How to Handle the Hostile Reporter

How to Handle the Hostile Reporte
by David Snell

Truth to tell, there aren’t many hostile reporters out there, but there are a few, and if you’re confronted with one it’s a pretty good idea to have specific tools in mind about how you will respond to their questions.

You're expecting a nice straightforward interview and in walks Geraldo Rivera. What to do? First of all, if you have anticipated what questions will be asked, have prepared your answers and rehearsed, you're two-thirds of the way home. The other third is attitude.

When the reporter does turn out to be hostile, your job is to keep your cool. Some hostility can be defused in a broadcast interview by a friendly demeanor and the liberal use of the reporter's first name.

“I’m glad you asked that question, Geraldo, because there's been a good deal of misinformation on the subject..." If he interrupts, or asks several questions at one time without giving you time to answer, ask for the time, but don't badger back. "Don't get mad, get even," is a nice phrase, but bad advice in an interview. You won’t control the editing and it’s guaranteed that your Geraldo won’t make himself look bad.

On the other hand, there are other ways to neutralize Geraldo that give you the opportunity to get your message across on your own terms. The first one is Reframe The Question.

Supposed you are asked a question like, “How do you respond to your critics who say you’re handling this crisis like a bunch of Keystone Kops?” Your natural inclination will be to say, “We’re not bhaving like Keystone Kops” and go on to explain what you are doing.

A better way to answer is to say, “You’re question goes to how we are dealing with this situation, and the answer is I think we’re handling it very well.” And then go on to make your point. You have reframed the question, and got away from the pejorative the reporter’s question.

The other way to answer a hostile question is called “Give-to-get.” Suppose you’re asked a question like, “How can you say it’s safe to fly in the United States when two of your major control centers have had power outages in the last few months?”

You can say, “It’s true that we’ve had power outages. It is also true that neither of those outages put the safety of the flying public in jeopardy because of redundancies in the system that provided a back-up. You then go on to explain how back-up generators and computers insure that the traffic control system is always there to direct air traffic safely across the country.

So, there you have it. Two defuse techniques. You can reframe the question and you can use give-to-get.