If you are the subject of an interview:
Staff members in the campus news offices are available to provide advice regarding print and broadcast interviews. Some basic ideas to keep in mind:
- You
are never obligated to accept a request for an interview.
-
If you are caught off guard on the telephone, feel free to say that you can’t talk at the moment but will call back soon.
- Inquire about the nature of the story before you agree to be interviewed. If you choose to decline, never say "no comment." Just say you are not willing to be interviewed on the particular topic.
- If you
agree to an interview, always write down the name and news organization
of the reporter(s).
- Give
direct, honest, brief answers. It is advisable not to joke or make comments
that might sound acceptable when spoken but would not read well out
of context.
- Unless
you are used to working with the press frequently, it is best not to
try to characterize your answers as "background," "on
the record," "off the record," etc. These terms often
are misunderstood or misused. The simplest rule: If you don’t want
to see something in print or on a broadcast, don’t say it. Remember,
you can not take something off the record after it has been said.
- You have a right to ask a reporter to check your quotes with you before the story is printed or broadcast, but requests to see an entire article or segments before it is printed or aired almost always are denied.
For further information, the Associated Press stylebook contains a section on media law