A reporter called: the next hour

The quick preparation route: ask, decide, points and practice. It works on a phone with no setup, in about ten minutes, and it condenses Before you say yes, Your main points and Practice answers.

Four parts, in order: ask, decide, points and practice. Pick the line that matches your time.

• Under an hour: ask and decide now, write your points, say each answer aloud once. Skip recording.
• Later today: all four parts, and record one round of answers on your phone.
• A day or more: all four parts, then the chapters they condense at full depth, and the chapter for your format.
• Nothing scheduled yet: read the four parts once, then open Before you say yes for the detail.

1. Ask

Answer the reporter quickly, even to decline. Then get these answers and write them on the request sheet, or on paper:

• What is the story about, and can the reporter share the topic and a few sample questions? Do not expect a full list: AP and NPR do not give one.
• Which outlet is it, and who reads, hears or watches it?
• When is the deadline, and can it move?
• What is the format: phone, email or video? For radio or TV, is it live or recorded?
• Who else is being interviewed? Is the call recorded? When and where will it run?
• What are the reporter's phone number and email?

Check who is asking. Look up the outlet's main number or website yourself and call back through it, instead of trusting the number the caller gave. If you need a few minutes to collect your thoughts, say so and give a time you will call back.

2. Decide

Settle three things before you agree.

1. Are you the right person? If someone else knows more, offer to refer the reporter, after you ask that person first.
2. Whose voice are you using? Your own experience, your expertise, or an organization's. If it is an organization's, or your employer's, call its media contact before you agree. Whether a policy, a contract or labor law allows you to speak is a question for the organization or a lawyer, not for this manual.
3. What is your answer? Yes with a time, a referral, a short written statement, or no. A written statement leaves no room for misquotation but cannot answer a follow-up.

Treat every word as on the record, including before the interview starts and after it ends. Terms such as "background" and "off the record" mean different things at different outlets, and they count only if the reporter agrees to them before you say anything. A first-time interviewee should not rely on them.

3. Points

1. Write who reads, hears or watches this outlet. One specific audience, not "the public."
2. Write your main point as one sentence, bottom line first.
3. Add two supports. Each gets one fact, example or number, and where it comes from.
4. Use everyday words. Cut jargon and acronyms. Read the main point aloud: it should fit in one breath at your own pace.

Keep the page in front of you during the interview. The message sheet holds all four, and the answer timer counts the seconds.

4. Practice

1. Write seven questions: five likely ones, the one you hope not to get, and "Is there anything else?"
2. Write the first sentence of each answer so that it answers the question that was asked. Then go to your point.
3. Say each answer aloud. If you have time, record one round on your phone and play it back.
4. For one question you cannot answer, write the reason you can give instead of "no comment": it is not yours to release, it is not known yet, it is under investigation, or it is not your area.
5. At the end of the interview, ask the reporter to sum up what they heard, and offer to check facts.

The practice sheet keeps the seven answers. The question deck has more to choose from.

More detail

• before you say yes, the first two parts in full.
• your main points and practice answers.
• Print, radio and podcasts or video and TV, by format.
• Hard and unexpected questions, if you expect a hard question.