You’re looking for a quote from an expert related to the news story you’re putting together about minimizing your risk of becoming a crime victim.
You’re fortunate enough to get a smart crime expert on the phone, and lucky for you, he’s experienced enough with media interviews to know he has to keep his answers short (no longer than one minute each).
Here’s one exchange from the interview:
Question: “Are certain people more likely to become a victim of a mugging? What advice do you have to avoid becoming a victim?”ANSWER: “Well, these are crimes of opportunity. I mean, the stereotypical thing we all think about is old ladies getting mugged or having their purses snatched—and certainly that happens occasionally. And it’s obviously horrible when we see that, because they’re among the most vulnerable people in our society and it often shatters their sense of safety. I’ve even seen victims who essentially become shut-ins because they’re so scared, but I’ve also seen really big men mugged by smaller criminals with a weapon. Catch those big guys off guard, and they’re susceptible, too. So, I’d say to everyone to be aware of their environment and, like I said before, remember that anyone can be a victim.”
In your role as the reporter, look at that answer and decide what you think the quote should be. Keep in mind that for most edited interviews—print, online, radio and television—the average quote is short. For a print or online publication, it might run a couple of sentences. For a television broadcast, it might last up to 15 seconds.
What did you select as the gold nugget to plug into your story?
I couldn’t find anything great. The closing sentence might have been okay except for the phrase, “like I said before,” which wouldn’t make sense in middle of a quote. The example about the old lady was too lengthy and in the weeds to make sense as a standalone thought.
That lengthy quote isn’t unusual for media spokespersons. It’s often the norm.
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There is a lot of potential in that answer—and with finessing, it’s easy to see how it could become more media friendly. Here’s take two:
QUESTION: “Are certain people more likely to become a victim of a mugging? What advice do you have to avoid becoming a victim?”ANSWER: “Criminals are looking to commit crimes of opportunity, and anyone—from the older women who didn’t see the purse snatching coming to the bigger man who thought he was immune from street crime—could be a victim. We tell everyone to be aware of your surroundings, park in lighted and well-populated areas, and call your local police department if anything looks off.”
Both sentences in the second answer have a self-contained thought. A reporter could run either—or both.
For a sound bites-style format—as opposed to longer-format interviews or in-person presentations—the “gold” a reporter is hoping to mine is a standalone quote that can be plugged seamlessly into his or her story.
That’s not to say that every sentence you utter during an interview has to be perfectly crafted. Few people speak that way naturally. However, you should think out in advance what your standalone quotes might be.
Years ago, one of my trainees shared an exercise. A previous trainer taught him to speak in a “short answer/long answer” format, in which every response began with a tight one- or two-sentence answer, followed by additional context as needed.
The second version above was my short answer. I could have added additional examples or statistics during a “long answer” that followed.
The benefit of this approach is that the short answer often contains the headline—the standalone thought—and by leading with it, you’ve quickly helped a reporter sift through the sand to find something of value.
Different media formats have different requirements—so before your next interview, ask yourself what the reporter seeks from you. If it’s a compelling quote that encapsulates an entire thought in a few lines, think in advance about what that quote might be. Make sure it’s as easy for the reporter to spot as a bar of gold.
Brad Phillips is president of Phillips Media Relations, which specializes in media and presentation training. He is author of the Mr. Media Training Blog (where a version of this article originally appeared) and two books: "The Media Training Bible" and "101 Ways to Open a Speech"
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