Controlling the Quote in Media Interviews
Controlling the quote is not something that can be guaranteed in a media interview. Anyone who speaks to a press or web journalist for 20 minutes is likely to say somewhere between 3,000 – 5,000 words based on three to five words per second. Even if it is a three-minute radio interview the interviewee is likely to have said around 500 words by the time it ends. The journalist will have a wide range of options for the few words they put in quotation marks, choose for the soundbite or make the headline.
What matters to most people is that they don’t say (or agree) something by accident that ends up getting all the attention. Last week saw a clear case of this.
Facebook Threat to Democracy
On Friday, it was widely reported that the former head of GCHQ had stated Facebook was ‘a threat to democracy’. [GCHQ is part of Britain’s intelligence and security organisation that listens in on communications across the world.]
Just to illustrate how widely this was reported here is a selection of headlines.
Did he mean to say it?
Robert Hannigan agreed the quote but didn’t actually say it.
However, on closer inspection, it looks doubtful that the former head of GCHQ actually meant to say ‘Facebook is a threat to democracy’. If you read the story closely you can see this was not a phrase that he originated but in fact came from a response to a BBC journalist’s question.
This is how The Times reported it:
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether Facebook was a threat to democracy Mr Hannigan replied: “Potentially yes, I think it is, if it isn’t controlled and regulated.”
The thing to note here is that the one phrase that made all the headlines was not actually spoken by Hannigan. He just agreed it.
In fact, The Times quoted the Radio 4 interview even though they had spoken to Robert Hannigan themselves. Annoyingly I imagine, for Lucy Fisher, The Times reporter, Hannigan did not give (or agree) the standout quote of the day to her. She had to report something he said to another journalist in a different interview.
What I conclude from this is:
1) Hannigan does think Facebook is ‘potentially’ a threat to democracy but
2) He did not choose to couch it in these terms.
The clever journalist presented him with a rather dramatic, high-level version of his opinion and Hannigan agreed it.
If you don’t agree it, they can’t use it
We do not know if Hannigan was dismayed or delighted with the headlines he got all over the world. But we can be pretty sure it was not a phrase he had planned to use.
The takeaway message, that those of you trained by us have heard all Media Coach trainers repeat many times: don’t say ‘yes’ when a journalist rephrases your argument and asks you to agree it. If you don’t agree it they can’t use it.
And to be clear, we suggest interviewees never say ‘yes’ when a journalist does this. What can seem sensible, innocuous and often caveated (as with this example) in the conversation, can sound or look extreme and aggressive if transformed into a headline.
It is safer if interviewees pick their own words. It is safer still if they plan their key phrases before any interview.
It is all part of the discipline needed to do a media interview, assuming, of course, you are in a professional role.
The Media Coach has been providing media training in several languages for business and professional people for more than a decade. If you have a spokesperson who needs training why not give us a call on +44 (0)20 7099 2212.
Hannigan Photo distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.
Facebook logo provided Pixaby under a CC0 Creative Commons Licence
Lindsay Williams is based in London but runs training sessions in multiple time zones, including the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, working online or travelling to host small and large scale training events. With 20 years of experience as a communications consultant with corporations and international organisations, Lindsay also runs Personal Impact Training and Pitching Via Zoom courses.
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Oldest trick in the book, and Hannigan fell for it. We used to go out on the streets of Torbay, (age 24, trainee journalist , circa 1978) and ask any passing old lady: “tell, me, do you think the area is descending into a spiral of drug fuelled vice and depravity?” (This after spray grafitti on a phone box) Of course, dear Doris, age 70-something, says: “Yes dear” to this nice young man before her. The resulting story is known in the trade as a “jack-up” and is splashed across front page with big bold headlines, a couple of hand wringing quotes from local councillors and charitable organisations. Cynical? Maybe, but most journalists have cynicism hardwired into their DNA. If it gets you a front page splash, it’s worth it. If you’re training clients to respond to the jack-up question, the brutal response is this: “now ask me a question that is not a headline”. More politely: “I would not characterise is like that.” Or, if you’re Michael (Lord) Heseltine, who has a finely attuned radar for headline grabbing questions, just say: “no”. That leaves the journalist on the back foot, realising they are not so darn clever, and they haven’t prepared a follow up question.
Fantastic example – thanks for sharing; will ruthlessly re-use ! And top advice from David.