At some point in life you may have the opportunity to speak with a print or video reporter. It should be obvious that the way you handle that interview is important and that you should never, never “wing it”. Remember, the reporter is very literal, and will record exactly what you say, remember how you said it, and in the final results add words like “nervously said”, or “hesitantly admitted” instead of “cheerfully stated” or “enthusiastically outlined”. Yes, a reporter strives for non-judgmental factual reporting, but do you really want to bet they don’t have personal views that color their output from time to time? Give me a break!

BASIC PREPARATION
If you feel the report would be detrimental to your business, never tell a reporter you don’t want to talk with them, and whatever you do, don’t lie. If you are at fault, use the Tylenol defense … admit the problem and offer a solution. If they are after a story, they will get the story. Stonewalling or an apparent lie will send them to customers, competitors, suppliers, employees, former employees, rejected applicants, neighbors, and others out there who have colored opinions. “Oh, they’ll never find Jane” won’t work. They will find Jane.

What you must do is prepare. A reporter is trained to ask questions. When one of your answers is intriguing, further questions are asked which lead to additional answers which lead to more questions until you either have divulged information which may be embarrassing to you or your company's well being or the reporter finds no additional information to be gained. Don't blame the reporter. All he or she is doing is what the job entails, asking questions and recording answers.

SENSITIVE DISCLOSURES
The way to avoid sensitive or negative disclosures is to have a checklist to guide you through the interview. Consider hiring a public relations expert to help you prepare for a tough interview. Remember, preparation can be 6 points in a 10 point game. Here are some ideas that might help put the interviewer on your side of the fence.

1. Write down the subject matter for the interview. Think of it as a headline or main topic to be discussed. Do this whether the topic is positive or negative.

2. Decide exactly what it is you wish to communicate. Make a list of everything you want known about the subject. Present this list to the interviewer as a guide for their questions. If the reporter says to you that he/she wants to talk with you about “that landfill deal”, you need to include that in your list. Your thoughtfulness and honesty will be appreciated and noted, and although the negatives will be reported (after all, that’s the reporter’s job), the impact may be softened.

3. Obtain background information on the reporter. Is this their regular area of expertise? What kind of reporting have they done in the past? Do their past writings appear sympathetic to your product, service or views? In a similar manner, find out the position of the publisher or broadcaster. You cannot change these, but it is important to be aware of any bias even if you are assured there is no bias.

4. Enlist your friends or coworkers to make a list of every possible question you feel you could be asked, positive and negative, and then write out relatively short answers to these questions to guide your interview. Don’t give this list to the reporter.

5. Make a list of things you will not discuss, and stick with it. “That’s proprietary information” is a good answer. You may want to talk with your attorney about these questions and their answers, but don’t bring the attorney to the meeting; it’s a red flag to the reporter saying there is much more to the subject than they thought. If you are continually asked a question that addresses one of these sensitive areas have an answer prepared. "I'd really rather not discuss that without legal advice, but let me tell you a positive point about that." Then do so.

The above will not guarantee a positive report, but may temper a negative one. If the report is wrong, talk with your attorney. If it is right but negative, consider changing the way you do business.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.)
Paul Tulenko is a Small Business Success Consultant based in New Mexico. Additional tips and suggestions are available at www.tulenko.com or call (toll-free) 1-866-TULENKO.