The Media and You: Interviewee’s Rights

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The media and our rights have become an issue in the era of fake news. Despite differences between news media, television, newspapers, and digital. However, there are some interview techniques common to all media. 

The Media and You Must Get The Story

First of all, the interviewer’s objective is to get the story. You can help them get just that in a way that is positive and not damaging to you and those you are representing. Secondly, positivity helps both sides, as it helps with the objective. 

The audience is the ultimate winners and the common touchpoint for both the interviewer and interviewee.

The Interviewee’s Rights

Being the subject of a media interview, you have certain rights as explained by the late Peter Hannaford. An American author and business consultant to President Ronald Regan.

These are :

  1. Set the ground rules
  2. Select the topics to be covered
  3. Change the subject
  4. Ask question yourself

They are still relevant and constructive today.

Select the ground rules:

Every day in Pakistan, on prime time tv, there is an occurrence. Every day there is also a pattern. 

“A recording or a clip from your past is shown. A past where you may or may not be on the same team, organization, or for that matter, the context. It’s called accentuating the negative.” 

Therefore, know your rights. Select the ground rules. Context matters, and if your past is the topic, then it should be discussed and agreed upon before the interview.

Select the Topics To Be Covered

If you want to check the topics, also let the interviewer know in advance. There may be a case the reporter wants to ask that you are not qualified to discuss. While it is your right to limit the range of the topics to be covered, your inability to discuss a subject may deliver the session useless from your host’s point of view. If this is to happen, it is better to know it in advance rather than waste time.

Change the subject

Once the conversation begins, you have a right to change the subject. If a particular question appears to be leading into an area you want to avoid. You can give a compressed response, and make a bridge to a related topic that you do want to affirm. The interrogator may come back to the query you did not fully defend, asking it in other ways. if so, keep branching back to variations of the bartered-subject reply you used the first time.

Ask question yourself

Answering a question with a question is one way to shift the focus of an interview. As long as the ground rules are agreed upon.  

An accomplished interviewer may employ any rhetorical mechanism to put you on the spot. 

“These are called trick questions. Usually designed to trap you if you are not familiar with the techniques. “

Be relevant and constructive to those you represent and always to your audience.

To Be Continued…

Asim Qureshi is the Founder of Starring Brands. A rare C-Level Executive also hired by the quintessential of Pakistan’s Media Industry i.e as CEO at ARY and Jang Group.

Maria Umer
Latest posts by Maria Umer (see all)

Maria Umer

A content writer based in Dubai with a diversified portfolio in websites, blogs and creative writing. Previously a beauty and fashion consultant with experience in London Mumbai Karachi Dubai.
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John P.A
John P.A

Fair enough. I like the way you have balanced it. Mentioning the importance of getting the story and helping the media . If only we understand and cooperate. Here in the USA the media high has long been over due to several issues with bias in reporting. All in all a good Read. Academically!

Rajeev Mehta
Rajeev Mehta

Haha! Clips from the past…have we not seen this TAMASHA for long now.

Sonali R
Sonali R

Here also the Pakistan Media is following the Indian Media Masala style Fake News .

Beenish Mohsin
Beenish Mohsin

Hello Sir I am your student from Iqra Media Sciences days and regularly follow your blog posts and coverage. We run a digital agency now and would love to collarbone with you on content. Have also inbox details on Starring Brands facebook page. Looking forward to your reply.

Sam Gillespie
Sam Gillespie

Media is biassed and irrelevant in the age of information which does not come from TV or NewsPapers

Margaret Howe
Margaret Howe

“Know your rights, Select the ground rules. Context Matters.” Well Said

Abdullah Hameed
Abdullah Hameed

Sir Pakistani media like Indian is Sold Out . Thank God there is no drama and rubbish here in Saudi

Sunil Achari
Sunil Achari

Excellent ! it is just what I was looking for my project I am studying in Mumbai. Please publish part 2 soon.

Abdul Rehman
Abdul Rehman

I know my right now. Someone please interview me.

Ahram Khan
Ahram Khan

Impressive again. Please Sir I want to work with you. I have completed my bachelors in graphic design

Romario Alves
Romario Alves

Please tell me the about the trick questions. When will the next blog come out?

Zaheer Abbasi
Zaheer Abbasi

PTI people need to learn this from you. They need professional media handling.

Lukas
Lukas

German Engineering is strong enough to face all kind of media no need to prepare so much. just make good products

Zhang Wei
Zhang Wei

China media is mostly controlled. Pakistan India kind of not so much control and lot more wild . Is good to know your right and balance. But speak truth

Yang Ziyi
Yang Ziyi

Good Knowledge

M Kashif
M Kashif

Fed up of Pakistan Media Circus showing clips from the past

Justin Wild
Justin Wild

Good Advice

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Matt Essam
Matt Essam

Insightful