When politicians are ripped to shreds during interviews by the likes of Jeremy Paxman, and reputations are dragged through the mud by the tabloids, it’s no wonder many people are extremely wary of giving interviews in the media.
But there is a very good reason why people agree – editorial coverage is a great free advert for you, your company or your product. In fact it’s generally thought to be worth four times the value of paid-for advertising.
Hard as it may be to understand, people tend to believe what journalists say. If the chief executive of BP says the company has done everything possible to plug the oil leak, most people are pretty sceptical.
The benefit of becoming an expert
But if the BBC’s environment editor says the same thing, then we would probably believe him. So if a journalist is asking you to comment on a particular topic, especially if you’re billed as the ‘expert’, then his or her credibility will rub off on you.
This can only be good for your business. It not only boosts your profile, but also your reputation.
The journalist’s secret
And I’ll let you into a secret – if you do it well, you’ll be asked back. Again and again and again. Journalists are quite lazy, and once they’ve got your name in their contacts book and they know you’ll be happy to do a quick interview and that you’ll give them a good quote, they won’t even bother to contact anyone else, you’ll be the one they turn to first.
Discover the secrets of doing powerful and persuasive interviews, at our Full Day Interview Skills Course on 11 Nov in central London. It will provide plenty of practical experience in being interviewed by working journalists plus honest and constructive feedback on your performance. More details on our Coming Up page.
Ann Wright
by 
Journalists? Lazy? I am shocked. Deeply shocked.