WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU RECEIVE A MEDIA CALL?
Gather information. You don’t have to start answering a reporter’s questions right
away. Instead, ask the reporter:
 their name;
 their media outlet;
 what they are calling about;
 what questions they want to ask;
 their deadline; and
 who else they are interviewing or speaking to.
From there, you can determine if you are the right spokesperson for the story and if you
are comfortable speaking to the reporter or their outlet. If you do want to proceed with
the interview, set up a mutually agreeable time to speak call them back. If you are not
the right person to address their questions, or you are not comfortable doing the media
interview, please refer the reporter to Ryerson’s Public Affairs department.
TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS
1. Be prepared. Think of potential questions the reporter might ask. Prepare
answers for each one and rehearse them. You can always contact Suelan Toye,
media relations officer in Public Affairs, to conduct a mock interview beforehand.
2. Think about your audiences. Decide who you would ideally like to reach
through the media interview: TRSM students? Alumni? Researchers? Policy
makers? These will be your key audiences. When speaking to the reporter, target
your answer to those audiences and what you would like them to know.
3. Key messages. Think about the three main points you want to make to your key
audiences and write them down. These are your key messages. You also don’t
need to repeat these points. Rather, weave them naturally into into the
conversation during the interview with the reporter.
4. Pause. Answer. Stop. Before you respond to a reporter’s question, pause for a
moment to gather your thoughts. Answer each question with brief sentences at
an easy pace. Then stop talking. Don’t feel as though you need to get all your
points in one long answer. Instead, give the reporter the chance to ask more
questions so that they can learn about your research at their pace. If it’s a prerecorded, on-air interview, this also allows editors to easily clip that great answer
you gave without too much editing.
5. Anecdotes. Using examples to illustrate your point is a great way to add “colour”
to your quotes--and weave in a key message. You can refer to a specific TRSM
study you conducted to illustrate your quote. Anecdotes may also convey new
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information that the reporter may not have known.
6. Bridging tough questions. If a reporter asks you a difficult question that you are
not sure how to answer, you can bring the conversation back to your key
messages by using bridging phrases such as ..



Let’s put your question into perspective…
That’s an interesting viewpoint. What I can tell you is …
That’s not my area of expertise, but what’s important to remember is…
Using these phrases will help you steer clear of hostile questions without sounding
combative or evasive.
7. Avoid jargon. Reporters won’t understand what you are saying if you use a lot of
academic language. Use plain language to get your points across.
8. Off-the-record. There is no such thing to reporters. If you say that, it’s waving a
red flag in front of their faces, saying “Pay attention to this.”
9. Never say “No comment.” Try instead, “That’s an interesting question. What I
can say is …” (go back to your key messages.)
TIPS FOR ON-AIR INTERVIEWS
1. Practice, practice. We all have little quirks or habits that are distracting to watch
so try and practice in front of the mirror beforehand. Better yet, conduct a mock
interview with a media relations officer who can point out where you can improve.
2. Think visual. The background and setting can have a big impact. Be aware of
your surroundings. If the interview is being filmed in your office, make sure you
don’t have anything lying around that you don’t want to have filmed. If you can,
try to find a background with Ryerson branding.
3. Know the show. What kind of stories do the reporters like to cover? Knowing
their bent will help you better anticipate questions.
4. Microphones are always live. Many people have been caught when a reporter
drops the microphone to the side and starts casual dialogue. If you’re wearing a
lapel mike be aware that it’s always on (even if the reporter walks off to check the
batteries in the camera).
5. Stay in control. It’s fine to be emphatic but never get emotional. Once you lose
emotional control and become angry or upset, you lose your argument.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Suelan Toye
Media Relations | Ted Rogers School of Management
416-890-1805 | stoye@ryerson.ca | @TRSMRyersonU
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