Strategic Communications: Media Training Services

The Office of Strategic Communications offers UC staff a range of media training services to help them provide reporters with information about UC programs and services and the daily impact that the university has on the lives of millions of Californians.

We offer media training sessions aimed at building UC staff members' confidence and effectiveness in preparing for and conducting interviews with the news media. These sessions, offered quarterly to small groups of UC staff, include an on-camera practice session. To sign up for a training session, please contact Paul Schwartz.

Our office also assists UC staff who need on-the-spot advice in responding to a specific media inquiry. Contact our staff at (510) 987-9200 for assistance.

In the meantime, a few tips about working effectively with the media:

Making your point in an interview

1. Have a message. In other words, know what you want to say, and use every opportunity to say it during the interview.

   If you were given a quote of only two or three sentences in the news story, what would they be? What would you want to convey about the subject at hand in those two or three sentences? This is your message.

2. Anticipate the tough questions. Formulate answers in your mind - and write them down if it helps - before the interview begins.
3. Keep it simple. Reporters and the general public don't use many of the academic and administrative terms we do. Some reporters may have little familiarity with an issue they've been assigned to cover on short notice.

   So, say it simply and concisely - this also improves your odds of being quoted accurately. When in doubt, stop and ask the reporter if anything you've said needs to be clarified. Offer to provide written material if it would be helpful.

4. Be truthful.
5. Be friendly, conversational and reasonable. Speak in positive terms, focusing on what the university is doing to address the issue at hand.
6. Respect the reporter's deadline. Most reporters will need their telephone call returned the same day.

Tips for TV

• Remember you're on camera at all times. Always be professional and polite.
• Look at the reporter, not the camera.
• If you conduct the interview while standing, then stand tall, with arms at your sides. Avoid distracting body movements.
• Make your answers short and targeted. Again, think of the quote you would like the story to include when broadcast.
• If you can, avoid white, plaid and any other distracting attire.
• As much as possible, be yourself!

What if the reporter…

… asks you to go "off the record" or "on background"? Don't. Reporters use these terms in different ways, and your comments can still be traceable back to you.

… asks a question for which you don't have an answer? Say you will look into it and respond soon. Avoid "no comment" as an answer.

After the interview

1. Don't expect a reporter to show the story to you before publication. Instead, make it clear that you are available to answer any additional questions if anything is unclear.
2. If you recommend that the reporter talk with anyone else, give that person a heads-up.
3. Assess yourself. What did you do well? What skills should you work on?
4. If you're misquoted or are otherwise unhappy with the story that results, consult with Strategic Communications. We can help evaluate the situation and recommend an appropriate response.