The Enemy Within

It constantly amazes me how creative and resourceful people can be when it comes to trying to control the outcomes of media interviews. The following is a partial list of tactics used by would-be media manipulators:

  • Demanding to know all the questions that will be asked in advanced
  • Setting restrictions on what topics can be addressed
  • Setting demands on what questions must be avoided
  • Requesting that all questions be faxed in advanced
  • Demanding the written story be sent to you for final approval before publishing
  • Demanding the right to fax your answers in rather than having a face-to-face or phone interview
  • Demanding that a friendly or sympathetic reporter be assigned to your story
  • Setting a strict time limit on the interview, say 15 minutes (and not because the interviewee has a plane to catch or any other urgent business)
  • Demanding the right to videotape or audiotape the interview

This is only a partial list of extreme and counterproductive measures that people take to "control" the interview. In my professional opinion, all of these tactics are a complete and utter waste of time and can only have a negative impact on the story and your long-term reputation. (The only exception: If you are a $20 million per film movie star, you can get away with these tactics)

...continued

 

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