Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions 2.6. GIVING MEDIA INTERVIEWS As an authority on human rights issues in your country, journalists will want to include your NHRI’s views in their news stories. Of course, you don’t have to accept every invitation for an interview or to provide a comment. Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages and only agree to an interview if you think it is in the best interest of the NHRI. Journalists are happy for you to consider their request and “get back to them” – but it is important to do so in a timely way. Preparation is the key to a good interview. Make sure that the NHRI spokesperson has an interview brief (see page 28) with all the information that he or she needs to communicate your key messages and deal with any difficult questions. Before the interview • Be clear that you know exactly what the journalist wants to talk about and the sort of questions he or she will want to ask – this will help you prepare effectively and avoid nasty surprises. • Find out what form the interview will take. Is it a short “grab” for a news story? Is it for a longer current affairs programme? If it is for television or radio, will the interview be “live” or “prerecorded”? • Understand the media outlet doing the interview and how they might approach this topic. • Keep your information simple. Depending on the length of the interview, prepare two or three key points or phrases to use in your interview. • Know your topic. Be able to use statistics, personal stories and other information that will support your key points. • Do a practice interview and include some difficult questions. During the interview • Speak in a natural voice and remain calm at all times. Don’t get angry or defensive. If you do, this will most likely be the quote or “grab” that is used. • Be concise. You are more likely to be included in the story if you can give the journalist a strong “ten-second grab”. • Return frequently to the key points you want to make. • Where possible, use word pictures or powerful anecdotes to reinforce your key points. Don’t use jargon or complicated language. • Your answers count, not the question. Don’t feel compelled to answer every question. “Reframe” the question so you can make your key points again. • If you don’t know the answer, or don’t think you are the right person to answer a particular question, say so (“That is really a question for “X”. What I think is important here is …” ). • Don’t rush to fill silence. Some journalists use this as a technique to lure an interviewee in to making unguarded comments. 30 | Chapter 2: Engaging with the media: Tools and strategies