Hearing yourself on the radio for the first time is an overwhelming experience. Part of you is cringing to hear your voice replayed over the airwaves as you discover, to your horror, how many times you say, “um” when you are nervous. You know how important it is to give a good radio interview. Now you need to prepare.

Many of the same skills employed in newspaper interviews are also needed for news and talk radio interviews. You must have a clear goal of what you want to convey in your interview and you must be prepared and knowledgeable about the subject. However, there are some techniques unique to radio that will enable you to give a better interview and will increase your chances of being a resource for the reporter in the future.

Imagine you have recently released a report studying the number of children in your state without access to dental care. You have been approached by several radio producers who want to interview you on this subject. Here’s how you can prepare and give a great interview.

Format

In radio interviews, you not only need to be knowledgeable about your subject, you also have to be savvy about the format itself. Try to find out as much as possible about any media outlet that approaches you for an interview.

Outlet is another name for a news organization or media group. Research the station, program, and interviewer. Using the Internet or a media directory such as Burrelle’s or Bacon’s, you should be able to find out who their target audience is, if the program focuses on news, business, or current affairs, and whether or not it has a political slant.

It’s important to have this information because it will help you prepare for the kinds of questions you might be asked. Knowing that you will be interviewed on the most conservative talk show in the state will not only help you decide whether or not you want to do the interview, it can also help you tweak your message and anticipate the hard questions.

The first thing you need to find out is what the format for the interview will be. There are talk radio shows that will let you speak almost without constraint for thirty minutes or an hour. Then there are news shows that will give you five to ten seconds to make your case. Although the preparation for both is largely the same, the short news clip, requires much more discipline.

Sometimes talk radio shows invite other guests to speak during the program. If you will not be the only guest, find out how the producer is arranging the show. Will you be speaking at the same time as the other guest, in a debate format, or will you be alone for part or all of the interview? Some producers will book one speaker for the first thirty minutes of the show and an opposing voice for the second thirty minutes.

You also need to know if you will be taking call-in questions. You can find out by asking the producer who booked you or by looking in one of the media books. Learning about the demographics of the radio station will help you brainstorm likely questions.

Think of this as opposition research. You know that the same message will not work with every audience. Therefore, take the time to research the station’s audience and particularly, this program’s audience. You don’t have to radically alter your goals, but you should see the benefit in taking a different tack with very liberal and very conservative audiences. 

Know Your Message

No matter how long you have to speak, you must stay on-message. Otherwise, the interview does you no good and may do you a lot of harm. Before you talk with the reporter, write down what you need to convey as simply and clearly as possible. If you are doing a short news segment, you will have to cut your message to its most basic form; for instance,

Every community deserves a clean water source.

If you are preparing for a longer talk radio show, flesh out your argument with three main points that support your message. For example:

3,450 households in this community have tainted water wells because of watershed pollution.

It cost 20% more in local taxes a year to cleanup watershed pollution.

Watershed pollution prevention costs would only increase local taxes by 5% a year

Don’t be nervous about repeating yourself over and over. In a taped interview, some of your comments may be cut. Therefore you want to make sure that you convey your message within every response to every question.

Sometimes reporters will try to bait you with a trap questions. Practice deflecting these kinds of questions with phrases like: While you may have a point, the real issue is . . .or I don’t believe that is an issue, what is at stake is . .

If you’re in doubt about how to deflect unwanted questions, watch televised press conferences or listen to public radio interviews to see how other people handle them.

Prepare

Just because you know this topic inside and out doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for the interview, especially if this is the first time you have been interviewed by this reporter or been a guest on this program. Run through the questions you may be asked with someone who can critique your responses. Feel free to write up notes and use them during the interview, just don’t rustle your papers. Try to listen to the program a few times before your interview to get an idea of the kind of questions the interviewer and his or her listeners will ask. Ask someone to run through sample questions with you and get feedback from several people. 

Before The Interview

Verify time, date, and location or who will be contacting whom.

