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what you’re going
to say. News people
almost always work
on deadlines of a few
hours to a few days, but
that doesn’t mean you have
to jump in without knowing
what will be discussed. If you
tell the journalist you’re in the
middle of something and can talk
to them in 15 or 30 minutes, you are
respecting their need for speed, and
those few minutes will give you time
to think about the topic before you start
answering questions. If they have a longer
lead time, usually they will be happy to
Keep it simple
schedule a time to talk later.
“Make sure you understand what is
All our media experts agree you have to
being asked, and that you can contribute
speak in plain English and not use techni-
something sensible on the point,” advised
cal jargon in interviews. You need to be as
David Peterson, who is semi-retired and
accurate and complete as possible in your
formerly of the Duke statistics faculty.
answers, but you shouldn’t go into so much
detail that the answer becomes confusing.
Using language your interviewer doesn’t
Remember that you may
quite understand is one of the major rea-
be talking to someone
sons experts are misquoted. The more tech-
with little or no knowledge
nical you are, the more likely you are to be
of statistics.
misunderstood and/or misquoted.
“Avoid statistical jargon. The audience
There are basically two types of news peo-
won’t understand and may, in fact, take
ple: generalists and specialists. The gener-
a different meaning from your intend-
alists are not subject-matter experts; they
ed message.” This is sound advice from
may cover a strike in the morning, an auto
C. Shane Reese of Brigham Young
accident in the afternoon, and a program
University.
on nuclear fusion in the evening. Some
science writers have a lot of science back-
ground. In both cases, however, you may Know your audience
be dealing with people who know little or
Yes, you’re talking to a journalist, but you’re
nothing about statistics. Don’t overestimate
really talking to his audience. Framing
the interviewer’s expertise; you may need to
your answers for the journalist’s audience is
provide enough background about a sub-
really the key to giving a good interview.
ject so you can lead the interviewer to ask
That’s also the key to getting your com-
the right questions. As one journalist once
ments used—the more relevant they are
aptly put it, “If I don’t ask the right ques-
to the interviewer’s audience, and the bet-
tion, make sure you give the right answer.”
ter you are at explaining things succinctly,
“If a reporter’s question is unclear or not
the more likely you are to be quoted—and
posed in such a way that one can answer it
quoted correctly. So, if you’re not familiar
usefully, the most valuable thing one can do
with the news outlet, ask who makes up the
is to first provide some background expla-
audience. Journalists use their audience to
nation to help them understand the issues.
filter what you say: What is the implica-
That is, lead the reporter to ask the right
tion of the particular topic to the audience?
question, then answer it,” said Peter F. Thall
Does it mean an additional congressional
of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
district in their state? More money for a
44 AMSTAT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2008
SEPTEMBER AMSTAT FINAL.indd 44 8/20/08 2:27:04 PM
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