Last month, an NFL player with the New York Jets made the headlines, but unfortunately it wasn’t in the sports section of the Sunday newspaper. Instead, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis’ heated argument, and abrupt ending, to an interview with New York City radio host Mike Francesa made headlines on countless sports blogs and PR industry outlets.
During the interview, Francesa focused his attention and questions on a particular play Revis made during the game against the Miami Dolphins where he intercepted a pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Replays during and after the game showed that Revis may have interfered with the pass originally intended for a Miami Dolphins player. While the referees never called it during the game, Francesa was calling it during his interview, accusing Revis of the penalty and pressing the issue to the point where the interview was interrupted by a Jets PR person and ended abruptly. Per the advice of his PR representative, Revis hung up the phone to end the interview.
Ending an interview early is never a good idea. In an article on Ragan.com about this incident, Brad Philipps wrote that ending an interview “always makes the story bigger” and “gives credence to the charges made against you.” He also notes that the host will usually look better, while the guest and the PR representative will look unprofessional.
How could this situation have been prevented or possibly managed better? We have shared countless tips on how to “master the interview” and “how to give a good phone interview with media” on our blog. After reading about Revis’ story, we want to share a few additional tips that may be useful for you to consider when preparing for your next interview.
The bottom line is that no matter the opportunity, it is important to be well prepared regardless if you are meeting a journalist in person or conducting an interview over the phone for a story that is to appear in print or broadcasted through radio or television. Through preparation and practice and knowing your key messages, you have the ability to take control of the interview to ensure success.
Molly McWhinnie
Tags: Ending an interview early, Interviews, Preparing for an interview Filed under: COMMUNIQUÉ PR