   E For example, in New South Wales alone in 2006, x,000 people aged under 21 died in traffic accidents in the school holidays alone.

   The MBE method allows you to think through what your key point is (M), and then back it up with a reason (B) and an example (E).

3. Use appropriate language. This point is also about the audience. Try to use language, anecdotes and examples that will be relevant to the people you are talking to. No one will be impressed if they can’t understand you.
4. It’s usually ok to make notes. Most media interviews today are conducted over the phone. With the exception of television interviews and some radio interviews conducted in a studio, you’re most likely to do the interview from your own office or home. So, even if you only have a few minutes to prepare, think through what you want to say (as above) and jot down a couple of notes. If you’re doing a radio interview, make sure you don’t rely on your notes (ie. never read from a script), but do have some points in front of you in case you need a reminder.
5. Never lie. Always assume that someone will check the information you provide. Save yourself (very public) embarrassment and never lie to a journalist.
6. It’s ok to say you don’t know. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s better to admit it then to keep talking and prove it with a wrong answer. In this situation it’s helpful to give a reason if you can’t answer. For example, “I can’t really answer that one because it’s outside my area of expertise”, or “I’m afraid I don’t know that phone number, but I’d be happy to chase it up and send it through to you to pass onto your listeners”. If you’re doing a print interview, it’s usually acceptable to call or email the journalist after the interview with any information you don’t have access to at the time. Just ensure that you understand their deadline and meet it.