As a journalist for the past 16 years, I’ve endured some awful interviews. Some truly awful stuff that, at times, has even caused me to question my career choice. Why open myself to such torture?

Throughout this journey, I’ve covered just about everything from small-town Florida governments driven by a good ol’ boy mentality to the cutthroat Manhattan real estate industry and everything in between.

I’ve interviewed everyone from kindergarteners to celebrities to state senators. Want to guess who was the easiest to deal with? 

I am writing this with the hope that some of my most frustrating experiences offer a learning opportunity for public relations teams, CEOs, and other industry influencers who want to improve their media presence. Here are a few things to keep in mind during a media interview – you’d be surprised how much of it comes down to basic etiquette.

Be considerate of your interviewer’s time

It sounds simple, but many people can’t seem to handle being on time for a media interview, whether it’s by phone or in person. It’s frustrating to set up an appointment in advance just to have the individual you’re interviewing not show up. 

This is an estimation, but at least half of the people I’m scheduled to speak with don’t pick up the phone or are unavailable when I call them at our pre-determined time. Some eventually call me back within an hour, but I’m forced to reschedule about a quarter of these calls.

Don’t keep your interviewer waiting in person, either. 

I once interviewed a restaurant owner who had just reopened after a tragedy. We chatted for a while before she excused herself to handle a question from her waitress and she never returned. She never even glanced in my direction. Five minutes turned into 10. Ten turned into 50. I had other things scheduled that day, so I left before we finished the interview and she didn’t even notice as I walked out the door. We were never able to reschedule. 

As a reporter, I’m juggling multiple stories at once. Missing our scheduled call or showing up late can throw off my entire schedule.

Learn who you’re talking to in advance

I’ve had individuals spend a decent chunk of our scheduled time asking who I am and which publication I am writing for. This is information that can be found in advance. You’re doing a disservice to yourself by wasting time that could be used to discuss your business or issue and dig into your story. If we have just 30 minutes carved out for an interview, using 10 of them for you to ask about my newspaper and my background is a waste of precious time.

Learn the difference between on-the-record and off-the-record

If you are speaking with someone who has identified themselves as a reporter, unless you utter some variation of the phrase “this is off the record,” assume that whatever you’re saying is fair game for them to publish. Even idle conversation and small talk is on the record if you don’t say otherwise while speaking with a reporter

When something is on the record, then everything in the conversation can be published and attributed to you with your name, company or organization, and job title. If something is off the record, then none of what is said may be published or attributed to you. (It can be used as background information for the reporter’s research, though.)

If you don’t want something that you’ve said published, make it very clear to your media interviewer. I once interviewed a small-town mayor who was ranting and raving about something petty that annoyed her. When she was done, she said, “And that’s all off record,” but that isn’t how it works. As a longtime politician, she definitely should have known better. Still, she wasn’t happy when portions of our conversation made it into my article. It was all on the record, though.

Let us record you

I’ve encountered some folks who bristle at the thought of my recording our conversation. Usually, these individuals simply haven’t had any experience being interviewed and the idea of a recording device makes them nervous. Others have balked at recording as a way to assert their dominance and are trying to control the narrative. 

Really, though, allowing your interview to be recorded is in the best interest of everyone. It ensures professionalism, accuracy, and accountability from both parties.

Know the story you want to convey

You know your own story better than anyone else, so be prepared to share it. Before your media interview, review the details you want to focus on. You don’t want to be over-prepared to the point where your answers sound like a canned statement, but you also want to ensure that all the important details are covered. If necessary, take notes before your interview or use a press release as a guide.

You also want to express yourself clearly and eloquently. Use full sentences and offer lengthy, interesting responses. Some of my most frustrating interviews have been with people (including a Saturday Night Live alum) who managed to only answer “yes” and “no” to open-ended questions. It’s not fun having to pull information out of interview subjects.

Also, you might be asked tough questions

No matter how much you prepare for a media interview, the reporter you’re speaking with might ask you some tough questions that you would rather not answer. Don’t get angry at them. They’re just doing their job. You can politely defer answering or simply tell them you would prefer not to comment. 

You may want to consider being transparent and upfront, though. If you refuse to answer (or worse, lie) you won’t be painted in a favorable light if the truth comes out later on. Over the years, I’ve worked on several stories where local government leaders have refused to answer questions or flat out lied only to have the public records I pulled prove them wrong.

It might be your story, but ultimately you don’t control the narrative

Even though it’s your story being shared, the reporter is in the driver’s seat. Any publication worth its salt won’t let you review an article before it goes to print. You also don’t have the right to direct the story’s narrative in advance. After publication, changes will only be made to a story if something is factually incorrect, in which case a correction will be published.

You can guide the story’s direction, though, based on the information you share with your interviewer, which is why it’s important to be prepared.

I once wrote an article about a small bagel chain that opened a new location. The company was founded years earlier by a married couple who later divorced. I met them for an interview and we had a lovely conversation about how the business started.

The day the article came out, I received an angry call from the man’s current wife. I hadn’t mentioned her by name, just the fact that he had later remarried. 

He hadn’t talked about her in great detail during the interview or indicated that she helped with the business in any way. She didn’t understand why I couldn’t rewrite the story and give her a bigger role in it. She tried to contact my editor and publisher, but her complaints fell flat.

The follow up is just as important as the Media interview

During your conversation, you might not immediately have responses to some questions. Maybe you forgot a name or a date or need to get more details from someone more intimately involved with a specific aspect of a project. Take notes and follow up with this information in a timely manner after your interview. Don’t hold up deadlines with missing information.  

Also, art is an important aspect of any article. In your follow-up email, include any photos, logos, or other images that you feel represent your company or story well.

Taking these steps before and after your media interview can increase the chances that the journalist you work with will get the facts right, paint the best possible narrative and most importantly (in the world of marketing and PR) call back again in the future.

Tiffany Razzano is a journalist and copywriter living in the Tampa Bay area. For the past 8 years, she served as an editor at Tampa Bay Newspapers. She also writes regularly for La Gaceta, Watermark, The Free Press, and Creative Pinellas. She’s the founder/president/creative director of the literary arts nonprofit Wordier Than Thou, which supports Florida writers and readers through community events, publishing projects, and educational opportunities.