Speaking to reporters
Please call one of us to help you prepare to meet with reporters. We can offer suggestions, coaching, and practice interviews.
The media relations office in UCAR Communications receives calls daily from reporters. We screen those calls and refer only the ones we think are appropriate to the appropriate scientist or professional expert. Sometimes reporters contact staff directly.
Whether you receive a call from our office or from a reporter, here are some suggestions to keep in mind.
General guidelines
- Always ask the reporter's name and that of their publication or broadcast outlet.
- Determine what the reporter is looking for. If you are not the appropriate person to respond, refer the reporter to David Hosansky (ext. 8611; backup is Nicole, ext. 8616) in UCAR Communications.
- Spell your name and state your preferred title and where you work, e.g., the National Center for Atmospheric Research, not the Atmospheric Chemistry Division or NCAR.
- If you need time to prepare an answer, tell the reporter that you will call back within an agreed-upon amount of time.
- Remember that reporters are usually on tight deadlines. If you don't have time to respond, tell the reporter and refer him or her to David Hosansky (ext. 8611; backup is Nicole, ext. 8616).
- Know what you want to say. Have one message that you state first and no more than three supporting points with which to convey it.
- Reporters look for conflict because conflict is news. They pose questions designed to draw out whatever conflict may exist around an issue. You can manage this tendency by sticking with your message and by framing it positively. If a reporter includes negative words in a question, don't repeat those words. Even "there isn't any conflict around this issue" can look like a denial in print.
- Think in advance about any sensitive issues and plan what you will say in response to any questions on those issues. Arrange to rehearse your answers and get feedback prior to the interview (contact David Hosansky at ext. 8611 to anticipate questions or to set up a mock interview session).
- Imagine you are explaining your work to a sixth-grader or your next-door neighbor. Translate every technical term into layperson language. Develop analogies and examples based on familiar, everyday phenomena. Consider how your work could affect an "ordinary" person and how you will explain that impact.
- Assume everything you say is on the record and may appear in print or on the air.
- It is not journalistic practice to give interviewees a chance to review a story prior to publication, although this sometimes happens. However, during the interview you can promote accuracy by asking the reporter to repeat back to you any point or concept about which you're concerned. Always offer to be available for a follow-up call from the reporter and follow through. If you're concerned about sensitive subjects, ask the reporter to verify your quotes with you before the story is published.
- "No comment" is always interpreted as a cover-up. If you truly cannot comment, explain why, on the record. If your explanation needs to be off the record, you must specifically state that before you begin and get the reporter's agreement. However, keep in mind that what you say may deliberately or inadvertently be published, whether you've asked that it be off the record or not.
- If you don't know the answer, the best answer is "I don't know."
- Honesty is the best policy.
- If you're misquoted or a story is inaccurate, contact David
Hosansky (ext. 8611) or Lucy (ext. 8602) to discuss a correction.
For television
- Whenever you are contacted for a broadcast, call or e-mail David Hosansky (ext. 8611; backup is Nicole, ext. 8616) ASAP, and tell the caller to do so as well.
- Keep your sentences short. "Sound bites" in news broadcasts are generally 7 to 10 seconds long. Practice ways to deliver your message in one sentence.
- Your demeanor on camera has as much impact as your verbal message. Try standing up or sitting on the edge of your chair to stay energized. Let your knowledge but also your enthusiasm and excitement about your subject come across.
- Don't wear stripes or fabrics with tight, zigzagged, or raised patterns. Solid pastel colors work best for shirts.
- For men, a sports jacket without a tie usually works well. Choose socks and slacks that cover your ankles when seated.
- For women, hairstyles that cover the forehead make women's faces look disproportionately small on camera. Style your hair so that it does not cover your forehead. Remove any jewelry that makes noise when you move.
Additional info
 You
and the Media: A researcher's guide for dealing successfully with the news
media (Public
Information Office, American Geophysical Union)
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