Media & Interview Tips

Preparing for a media interview is important and can help you feel more confident and at ease.

Interview Preparation

Before an interview, you’ll want to work on your key messages and talking points. The preparation can help you clearly convey information that supports your expertise, work, research, and current projects.

For help vetting an interview request, contact the College of Arts & Letters Marketing & Communications Team at media@cal.msu.edu or MSU University Communications and Marketing at media@msu.edu.

5 Steps to Prepare

  1. Analyze the reporter and media outlet. Review past stories and news.
  2. Determine you key messages. Create 2-3 talking points and one bottom line for a public audience.
  3. Prepare your opening introduction, including how you want to be identified (e.g., name, title, pronouns).
  4. Anticipate hard questions and prepare answers for them.
  5. Prepare your last-question response to: “Is there anything else to add?”

Interview Dos and Don’ts

  • Be friendly, open, and respectful.
  • Simplify your answers and avoid acronyms and jargon.
  • Identify supporting examples, analogies, metaphors, data, and personal experiences.
  • Ask reporters to clarify long or confusing questions.
  • Be honest if you don’t have an answer. You can always follow up with an email.
  • Don’t say things “off the record.”
  • Don’t stray too far from your expertise.
  • Don’t say “no comment.” (Try: “That’s not a question I can answer.”)
  • Don’t repeat negative framing in your answer.

Handling Tough Questions

Anticipating tough questions should be a part of preparing for an interview.

To maintain your control and composure:

  • Don’t be defensive.
  • Don’t try to answer hypotheticals. (Try: “I’m can’t speculate.”)
  • Be honest if you don’t know the answer.
  • Reframe questions based on the answers you want to give.

Be aware of:

  • Leading questions. Try: “Your assumption isn’t true,” then, state a key point.
  • The uncomfortable silence. Make your point, then stop talking. “Did you have any other questions?”
  • The non-question. “Did you have a specific question?”

Helpful Phrases and Statements to Use in Interviews

Preparing some helpful phrases, statements, and pivots can also help you maintain focus on your key messages in an interview.

Statements for When You Can’t Quite Answer

  • “I can’t predict the future, but I can tell you what happened in the past.”
  • “I’m not in a position to make specific recommendations, but I can tell you some policy options…”
  • “I can’t answer that definitively at this point, but I can tell you have to minimize risk…”

Bridging Statements to Get Back to Your Key Messages

  • “I think what you’re really asking is…”
  • “That speaks to a bigger point…”
  • “Let me put that in perspective…”
  • “The real issue here is…”
  • “I don’t know about that, but what I do know is…”
  • “What’s important to remember is…”
  • “Just the opposite is true…”
  • “That’s false…”

Summarizing Statements at the End of the Interview

  • “The most important thing to remember is…”
  • “The real issue is…”
  • “We’ve talked about a lot today, but it boils down to three things…”
  • “Let me make one thing perfectly clear…”

Media and PR Contacts

College of Arts & Letters: media@cal.msu.edu

MSU University Communications and Marketing: media@msu.edu