Dealing With the Media

Because lawyers in this firm have been involved in a number of high-profile cases, we’ve had quite a lot of experience in dealing with the media.

If you are contacted by a reporter about any dispute you’re involved in, do not discuss the matter. Instead, refer the reporter to your attorney.

If, however, you believe the matter you’re contacted about has no legal implications and you choose to respond to the reporter yourself, be sure you follow these guidelines.

1.        Don’t talk to the reporter before you’re prepared. Before the interview, tell the reporter you’d like to prepare for the interview so you can be as efficient as possible with the reporter’s time. Ask what they’re hoping to get out of the interview, who else they’re interviewing, what kind of story they plan to write, and what questions they plan to ask you.

As part of your preparation, brainstorm other possible questions that might be asked, and research the reporter and the media outlet they work for.

Think about what you want to convey and what you need to say in order accomplish your objective.

2.        Listen carefully to the reporter’s questions and comments. If you don’t understand the question, don’t start talking about what you think the reporter means—get clarification.

3.        Don’t just ignore uncomfortable questions or say “no comment.” Reply and then use “bridging” to get your point across. If don’t want to answer the question at all, say something like:

•  I can’t answer that, but I can tell you…
• I’m not going to speculate but I do know…
• I don’t think it’s appropriate to share that particular information at this time, but I’m happy to answer other questions.

If you answer the question but want to add more detail or a different perspective, you might introduce your point with something along the lines of:

• There’s more to the story…
• The real issue is…
• Well, the most important thing is …

4.        Never speculate. If you don’t know the answer, say something like:

•  I’ll have to check on that and get back to you.
•  I don’t know, but I’ll look into that.
•  I wish I could help you with that, but it’s not my area of expertise. What I can tell you is…

5.        Get straight to the point, keep it simple, and avoid jargon.

6.        Be very careful what you say. If you misspeak, apologize and promptly correct yourself so it’s clear what you meant to say.

7.        Keep calm, don’t use profanity, and remain professional, even if the reporter tries to bait you. Use language and, if applicable, tone of voice and body language that show you’re confident and not on the defensive.

8.        Don’t be afraid of long silences, and pause frequently so you have the opportunity to think about what you’re going to say before you say it.

9.        Assume everything you say will become public—even if you preface it with “off the record.”

10.      Never lie or “fudge,” as this will only hurt your credibility.

Remember, if you’re contacted by the media about a dispute you’re involved in, refer the reporter to your attorney. This is true even if the dispute hasn’t resulted in litigation.

Please feel to contact us if you need any help responding to media inquiries.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash.jpg

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