3 mistakes reporters make in media interviews

Before I kick this off, let me start by clarifying that this is not a blanket statement on all reporters. I’ve worked with many talented, professional and highly respectable journalists whose work I very much admire. To be honest, I don’t have any nightmare stories from my time in media relations. But through the hustle of working with the media, there are a few cringey things that stick out to me the most.

Failing to research the topic before the interview.

Say what? It sounds hard to believe but I’ve come across this more times than I’d like to admit, specifically with general assignment reporters.

In most newsrooms, reporters are covering multiple stories a day and are hustling to research, make calls, shoot, write and edit content for each show. That’s where my job comes into play. Media relations reps lend a helping hand to reporters, by identifying stories, finding sources, facilitating interviews, locating visuals and providing background information to the reporter.

So, in the off chance that a reporter shows up to the interview failing to do their part of reviewing the provided background information, it can be quite frustrating.

Rushing the interview to get to the next story

Again, journalists are under a lot of pressure, but the interviewee is also taking time out of their day. Respecting one's valuable time is a must.

Misquoting, mistitling and misspelling the names

It sounds like an easy mistake. But most reporters kick off their interview by clarifying those specific details, so when the story publishes with basic inaccuracies, it's disappointing for all involved.