Press Interview Tips for Nonprofit Spokespeople

Preparing for a media interview can feel overwhelming, but with the right tools and preparation, you can feel confident and in control during interviews, elevating your message and establishing yourself as a reliable source. Here are some media training tips every nonprofit spokesperson should know: 

Know your top three talking points. Before any interview, identify, practice, and memorize the three key messages you want to communicate. Including: 

• A clear explanation (or “elevator pitch”) of what your organization does in 90 seconds or less
• Share how your organization is helping in the specific situation you are being asked about. Support this with stories and statistics. Providing numbers is very helpful to show impact and need.
• Prepare a strong call to action. What do you want the audience to do? Donate? Volunteer? Educate themselves? Use this to plug your website and spread your platform

Be prepared for off-topic questions. Journalists might not ask questions that will naturally lead you to your talking points. This is where bridging and flagging come in.

Bridging is a way of building from the question that the journalist asked to the message you want to communicate. Bridging phrases include: 

• “Let me answer you by saying that …” 
• “If you look at it closely, you will find …”
• “I don’t know the answer to that question, but what I do know is …” 
• “What I really want to talk about is…” 

These phrases help you build on the original question to share one of your main talking points. 

Flagging is used to shift the question to what you want to answer. This can be especially helpful in avoiding a political question when you don’t have to provide political answers. Flagging phrases include: 

• “The real issue here is…”
• “The bottom line here is…” 
• “The main point I want to emphasize here is…” 
• “What’s really critical here is…” 

Practicing these skills and techniques will allow you to enter an interview with your best foot forward and position yourself as a credible and trustworthy voice for your organization. The goal of an interview is not just to answer questions; it is to tell your story and inspire action.