Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions 2.8. PREPARING FOR RADIO AND TELEVISION TALK SHOWS Radio and television current affairs and talk shows can provide a powerful platform to communicate your NHRI’s messages to a large audience. These programmes need people who can talk in a confident, articulate and persuasive manner about different issues. Having good spokespeople who can appear on radio and television talk shows can help build the community profile of the NHRI. Many talk shows, however, are based on conflict or aggressive questioning. If this is handled poorly, it can undermine the reputation of the spokesperson and the NHRI. Ten tips for performing well 1. Expect confrontation: Some talk shows are all about creating debate and arguments. Expect disagreement and have strategies to deflect or diffuse it. 2. Be prepared: Familiarize yourself with the show and the way in which the presenter engages with his or her guests. Understand the audience that will be watching or listening. Have two or three key points you wish to make. 3. Be informed: Be aware of other relevant stories in the news that are related to the points or issues you want to discuss. 4. Be confident: Speak clearly, naturally and enthusiastically. Listen carefully to each question. 5. Be brief: Get to the point quickly and stay “on message”. Describe the big picture. Don’t try to educate people about every detail of the issue. 6. Relate to the audience: Make references that show you understand the issues facing the people who are watching or listening. 7. Humour goes a long way: Where appropriate, use humour to personalize your message or diffuse a tense situation. 8. Be honest: if you can’t answer a question, don’t be afraid to say so. 9. Assume that cameras and microphones are “on” at all times. There is no such thing as an “off-air comment”. 10. Practice deflecting tough questions. Anticipate the difficult questions that you are likely to be asked. Do practice interviews so that you feel confident to deal with them when they arise. Other tips for giving good interviews are available on page 30. Types of interviews Radio interviews can either be broadcast live-to-air or be pre-recorded and broadcast at a later time. They may be recorded in person, at the radio studio or over the phone. Interviews for a television talk show are more likely to filmed in the studio and broadcast live-to-air. However, there are situations where they may be pre-recorded or filmed from another location. Some interviews are also recorded over Skype. One-on-one interviews: This is the most common type of interview and involves a spokesperson being interviewed directly by a journalist. It is crucial to stay focused on what the interviewer is saying at all times. On television, maintain eye contact with the interviewer at all times. 34 | Chapter 2: Engaging with the media: Tools and strategies