Use them and you should have good experiences dealing with the local newspaper or radio or TV station. They are not experts, so they ask lots of questions and need lots of explanations in simple terms. They also often ask you to repeat things. Don't be offended, they're just trying to get things right. Many have bad handwriting.
Reporters live under the tyranny of the clock.
Let's start with interviews. Remember that the reporter is not your audience. You are talking to the readers or viewers, the listeners to the radio show and those people are customers, neighbors, employees, co-workers. The second thing to remember is to relax and be yourself. That's actually easier than it sounds, even if you've never done it before.