Media Training: When Is An Interview On The Record?

Always!

Like most  of my friends,  I've been captivated by the current presidential primaries, particularly on the Democratic front. I have a couple of friends actively involved in both campaigns. So you can imagine some of the discussions.

As a public relations professional, I'm always paying attention to how candidates respond to reporter's questions, which programmes they appear on and why? what tactics they adopt to avoid uncomfortable questions, etc. Conversely, I'm also a  keen observer of watching how and what the press selects to cover.

Last month, Barack Obama's adviser Samantha Power, a Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winner, whilst talking to Gerri Peev reporter, from  The Scotsman, committed a couple of mistakes. Mistakes that ultimately lead her to resign from the campaign.

So, what lessons can we learn:

1. Mistake One: Know and understand the parameters of an  interview with journalists, especially if they are with foreign publications.  (If you don't have the time or your public relations folks haven't done their home work (fire them!) ALWAYS ALWAYS assume everything is on the record!

2. MIstake Two: Know thyself. Don't schedule interview when you are exhausted and jet lagged, especially  when different time zones are involved. If you are talking to a reporter from a foreign publication,  play it safe and assume its on the record.

3. Mistake Three: Regardless of the fact that you may be very good friends with the reporter always assume that everything is on the record.

To find out how to manage interviews with the press, contact me.

Always!

Like most  of my friends,  I've been captivated by the current presidential primaries, particularly on the Democratic front. I have a couple of friends actively involved in both campaigns. So you can imagine some of the discussions.

As a public relations professional, I'm always paying attention to how candidates respond to reporter's questions, which programmes they appear on and why? what tactics they adopt to avoid uncomfortable questions, etc. Conversely, I'm also a  keen observer of watching how and what the press selects to cover.

Last month, Barack Obama's adviser Samantha Power, a Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winner, whilst talking to Gerri Peev reporter, from  The Scotsman, committed a couple of mistakes. Mistakes that ultimately lead her to resign from the campaign.

So, what lessons can we learn:

1. Mistake One: Know and understand the parameters of an  interview with journalists, especially if they are with foreign publications.  (If you don't have the time or your public relations folks haven't done their home work (fire them!) ALWAYS ALWAYS assume everything is on the record!

2. MIstake Two: Know thyself. Don't schedule interview when you are exhausted and jet lagged, especially  when different time zones are involved. If you are talking to a reporter from a foreign publication,  play it safe and assume its on the record.

3. Mistake Three: Regardless of the fact that you may be very good friends with the reporter always assume that everything is on the record.

To find out how to manage interviews with the press, contact me.