Off the Record

Much woe has been felt on recognition that a public personality (political, social, religious, bureaucratic or other) has been misquoted or quoted out of context after he has granted an interview especially in the print media.

The fact is that, often reporters are there to make a story that will sell. They may not care if you are praised or condemned in the process of creation of a good (saleable) story. The reporter, who has to be a good story teller, has to interest. He has to give the power of trial to the reader or viewer, often loaded with his own conclusions.

Most of the time reporters have already built up a context or theme and are working in the background of current popular importance, and are just gathering information or elements to fit into their story.

The most powerful weapon the journalists have is that of the ‘edit’. They filter unwanted information, plant you with tricky questions which appear as if you agree with a logical fallacy, making you look an idiot. Edit also means they have to condense and condense powerfully to evoke an image, a reaction, an emotion.

Often, your half hour interview is but four lines in text or 8 seconds on the screen. The media has an agenda, whereas you may have facts or a message. A common myth is that media is objective; but unfortunately they can’t be—else no one else will read or view their story.

How do you protect yourself from such an adversarial if not hostile experience (as almost any experience with the press can be)? Here are some rules which may help you stay on safe ground.

Rule one is that there are no rules. Hence any amount of homework is necessary particularly if you are a novice. The ground rules have to clarified before any interaction, and loads of skepticism will go a long way to insulate you from unwanted embarrassment. The context needs to be researched, not yours, but that of the interviewer. In fact, the more you know of the person on the other side of the table, the better off you are.

Always be in control of the situation. To do this, control your speech, expression, emotion. Get your message straight and clear, without fuzzing around.

Often it is said that the answer to the first question sets the tone. Rightly so, as the mind has its own limits.

Say what you have to say no matter what the question is, if need be with a bridging phrase or clause. Never attack back or contradict, unless it if it is a purely factual question, which is rarely the case.

There is no such thing as ‘off the record’. If you whisper a four letter or five letter word at any time during before or after the interview, even to the best journalist you knew on earth, you can be pretty sure it will find a place in the media if not immediately, months or years after it was uttered. Spot interviews are the worst culprits, where you are least prepared and highly vulnerable.

Happy interviewing!