There are various opportunities to set-up media interviews with a company spokesperson or the  end user:

• Following the distribution of a news release, such as a new customer announcement.
• In response to some government/industry announcement.
• As part of an event attended by journalists (Rewired, HETT, etc).
• As an informal meeting to build up relationship with a journalist.

Before setting up an interview #

Before setting up an interview between a journalist and your client or client’s client, make sure that they are the most knowledgeable person on the specific topic they will be questioned about; that they have agreed to take part in an interview and are media trained.

Also make sure that their corporate communications department has validated them as spokespeople.

Also ensure that the interviewee will be available at the time you are planning to set-up interviews, especially if it is linked to a press release. Otherwise you could find yourself in the situation of offering a journalist an interview with an end-user who has previously agreed to do interviews, only to find out he has gone on holiday for the next two weeks.

Interviews with journalists can be conducted over the phone, online or face-to-face.

If you conduct an interview face-to-face, make sure that you pick  a venue that is easily accessible for both the journalist and the interviewee and where you can have a discussion in privacy and without too much background noise. (Acoustics in certain hotel lobbies or restaurants can be poor and not conducive to a good interview!)

Once an interview has been set-up, prepare a full briefing document, with details about the publication, the journalist and the questions/topics that will covered during the interview (see Journalist Briefing Document).

Your role as a PR during the interview #

A PR representative should always be present on interviews whether on the phone (set-up a conference call to conduct them) online or a face-to-face interview. This is to ensure the following happens:

• Doing introductions, especially if interviewer and interviewee do not know each other, and setting the scene.
• Taking notes during the interview to make sure that the journalist reports accurately what has been said. If the interview is taking place online ask if the interviewer and interviewee are happy to be recorded.
• Add to the conversation to push a specific key message that the interviewee might have forgotten to include.
• Intervene should the interviewee struggle with a question, either by helping answer it or by buying time and offering to provide a more detailed answer after the interview.
• Thank both participants for their time at the end of the interview and discuss next steps (sending additional information, setting up another meeting in the near future, finding out when the journalist plans to publish his/her article etc).

Your role as a PR after the interview #

• Make sure to follow-up (same day or following day at the latest) to ensure the journalist has all the information he/she requires.
• Liaise with the interviewee especially if he/she has said they would share some additional information with the journalist to ensure that is being done.
• Monitor for coverage and check it is accurate, if not it is perfectly reasonable to get back to the journalist to ask for a correction to be made.