10 Ways Journalists Catch You Out
(and what to do about them)
A media interview can go wrong fast if we lose control of the narrative around our message. Knowing what journalists might do to extract information or provoke comment is one thing, but how do we counter it?
Here are 10 ways journalists can catch you out… and how you can avoid making it worse.
1. Uncomfortable Silence
Trap: After you finish answering a question, the reporter just sits there and looks at you, expectantly.
Issue: Silence makes people uncomfortable… and journalists know this. They don’t even need to exploit it deliberately to ‘get’ you. Interviewees do the work themselves, filling pauses after answers with more explanation or a speculative aside that they may not have intended to share.
Fix: Stop digging! The more you speak, the more material you provide for misinterpretation. Ask whether the reporter has any other questions, and move on.
2. False Premises
Trap: The journalist embeds an assumption into their question. For example, “Isn’t it true that your organization’s toxic culture led to this?”
Issue: The trap is compliance: interviewees often feel obliged to engage with the framing of the question, but if you answer the question directly, you inadvertently confirm the premise (i.e., the organization’s culture is toxic).
Fix: Acknowledge what you disagree with without repeating the negative phrasing. Step back, restate what you can responsibly say, and deliver your message in your own terms.
3. Hypotheticals
Trap: “What would happen if...” or Let me present you with a scenario...”
Issue: This gets you into discussing things that haven’t happened yet and may never happen, drawing you into making guesses about potentials and risks you hadn’t prepared to discuss, and taking the focus away from the real situation.
Fix: Stick to what you know and reframe back to the present situation. Briefly acknowledge the question and explain why you can’t answer it. “I don’t want to speculate on that, but what I can tell you is...”
4. ‘Off the Record’ (Is it, though?)
Trap: The reporter asks for information “off the record” or says, “Just between you and me...”
Issue: You feel a false sense of security as the journalist acts as your confidant, so you share information you shouldn’t. Comments are sometimes reported by mistake if the interviewer and interviewee misunderstand when the off-the-record session ends.
Fix: Respond with a simple, “I won’t go off the record.” Consider everything, even post-interview banter, as on-the-record.
5. “One Last Thing…”
Trap: The reporter asks a critical question as they head to the door after you thought the interview was over.
Issue: Your guard is down as you think the stressful part is over, so you answer casually, maybe revealing more than you intended.
Fix: Remember that the interview is never over until you’re no longer in the room. Maintain your discipline until it’s truly over.
6. Guilt Trips
Trap: “Who’s going to tell me about this if you don’t?” or “Don’t you think it’s terrible that...”
Issue: This is a way for a reporter to steer you toward revealing information, playing on your sense of obligation or morality.
Fix: Don’t feel obligated to answer; decline to comment, but explain why you can’t rather than just saying “no comment.”
7. Deadline Pressure
Trap: The reporter calls at the last minute, claiming they are on a tight deadline and need an immediate response.
Issue: The pressure of a last-minute call can prompt you to reveal something you normally would not. You feel rushed, so you skip your preparation or approval processes.
Fix: Don’t let the reporter transfer their stress to you. Be helpful and calm, tell them you need a few moments to collect your thoughts, say you will call back in 10 minutes, and follow through.
8. “I Already Know…”
Trap: The reporter asks a question that presumes they already know the answer, even though it hasn’t been confirmed. “Why did you fire the whistleblower?” rather than “Did you fire the whistleblower?”
Issue: Missing this trap means you may become the person who confirms a negative story about your own organization.
Fix: If the reporter has made a false assumption, say so. If not, don’t provide confirmation unless you’ve made a conscious choice to do so (and have the approval to do so).
9. Invitations to Over-Explain
Trap: The journalist asks a broad, open-ended question, inviting you to explain a complex issue in detail.
Issue: Over-explanation creates multiple risks: contradictory phrasing, unintended emphasis, quotes that can be lifted without the associated qualifying language…
Fix: Pick one or two clear points, specify that those are what you’re addressing in plain language, and answer them clearly. Repeat the points you were answering at the end, if necessary, to make it clear.
10. Emotional Provocation
Trap: The journalist interrupts you and gets into repetitive questioning cycles or uses an aggressive tone to fluster you.
Issue: The issue is your emotional reaction to being provoked. You get stressed, so you may speed up, go off-script from your prepared messages, or focus on rebutting every implied criticism more than on your narrative. This can create a scattered performance that gives the impression of uncertainty… even when there is none.
Fix: Take a breath, slow down, and return to your core message. Every time.
One way to stay on top of all these traps: Remind yourself that you are an active participant in the interview and you have as much control over it as the interviewer.
Nobody can make you say anything you don’t want to say.
Nobody can make you answer a question you don’t want to answer.
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