Giving an Interview for Radio

If you will be giving an interview for radio broadcast, the following tips can help you prepare for it, and take advantage of radio's strengths while avoiding its pitfalls.

Prepare
- Find out as much as you can about the program on which you are being asked to appear. Is it live or taped?
- What angle are they taking? What are they expecting from you? What questions do you think they might ask?
- Is the audience completely general, or specialized?
- What are your key messages? Think about the points you could make which are most interesting, useful, and relevant to the appropriate audience. Think of a quote you could deliver.
- Fill out the Interview Prep Form.
- Role play in advance.

Focus on your key message(s)
When preparing for the interview, think about your key messages. During the interview, use every opportunity to re-state these messages.

Speak conversationally
Think about the way you talk in your work life. Do you normally use a lot of technical terms and other jargon? A general audience won't understand you and, probably, neither will the interviewer.

- Avoid too many facts and figures as your audience will never remember them and will most likely tune out.
- Find creative ways of explaining something. Imagine that you are chatting with someone who is perfectly intelligent, but who simply doesn't know anything at all about your subject. How would you explain it to them without being patronizing?
- Do not write down answers ahead of time. However, you might want to use "prompt words", printed in an easy-to-read font.

Make the medium work for you
When you are preparing for a radio interview, think of ways to enhance and work with the special qualities of radio, e.g. paint verbal pictures, tell short anecdotes that illustrate a point, use appropriate emotion. Think of the "story" you want to tell.

Prepare some "sound bites"
Few radio "sound bites" are more than 20 seconds long. Develop and rehearse some key quotes in advance that will fit this format. Consider mentioning NSAC or your department in the sound bite to ensure that your affiliation with NSAC is not edited out of the story.

Sit comfortably
Avoid tight-fitting clothes. Keep your feet flat on the floor and sit in a comfortable chair. Avoid chairs with wheels or chairs that rock.

Avoid nervous habits
Avoid habits such as "ums" and "ahs" or clearing your throat. Avoid paper shuffling. Keep a glass of water on hand.

Avoid saying "no comment"
The viewer or listener is likely to jump to the conclusion that you are evasive or untrustworthy. Find a way to answer the question using positive messages. Tell the truth. If you don't know the answer, say so - never guess at an answer.

Avoid confrontation
Be honest and friendly. Even if it feels like you are under attack, don't lose your temper, and don't sound defensive. Stick to positive statements, and never resort to negative statements or critical attacks. Don't be afraid to admit mistakes. Remind yourself that reporters are often looking for the sexy, juicy angle. The story you want to tell may not be the story they want to tell.

Evaluate yourself
No interview is ever perfect. It's good to evaluate your performance so you continue to improve. Ask your friends and colleagues for feedback - ask them what they thought your main point was and compare that to the key message(s) you intended to project. Did you sound conversational?