I have a friend who sold her book for a news-grabbing sum of money. She’s a former reporter and was mortified when her peers misquoted, misrepresented, and even made up things in their articles about her.

Poor dear, she wasn’t thinking like a PR pro at first. Believe me, she is now.

I like to craft upbeat pieces for publication. I know other journalists with the same aims: to find and write interesting, informative stories. But there’s another beast in the news business: the reporter who believes dirt is more interesting than Ivory Soap. This animal is always looking for the Gotcha! It’s that moment when a reporter smiles, knowing she’s got an unanticipated tidbit to run with, and the interviewee’s guts turn to mush.

Here are some tips when you’re talking with a reporter you don’t know, don’t know to trust, or don’t trust based on his or her previous work:

1. Know what you want to say. No matter how smart you are, winging it is just stupid.

2. Be in control. This doesn’t mean you grab the mike from a reporter. Au contraire, know the image you want to convey and then figure out how you want to do it. Otherwise you’re at the mercy of someone who may not have your best interests at heart.

3. Don’t prattle. The reporter is not your friend.

4. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “OFF THE RECORD.”

5. You can record a phone conversation or interview if you’re concerned about being misquoted. Just inform the reporter or writer so you don’t get into a legal mess.

6. Don’t ask to review a story before publication; it’s offensive to the reporter and won’t serve you well.

7. Develop talking points—two to five items that you always come back to—to keep control of the interview.

8. Practice and role-play to become accustomed to quick questions and to ensure you don’t say things that can be horribly misinterpreted or make you sound like a dope.

9. Use your mirror and a practice audience to critique your answers and how you deliver them (extra “ums” and “uhs” are as bad as looking away from the reporter in what could be construed as evasion).
10. Hire a media trainer or consultant if you’re in a position where you’ll be interviewed on television more than once or in a business that lends itself well to crises. There are former reporters in most communities that run workshops or consult for a fee. Insist they bring television cameras, lights, a big mike, and a bad attitude to put you through your paces.

Although the public doesn’t remember many things, a bad news story usually sticks around a lot longer than a good one. Don’t mess up for lack of preparation. Don’t give any reporter the satisfaction of a Gotcha!

© Pari Noskin Taichert 2005

I'd always wanted to write a book. I had this romantic notion that writers made big money and sat all day in cafes drinking espressos and thinking profound thoughts. I wanted to be part of that idealized world but didn't know how to begin.

One day, while very pregnant and irritable, I read a particularly bad mystery and got angry. "If that author can get published, then so can I," I thought. With fury as my fuel, I proceeded to write my very own piece of mediocrity. Many contests, rejections and successes later, I began my freelancing career. All the while, I kept working toward the publication of my fiction.

THE CLOVIS INCIDENT is the third manuscript I've written. It's the first one to sell. The whole experience from concept to publication has been of roller coaster dimensions.

Writing cannot move a reader without the author's hard work and personal fortitude. To all of you who dream to be writers - believe me - persistence pays off.

website:
parinoskintaichert.com
badgirlspress.com