Set aside some time to practice your responses to likely questions.

Prepare a press kit to leave with the reporter. Make sure you include your business card.

Make sure your message is clear and active.

Interview Confirmation

Before the interview, make sure you have the directions and the correct day and time of the interview. Sometimes interviews take place at a radio station and sometimes they can be conducted in your home or even over the telephone. Make sure you know who is going where or who is calling whom.

Feel free to ask the reporter how long the interview is scheduled to take and if it will be live or taped.

Make sure you know the name of the reporter who will be interviewing you.

Pre-Interview

Often, the interviewer will request a pre-interview. This may take place a few days or a few minutes before the interview. They will take this opportunity to ask you a few questions about the subject. Some pre-interviews are thirty minutes long and some are about 5 seconds! Use the pre-interview to find out what the reporter is looking for from the interview. You can often get a sense of where the reporter would like to take the interview from the pre-interview. Radio reporters, like print reporters, do not have time to become experts on every subject. They depend on the people they interview to help them better understand the subject. However, do not be lulled into thinking that the reporter will merely ask you soft questions. Reporters are trained to think critically. If there’s a chink in your armor, it’s their job to find and exploit it.

Consider creating a booking sheet to keep track of important interview information. Booking sheets are useful for monitoring interview requests and station/program-specific information. Here’s a sample booking sheet: 

Interview Booked

Who Will Be Interviewed:

What Day and Date:

What Time (Eastern):

Interview Length:

City, State:

Interviewer:

Contact Person/Producer:

Who Calls? (Station or Spokesperson):

Phone Number:

Backup Phone Number:

Topic:

Our Message:

Facts (specific state Statistic):

Station Call Letters and Name of Show:

Format (Talk, News, Call-in):

Subject and /or Tone of the Show (e.g. favorable, hostile):

Fax Number:

Email Address:

Date/Times this show will Air:

Date/Times Show Airs Regularly (e.g. M-F 3-6pm):

Date Booked:

Interviewed By:

You Need To Look Good For The Radio: What To Wear

Interestingly enough, it does make a difference what you wear to radio interviews. You don’t want to wear jewelry that will create feedback or make noise when you turn or move your head. That means no dangly earrings, necklaces, or bracelets. 

During The Interview

Remember to speak slowly and clearly during the interview, even if the interview is a very short sound bite. A sound bite is a clip, usually not more than one to two sentences, that reporters insert into their stories to provide a first-hand or expert perspective. You don’t want to speak so quickly that no one understands the wonderful message you’ve worked so hard to craft.

Here’s a checklist of things to remember for sound bite interviews. It should also serve as a checklist of important information you should ask producers when scheduling an interview.

Sound Bite Checklist:

Who is the interviewer?

How long do you have to speak?

What is the news peg? Why are you being interviewed now?

What is the main topic of the piece?

If you have a high or squeaky voice, practice speaking slowly and lowly. Likewise, if you are apt to speak in a monotone, try to liven up your speaking style. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to listen and critique your style. You can also record and listen to yourself.

Try to be as entertaining and active as possible.

Give free reign to your action verbs and use your voice as a tool to convey mood. If you’re happy about recent legislation let that come through in your voice. Use inflection to vary the rhythm of your sentences. For more pointers, listen to your local NPR affiliate. These broadcasters have mastered the art of holding the audience’s interest through their voices, no matter the subject.

After The Interview

Thank the reporter who interviewed you. Make sure he or she has your business card and one of your press kits, if possible. Ask when the program will air and find out if you can get a copy of the tape for your archives. This is important for many reasons. You can review the cassette to see how you might improve. Pay careful attention to your enunciation and the speed at which you speak. Listen for how well you responded to questions and stayed on message.

Conclusion

The ability to speak well and convey your organization’s message is an important tool. Being able to give good interviews that further your goals, inform the public, and are interesting and newsworthy to journalists takes a lot of preparation. However, the benefits are clear. With practice and preparation, you’ll never say, um again.