Media Training Tip: When You Don't Know The Answer
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Brad Phillips, president of Phillips Media Relations, addresses how to handle difficult questions in media interviews, especially when you don't know the answer. He suggests that in live interviews, instead of saying 'I don't know,' which can undermine credibility, it's better to pivot to information you do know. Phillips shares a technique used by journalists, offering tips on how to redirect to relevant facts and maintain control of the interview. This approach helps preserve credibility while still providing useful information to the audience.
Takeaways
- 😀 If it's not a live interview (print or radio), it's fine to admit you don't know the answer and follow up with the information later.
- 💡 In live interviews, saying 'I don't know' can hurt your credibility with the audience.
- 🗣️ Instead of saying 'I don't know,' pivot to what you do know and steer the conversation in a related direction.
- 📺 Brad learned a useful technique from ABC News during the 1990s, particularly from Peter Jennings' style of questioning.
- 🤔 Jennings liked to ask questions that reporters might not fully know to ensure they were well-prepared.
- 🔄 If caught off guard, reporters learned to say something like 'That’s unclear, but what I can tell you is...' and pivot to a related topic.
- 📊 When asked about specific numbers or details you don't know, shift the answer to broader knowledge related to the topic.
- 🎤 Most live interviews are not contentious, so reporters will often allow you to steer away from specifics if you handle it smoothly.
- 👍 Using this approach helps maintain credibility while keeping control of the messaging in an interview.
- 🔔 Viewers are encouraged to subscribe for more media training tips in future videos.
Q & A
What should you do if a reporter asks a question during a print or radio interview that you don't know the answer to?
-If the interview is not live, such as a print or radio interview by phone, you can simply tell the reporter that you don't know the answer but will try to get the information as quickly as possible after the interview.
How should you respond if you don't know the answer during a live interview?
-In a live interview, instead of saying 'I don't know,' which can undercut your credibility, you can use a bridging technique. Acknowledge the uncertainty by saying something like 'That's unclear, but what I can tell you is...' and then pivot to a topic you do know.
Why is saying 'I don't know' during a live interview problematic?
-Saying 'I don't know' during a live interview can harm your credibility with the audience, as it might make you seem unprepared or uninformed.
What technique did Peter Jennings use to challenge his correspondents, and how did they handle it?
-Peter Jennings would occasionally ask questions his correspondents might not know the answer to, to ensure they knew the story well. When caught off guard, correspondents learned to bridge the gap by saying something like 'That's unclear, but what I can tell you is...' and then provided related information they were confident about.
What is the main strategy you should use when you don’t have a specific answer during an interview?
-The main strategy is to bridge from the reporter's question to a topic you do know. Instead of focusing on what you don't know, shift to discussing what you can confidently explain.
Can you give an example of how to apply the bridging technique during a live interview?
-If you're asked about a specific number and don't know it, you could respond by saying, 'Well, here's what I can tell you: the number has been growing for the past 5 years, and that's because...' This allows you to provide useful information even if you're not giving a specific figure.
Will most reporters press you for an answer if you use the bridging technique?
-In most live interviews, which are generally not contentious, reporters will recognize your attempt to steer the conversation to an area you're knowledgeable about and will not push you to give a specific answer again.
What was the key lesson Brad Phillips learned from working with ABC News?
-Brad Phillips learned the technique of bridging from his experience at ABC News, where correspondents would redirect questions they didn’t know by acknowledging uncertainty and then providing relevant information.
Why is it important to avoid telling the reporter what you don't know during an interview?
-It’s important because focusing on what you don’t know can make you appear less credible or unprepared. Redirecting to what you do know helps maintain your credibility and keeps the interview on track.
What should viewers do if they liked the media training tips from the video?
-If viewers liked the video tip, they are encouraged to click the 'Subscribe' button to receive future media training tips.
Outlines
🗣️ Handling Unknown Questions in Media Interviews
Brad Phillips, president of Phillips Media Relations, discusses how to handle questions in media interviews that one does not know the answer to. He explains that for non-live interviews, it's acceptable to admit ignorance and promise to provide the information later. However, for live interviews, saying 'I don't know' can damage credibility. Phillips suggests using a technique he learned from ABC News' Peter Jennings, who would ask his correspondents unexpected questions to ensure they were well-prepared. When caught off guard, the correspondents learned to bridge from the unknown question to something they did know, providing related information without directly admitting they didn't know the specific answer. This approach helps maintain credibility while steering the conversation away from the unknown.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Media Training
💡Reporter
💡Credibility
💡Live Interview
💡Print Interview
💡Radio Interview
💡Bridge
💡Messaging
💡ABC News
💡Peter Jennings
💡Correspondents
Highlights
Brad Phillips, president of Phillips media relations, addresses a common concern in media training.
The concern is how to handle questions that one doesn't know the answer to during interviews.
For non-live interviews, it's advised to admit not knowing and promise to find the information.
In live interviews, saying 'I don't know' can damage credibility.
A technique learned from ABC News in the 1990s is suggested for live interviews.
Peter Jennings would ask correspondents difficult questions to test their knowledge.
Correspondents learned to pivot to what they knew when caught off guard.
The technique involves bridging from the question to an answer one is confident about.
An example is provided for how to respond to a question about specific numbers.
The strategy is to discuss the trend or related information instead of specifics.
Most reporters will not push for a specific number if the interview is not contentious.
The video offers a tip for media interviews to maintain credibility.
Viewers are encouraged to subscribe for more media training tips.
The video concludes with a thank you for watching.
The video provides practical advice for handling unknown answers in media interviews.
The technique helps interviewees to steer the conversation away from their lack of knowledge.
The video is part of a series of media training tips.
Phillips media relations specializes in media training workshops.
Transcripts
hi this is Brad Phillips president of
Phillips media relations and in today's
video I'm going to be addressing one of
the most common concerns I hear when
leading media training workshops and
that is what happens if the reporter
asks me a question that I just don't
know the answer to well if the interview
is not live if it's a print interview or
a radio interview by telephone the
answer is easy you just tell the
reporter you don't know but then you try
to get them the information as quickly
as possible after the interview
concludes
but if the interview is live saying the
words I don't know can undercut your
credibility with the audience so instead
there's a technique I learned when
working as a journalist with ABC News in
the
1990s Peter Jennings at the time was the
anchor of world news tonight and he used
to like to ask his correspondents
questions that he thought they might not
know the answers to the reason he did
that was he wanted to make sure that his
reporters really knew the ins and outs
of every story that they were reporting
well it came occasionally he did catch
his correspondence off guard and they
didn't know the answer to one of the
questions he was asking them so what
they learned to do live on the air was
to say something along the lines of well
that's unclear Peter but what I can tell
you is and that is the same technique
you should apply when doing media
interviews don't tell the public or the
reporter what you don't know tell them
what you do know so Bridge from their
question to a answer that you know
something about so for example if you're
asked a question
what was the specific number of X your
answer could be well here's what I can
tell you the number has been growing for
the past 5 years and that's because and
continue with your messaging by doing
that you indicate to the reporter that
although you don't know the specifics
you can talk about other parts of that
same topic and because most live
interviews are not contentious most
reporters will recognize that you have
tried to steer it away from giving a
specific number and they will not push
you uh to cite a specific number again
if you like this uh video tip please
click the Subscribe button so you get
each of our future media training tips
thank you very much for watching
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