There's an old adage that claims, “If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.” The same can be said about a media interview. Before you sit down to speak with a reporter, it's helpful to know which direction the interview is likely to go. That's why we always supply a media briefing sheet to prepare you ahead of any interview. How do we know which way it is likely to go? We use our years of experience in the healthcare and biotech industries as well as our relationships with the reporters.
Below are four briefing sheet ‘must haves’ to ensure a smooth and seamless interview experience for you AND the reporter!
This might seem a bit obvious, but it’s our first step for a reason. All too often, essential meeting details are overlooked. At the top of your briefing document, you should easily be able to find the interview date, time (including time zone), and physical location, phone number, or direct link to the meeting platform. Speaking of platforms, make sure you have the latest version downloaded to your computer (ahem, Zoom) and passcode if one is required to access a meeting room. Test them in advance to make sure there aren’t any hiccups come interview time.
You wouldn’t schedule a call with a colleague without some indication of what was going to be discussed. We recognize reporter contact details and the subject of an interview can be hard to keep track of, especially if you have a number of upcoming media interviews. To solve for this, the subject of the interview, reporter contact information, links to past coverage, subject matter expert confirmation, and overview of the outlet should be listed next. When appropriate, a member of the KNB media relations team joins interviews to ensure they run smoothly. This contact information is included on your briefing sheet, too.
This is where you’ll find the crux of the interview with details on what the reporter confirmed. We do our best to include topic details, anticipated sample questions, and talking points.
Knowing the when, where, what, and who are critical, but not exhaustive. For example, a suit and tie might be expected in a boardroom interview with a business magazine but would be considered awkward for an outdoor live shoot in a park. A good briefing sheet will include general best practices like how to dress, phrase a response, or bridge to a key message.
If your current media briefing sheet isn’t capturing these details for you, you might be missing out. Learn more about how KNB can secure interviews for your business and expertly prepare you for them, too!