- Ask the reporter for their contact information (name, media outlet, phone number, email address), the subject of the interview, how long the interview will last and where it will be conducted, their deadline (i.e. when they need to hear back by) and promise to get back to them before their deadline. You may also ask them who else they are interviewing as part of the story.
- If you have one, let your school board’s Communications department know you’ve received a request for an interview. You may not always be the best person for the reporter to speak with.
- Inform your Superintendent of Education and Trustee(s) so they’re aware of the request and your plan to respond.
- In consultation with your Communications department liaison and/or Superintendent of Education, identify the key (one) media spokesperson. Again, you may not be the best person to answer the reporter’s question.
- Before you do the interview, make sure you’re prepared. Anticipate the reporter’s questions and know the answers.
- Create between three to five key messages (see the Create Compelling Key Messages section of this chapter for tips on key message development) that you want to reinforce during the interview. Your Communications liaison can help craft these messages. They should be reviewed/approved by your Superintendent of Education, especially if the interview is about a contentious issue.
- Remember that the individual to whom you’re speaking to through the news story is not the reporter. The audience you’re addressing includes your parents, staff, students and community members.
- Never say, “No comment,” during an interview. Answer truthfully, without breaching confidentiality, with the information you’re able to share. Commit to getting back to the reporter with answers to any questions you cannot respond to during the interview.
- If during the interview you’re asked a question that someone else can respond to better, say, “I’m not the best person to answer that question. I’ll get back to you with an answer after the interview.” Just make sure whoever is doing the interview is able to answer most of the reporter’s questions.
- Answer only the question asked, then wait for the next question. If the answer to a question is, “No,” say that and wait for a follow-up question. It’s the reporter’s job to seek answers and clarification, as required.
- If the question you’d like asked isn’t being asked, consider reframing. By reframing an issue, you may be able to get your key message(s) into the story. You can say, “This isn’t about xx; it’s about how we xx.”
- Never interrupt the interviewer. Wait for a pause.
- Don’t repeat negative and/or misleading words.
- Don’t speak “off the record,” ever.
- Don’t speculate or speak to topics that aren’t your area of expertise. For example, if your response to a question begins with, “I think,” it’s not a question you should be answering.
- Don’t argue with the reporter. Everything you do and say is on the record.
- Ask the reporter when the story will run/air.
Remember: It is rare for a reporter to let you see or hear the news story before it is published or airs. You can ask for this as a courtesy, but they are not obligated to share articles/stories with you in advance. Reporters may, at times, fact check a story in part.