How to Prepare for a Press Interview

An interview is not a conversation. It is a conversation being recorded by someone whose job is to find the interesting part.

That is not hostile. It only means preparation changes the outcome far more than confidence does.

What to establish beforehand

Before agreeing, settle the basics in writing.

• The format. Phone, video, in person or written questions. Live or recorded.
• The subject. What the piece is about, and whether you are the main subject or one voice among several.
• The length and the deadline. Both shape how much you can reasonably cover.
• Who else is in it. Particularly if a competitor or a critic is being quoted in the same piece.
• Attribution. On the record is the default. Background and off the record mean different things to different journalists, so agree the terms explicitly before you say anything that depends on them.

You can decline an interview. You cannot unsay something in one. If the framing sounds wrong, ask about it before rather than after.

The preparation that matters

Read the writer's recent work. Their last few pieces tell you the level of detail they want and how sceptical they tend to be.

Then get your own facts straight: figures, dates, spellings, job titles, and the exact wording of any claim you intend to make. If it appears in your media kit, make sure the kit and your answers agree, because contradicting your own published material is an avoidable problem.

Know what you are not going to discuss, and know why. We do not disclose that is a complete answer. No comment sounds like something else entirely.

Finally, decide what you want the reader to take away. Not a slogan. A single idea.

Building your three messages

Pick three things you want to land, and no more. Three is roughly what survives an edit.

For each one, prepare the same three components.

• The claim, in one sentence a non-specialist would understand.
• The evidence, a figure, a case or a document you can point to.
• The example, a short and concrete illustration. Examples are what get quoted.

Say each one out loud until it takes twenty seconds rather than two minutes. Long answers get cut, and when they are cut you do not choose which part survives.

If you have already written a proper founder narrative, most of this material exists already. Our guide to writing a founder story covers how to build it.

Handling difficult questions

Difficult questions are usually predictable. Write down the five you least want to be asked and answer them on paper first.

• Answer the question asked. Visible evasion becomes the story more often than a straight answer would have.
• Do not repeat a hostile framing, even to deny it. Rephrase in your own words, then answer.
• Say when you do not know. Offer to follow up with the figure, then actually follow up.
• Do not speculate about competitors, customers, litigation, or anything you have not verified.
• Silence is allowed. A pause while you think is invisible in print and entirely normal on air.

Never say anything on the assumption it will not be used. If you said it and the terms were on the record, it can be used.

During the interview

Take the call somewhere quiet, on a stable connection, with your notes visible but not read aloud. Reading answers is audible.

Speak in shorter sentences than feels natural, and stop at the end of an answer rather than filling the gap. The pause after your answer is a technique, and the material people regret usually arrives in it.

Use plain words. Jargon either gets cut or gets misquoted. If you use a term of art, define it in the same breath. Our glossary exists partly because industry language travels badly outside the industry.

If you misspeak, say so immediately and give the correct version. Journalists are generally relaxed about that in the moment and much less relaxed about a correction request a week later.

After it ends

Send any promised figures or contacts quickly, while the piece is still being written. Late material does not make it in.

Ask when it is likely to run, but do not ask to review the copy. Most publications will not offer it, and asking can read as a lack of confidence. You may reasonably ask to check a direct quote or a technical fact for accuracy.

Then note what you were asked, which answers were weak, and which question you did not expect. That file is the reason your third interview is better than your first, and it feeds straight into what to do after you get featured.

Digital Networking Agency prepares clients before interviews it arranges. What nobody can offer is control over what the journalist writes, and an agency promising copy approval on independent editorial is promising something the newsroom has not agreed to.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see the article before it publishes?

Usually not. Independent publications rarely offer copy approval, though many will check a direct quote or a technical detail if you ask politely and early enough.

What does off the record actually mean?

It varies by journalist, which is why it has to be agreed in advance rather than declared mid-sentence. Assume everything is on the record unless you have explicitly agreed otherwise.

Should I ask for the questions in advance?

You can ask for the themes, and many writers will share them. A full question list is less common, and insisting on one can cost you the interview.