How to Handle a Hostile Interviewer

When dealing with reporters and the media, sometimes interviews can take a turn for the worse if hostile questions are asked that you may be unprepared for. However, there is no need to panic when you are asked questions that you are uncomfortable answering immediately. There are several ways to cope with this and ultimately maintain control of the interview.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basic social skills
• Lots of patience
• Knowledge of tactics that will allow you to keep control of an interview

1. Depending on the media outlet, sometimes interviews take unexpected turns with questions that you either have no answer to or were not prepared to answer. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the publication or program in which you'll be appearing prior to your interview. If the person that is interviewing you has a tendency to hassle his guests, then you know he may give you a hard time as well.

2. Stay focused on the primary message that you are being interviewed to deliver. If an interviewer frequently interrupts various statements in an attempt to aggravate you, respond by saying that you will address that question at a later time and continue with your statement. If this does not work, simply ignore the interruption and finish what you were saying. Then, ask the interviewer is there was something else she wanted to ask.

3. Avoid hypothetical questions. Interviews may ask several of these questions depicting worst-case scenarios and other catastrophes. Many times these questions do not have positive answers either way you turn and can back you into a corner. Simply reply by acknowledging the situation is hypothetical and not a threat or concern in the near future.

4. If an interviewer continuously misunderstands your views, or portrays them incorrectly, reaffirm your statements so that they are as clear as possible. End the interviewer much like you would an essay or research paper by restating your main points and message.

Tips & Warnings

• Never say anything to a reporter that you wouldn't want to see in print or broadcasted on the air.
• Keeping calm is perhaps the most important way to keep control of an interview that is beginning to go hostile. Avoid raising your voice at all costs.
• Remember to stay on topic. Chances are you have limited print space or air time. Talking about anything but the point you are trying to get across can further limit your message from reaching others.
• Always maintain politeness toward your interviewer, no matter how ugly things get.
• Be wary of making comments "off the record." Not every media outlet is truthful to this practice and there is no guarantee that the comment won't leak out in the future.