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Do your homework - keep up with your topics, read the publication, watch the program for which you will be interviewed
Don't take cold calls - get information and call back within the reporter's deadline.
Whether to Interview:
Don't do an interview outside of your range of knowledge.
Don't do an interview if you haven't rehearsed.
Preparing for the Interview:
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Create 3 to 5 talking points.
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Anticipate the questions, and practice the answers.
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Practice being brief; think "sound bites"-figure on less than 30 seconds for radio/television.
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Prepare a fact sheet on your topic, and fax to the reporter before your interview, alerting the reporter to complicated but important points.
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Never go off the record-there is no such thing.
The Interview:
State your key talking points during the interview.
Use transitional bridges to keep your message on track:
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"What's important here is"
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"The bottom line is"
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"The real issue is"
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"Let me explain something"
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"Let's get back to the data"
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"That's a good question, but what is really important is..."
"I'd like to make this point before I continue."
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"Let me give you the latest information on . . . that is really interesting."
Be concise in your responses to prevent being misquoted. Avoid jargon.
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Don't volunteer negatives.
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Don't repeat inaccurate information.
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Don't speculate or answer hypotheticals.
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Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
If being quoted, request to have quotes read back to you.
Do correct misinformation.
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