- Good quality photos that newspapers could use. Also, agree on your key messages – usually three things you really want people to remember after reading your press release or event description. This should include any local figure you have regarding Carers Week – for example: ‘there are XXX amount of carers in Birmingham and they can find support at XXX’. It would be a good idea to send this press release to any media contacts you have. If you don’t have any, don’t worry. Read your local paper and identify any reporters who have written on similar themes. If you can’t identify anyone give your regional Macmillan communications team a call (details below) and we’ll do our very best to help you out. It is also worth finding out when you need to send the press release by – deadlines can be sooner than you think. Once you've sent out a press release, hopefully journalists will get in touch. They might want to interview you about the event and arrange to send a photographer along with them. If they don’t get back in touch, it’s important to chase this up – journalists are sent hundreds of press releases daily, so it’s easy for them to get lost. Don’t just assume they’re not interested. Prepare for your interview Good preparation is key to a confident interview. You might want to ask the reporter a number of questions to ensure that you understand what will happen. This could include: - If it is a broadcast interview (radio or television) remember to ask if it is live or - Ask how long the interview will be, so you know how much information to give in your first couple of answers. - Television reporters may ask if they can film you at your event. It’s important to manage the TV crew as some people attending your event may not want to be filmed. If you’re working in a hospital setting, you’ll need to make their press department aware of this. - Ask what type of questions you can expect. You’re not there to be ‘tripped up’ and if you’re prepared it will lead to a much better interview for everyone involved. - If you’d like a Macmillan representative to be with you for a televised interview, please let your Macmillan contact know (details below). We’ll aim to support you as much as we can.
Keep a handle on your nerves - Think of it as a conversation, not an interview. How would you talk about your event to a friend? - Take a minute to think if you’re asked a tricky question. - Have some water to hand. Talking can be thirsty work. Deal with tricky questions Sometimes, a journalist may ask questions you find difficult to answer. Remember you’re not a Macmillan spokesperson and there are no expectations on you to comment on policies or issues not related to your story. And there are a number of ways of dealing with this situation: - During a pre-recorded interview, you can explain politely that you’re not prepared to answer their question and explain why. - If the question relates to a Macmillan policy, you can refer to your Macmillan contact. - During live interviews it is more difficult but there are useful phrases that you can use to deflect the question and help you return to the main issue: ‘Some people may think the real issue is ...’ ‘All I can talk about is my own personal experiences which ...’ ‘I’m not here to talk about that but from my experiences ...’ Give a good interview - Just be yourself and as confident and friendly as you can be. - Use simple, conversational language. - Be brief and to the point. Your time is limited. But try not to rush or talk faster to get everything in, speaking clearly and concisely. - Avoid getting side-tracked by questions which don’t fit into your key points. If you stay in control you can move the interview back to what you want to say. - Say what you have to say (remembering your three key messages) and then stop – it’s the job of the interviewer to keep the interview moving. - If the interviewer gives wrong information, try to correct it straight away. - If you cannot comment, explain why (e.g. ‘I should not pre-empt the report’, ‘I am not a health professional and cannot comment on that specifically, however….’). - It would be great if you could mention the name, ‘Macmillan Cancer Support’, as early in the interview as you can. Assume the interviewer doesn’t know anything about you or Macmillan.