Preparing for Interviews
You’ve prayed. You’ve sent press releases. You’ve made dozens of phone calls.
And just now a reporter has called you back. They want to interview you, your guest speaker and some students in an hour! “Oh no! I’m gonna’ be in front of a camera in an hour… What do I do now?”
Take a deep breath… you remember now, you’ve prepared. You’ve followed the steps outlined here. So you pray, call the students and speaker back to inform them of the interview time and head out to the interview.
There are 2 types of Interviews. The first type is a Formal Interview. Here the interview subject (person) sits down with a reporter (the interviewer) who asks questions and interacts with the interviewee. The reporter may be taking notes or using a tape recorder for a print article. Or, the interview may be in front of a microphone and/or camera for a radio or TV story that may be live or taped.
The second type of interview is more informal and short. It may be a 10 minute sit-down with a reporter or in front of a camera with the main speaker. An informal interview may consist of only 2 or 3 questions and responses that a reporter uses to fill out her story or becomes a sound bite on the evening news.
Don’t be fooled though. A quick, informal interview may carry as much impact as a formal interview. It’s up to the Media Liaison to be prepared.
Top 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for an Interview
Talking Points or How to Stay on Message
Sample Porn Nation Talking Points
Points to Remember During an Interview
How to Quickly Prepare Someone for an Informal Interview