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FAQ

What are some helpful hints when talking to the press?
by
Vera Haire

 FAQ

 

Talking to a reporter should be as natural as talking to any professional. The only difference is, what you say might be recorded in a newspaper story, in a radio report or even on television for a large audience. Charter schools are faced with an additional concern. News coverage of the education reform movement includes strongly positive and negative stories creating additional tension. This puts charter schools on the defensive. Talking to a reporter without preparation and knowledge can create misunderstandings and inaccurate reporting.

 

Getting press coverage can be very valuable to your school and the educational reform mission. So how can you get from point A, wanting to communicate your news – to point B – getting accurately reported coverage, despite the above obstacles? The best solution is to get a PR professional to advise and manage the interview. If you cannot, due to budget restraints, here are some helpful hints – Preparing, Conducting and Interview Don’ts – that should get you on the right track.

 

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Prepare

Preparing for an interview (Get information):

  • Make sure you have the reporter’s full name, publication, phone number, deadline for the story. Ask the reporter for the focus of the story and key questions.


  • See if you can get on the internet and check out some of the stories the reporter has already written about charter schools. This gives you a better understanding of the reporter and opens the door to some discussion. It is a nice touch to show the reporter you have read some of his/her work.


  • Prepare materials to give the reporter as background information such as a school overview, mission, unique value, educational program, number of students and their ethnic background, and any other documents that represent your organization well and will be valuable for the reporter to have.


  • Prepare a list of the three most important key messages you want the reporter to know about your school. Make these messages short and precise. They will be easier for the editor to remember and write down.


  • Prepare a list of questions that the reporter might ask. Include the sensitive ones. Then write down the answers. Be truthful and accurate and only disclose the information you are comfortable letting the general public know. Make sure to include your schools strengths. This exercise will relieve a great deal of anxiety because you are preparing yourself for any possibility. Rehearse if possible.


  • Make sure to invite your second in command to prepare with you and sit in on the interview.


  • If you intend to give the reporter a tour of the school, make sure everything is neat and orderly.


  • If you want the reporter to meet staff and students, make sure to brief them in advance on your key messages. Make sure to supervise all the communications the reporter has at your school.

Conducting the interview:

  • Make sure you have a comfortable, quiet and clean area to hold the press interview. If the interview is by phone, make sure you are prepared and in a quiet area. Bring note paper to take notes and write down action items from the interview. Bring your business card for in-person interviews.


  • At in-person interviews, make sure to look the reporter in the eyes often.


  • Always be credible, know the facts, be specific, give examples when possible


  • As the reporter asks you questions and you respond, look for opportunities to end your response with one of your key messages.
    • Example:
      • Key message: “Our at-risk student-body achievement and attendance has improved by 250%.” Reporter’s question: “Why do you feel your educational program is better than the traditional school’s proven methods? The state report shows you are behind”. Possible response: “Our educational program is better for our student body than the traditional school methods, because we are servicing an at-risk population that was failing in the traditional schools. Their parents brought their children to our school as a last resort. Our students have improved their attendance and academic achievement by 250%.
  • If a reporter asks you about other charter schools and their problems, financial, academic accountability, etc., your response should be that you cannot speak for other schools. You can answer question about what you are doing and what your views and visions are for the charter school movement. You might say that there are far more successful charter schools achieving remarkable results.


  • Take your time to answer questions. Do not be pressured to answer quickly. To get a little thinking time, use a part of the reporter’s question at the beginning of your answers. This gives you time to think as well as lets the editor know you understand his question.
    • Example: “What has been the most difficult challenge for your school?” Response: “The most difficult challenge for our school has been to increase our student’s attendance. We accomplished that by……”
    • You can also say “That is a very good question…..” or “Let me think about that…” or “I am glad you brought that up. It is very important…”


  • If the reporter’s question is negative, do not reinforce the negative portion of his/her question in your response.
    • Example: “Why is your school failing?” Response: “Our schools current status is based on it being our first year in operation and as statistic show, charter schools will show significant progress with this under privileged population the longer they are in operation.”


  • If you are not clear about the question, ask the reporter to define it more precisely.


  • If you do not know the answer, just say “I do not know. I will see if I can find out for you if you would like.”


  • If you make a mistake, pause, make the correction and use humor if it is appropriate.


  • Avoid agreeing with a reporter’s statement or opinion. Make a statement in your own words to make sure you are well understood.


  • Do not make a flippant off the cuff remark; the reporter will likely use it.


  • The reporter is mostly interested in writing a newsworthy story, not writing negative things about you or your school. Support the reporter’s efforts with solid information, statistics and a newsworthy angle.


  • Educate the reporter on charter schools when possible.


  • If you have a feeling that the reporter may not have understood your answer, don’t be afraid to ask him/her if you were understood and clarify your statement.


  • You might want to ask the reporter some questions, like how familiar the reporter is with charter schools. Knowing how the reporter is thinking will help you know how much information you need to give in order to be better understood. If you feel the reporter is negative about charter schools, here is your opportunity to educate and influence his/her thinking with facts. Do not stand on a soap box, just be factual and demonstrate your values and successes.


  • If the reporter is from a TV or radio station, keep your answers short and targeted, and again, no off the cuff remarks. Typically your comments on TV/radio will be very short. Keeping your responses short in the interview will reduce editing out your important message.


  • At the end of the interview, interject with summarizing you three key messages.
  • Take the opportunity to develop a relationship with the reporter and invite the reporter to contact you any time to use you as a charter school resource.


  • Offer the names and contact information of favorable supporters to the reporter in case the reporter wants to get more information from another source.


  • You can ask the reporter when the story will appear or run to make sure you get copies or can record it.


  • Thank the reporter for the interview.

Interview Don’ts

  • Don’t say “No Comment”. Instead, use an alternate response
    • Example: “This is confidential information” or “We do not have that information at this time” or “You would have to ask (so and so company)”. Basically give the reporter a reason you cannot answer.

  • Don’t speculate, forecast or predict unless you have reliable data and you can be perceived as a reliable source.


  • Don’t say “never, or ever, or forever, or always, etc.”


  • Don’t talk about other school’s problems, focus on your agenda.


  • If you don’t want it printed, don’t say it.


  • Don’t get defensive, emotional, flippant, smug, stuffy, arrogant, sarcastic or hostile.

These basic principals are guidelines to start you on your road to gaining experience in talking to the press so your school can benefit from potential positive coverage.


Vera Haire currently serves as Marketing Coordinator at the National Charter School Clearinghouse. She has over 8 years experience in corporate public relations in the high tech industry and was a Senior Account Manager at BW&A Public Relations. Ms. Haire is a Certified Business Communicator (CBC) with the Business Marketing Association.