Media Tips: How to Prepare for the Unexpected

As an author doing media, your goal is to be authentic, put yourself out there, and share your expertise. But that doesn’t mean everyone will respond to your content.

Sometimes you’ll face skeptical anchors or interviewers who push back on what you say. It’s important to be prepared for those moments so you can handle them with poise and grace.

I’ve been on both sides of this—both as an expert answering questions and as a journalist asking them. If your ideas push back on convention, offer a new solution to a problem, or are unexpected, your interviewer might ask you probing questions or ask you to defend your perspective. They’re not out for a “gotcha” moment. It’s their job to get the full story. But it can feel uncomfortable if you’re not expecting it.

Here are five ways to get through unexpected moments in an interview.

1. Prepare for pushback.

It’s OK for people to disagree. It’s OK for people to question your ideas. But it’s also stressful.

The way to reduce that stress is to prepare. Here are some questions you can ask yourself and prepare answers for:

What might someone ask if they wanted to play devil’s advocate?What is the mainstream viewpoint that you’re challenging, and why are you taking that position?What evidence do people who disagree with you have, and what would you say to refute that evidence?

You might not be asked about any of these things—but you might be. That’s why it’s important to have thought through your talking points prior to your interview.

When I work with authors, I help them speak in soundbites by developing short, medium, and long answers to likely questions they’ll be asked. I call it the Accordion Method and I use it myself when I prepare to do media. It’s something I dig into a lot in my online training, Media-Ready Author.

2. Pause and have grace.

Say you’re on live TV and someone asks you a question that you just didn’t expect. Before you answer, take a breath. Make sure you respond with grace rather than getting defensive.

Smiling is always a good idea during media interviews—and especially if you’ve just been asked a difficult question.

You don’t need to invent anything on the spot and you don’t need to “win”—it’s not a competition. Instead, embrace pushback as an opportunity to make an even stronger point.

3. Return to your talking points.

After you take a beat, return to your talking points and apply them to what you’ve been asked.

I often go on TV to talk about productivity, so this is something I’ve experienced firsthand.

For instance, I was once speaking on PIX 11 News in New York City about how to have a four-day work week. One of the anchors was skeptical about the idea.

It definitely rattled me! But I took a deep breath and stayed on topic. I wasn’t there to convince him. I was there to share my tips with you, the viewer.

So I stuck to my talking points and responded to his pushback to the best of my ability. I looked at the facts. People who work four days a week report that they’re more productive. It’s hard to argue with that.

4. Embrace imperfection.

Not everything is going to go perfectly in every interview. Especially if you’re doing a lot of them.

If you stumble a little as you try to get back on topic, it’s OK! Don’t beat yourself up about it. You did your best. You kept your cool and you kept going. You are your own worst critic, and other people probably didn’t experience the moment the same way you did.

[Learn more from Paula Rizzo at WD: Media Training for Authors]

5. Use it as a learning opportunity.

Every time you’re asked an unexpected question, you get better at responding. It’s true! The first time is always the trickiest, no matter how diligently you prepare.

Use these moments as opportunities for learning and growing. Rewatch or re-listen to interviews and decide if you want to respond differently next time or if you liked your reaction. There will always be another interview—one response isn’t the last word!

Keep getting your message out. Not everyone will be receptive to every message, video, or post. But that’s OK—you’ll find your audience.

Learn more from Paula Rizzo at the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 17-20, 2024. There’s still time to register!