The person who knows the most isn’t always the person reporters should talk to. Some brilliant experts can bury the useful part of an answer under so much context that it’s hard to find. On the other hand, someone can be perfectly polished and comfortable talking to the media without actually saying much.
A good spokesperson needs expertise, but also the judgment to know what matters in the moment, how much explanation is necessary and how to make what they know useful to someone outside the organization. That’s part of what separates being an expert or thought leader from being a strong spokesperson. There’s plenty of overlap, but they aren’t exactly the same job.
The Obvious Choice Is Usually Fine
Most organizations don’t need to overthink who should handle an interview. The CEO, founder or lead expert is often the obvious choice, and usually that person is perfectly capable of doing it.
But it’s worth thinking about what the story actually requires.
A CEO may be great for a conversation about the organization or industry but not the best person for a deeply technical interview. Meanwhile, the person who lives and breathes the technical details may have a harder time stepping back and explaining why any of it matters.
This doesn’t need to turn into a complicated spokesperson-selection process. Ideally, the person understands the subject, has the authority to speak for the organization and can have a real conversation with a reporter.
The problem comes when we assume a title or expertise automatically makes someone good at interviews. Neither tells us much about what will happen once a reporter starts asking questions.
Reporters Need the Useful Part First
Experts often explain things in the order they learned them. They start with the background, add the necessary caveats, explain how everything works and eventually get to the point.
A reporter generally needs the reverse.
They’re trying to understand what changed, why something matters, what it means for their audience or where a story might be going. If the answer is buried inside five minutes of thoughtful explanation, the reporter has to do the work of finding it.
This can be especially hard for people who know a subject inside and out. They understand all of the variables and exceptions, so simplifying an answer can feel like leaving something important out. But leading with the clearest answer doesn’t mean stripping away the nuance. It just means giving the reporter something to work with before adding all the supporting details.
One of the simplest things a spokesperson can do is answer the question first, then explain. The reporter can always ask for more.
A Media Interview Isn’t a Presentation
Someone giving a presentation controls where the conversation is going. A reporter doesn’t necessarily follow that path.
They might interrupt, ask the same question another way because the first answer didn’t quite get there, jump to something the spokesperson wasn’t expecting or challenge something they just said. That’s why memorizing talking points only gets someone so far.
A spokesperson should know the messages they want to get across, but staying on message doesn’t mean repeating the same line no matter what the reporter asks. It means understanding the important ideas well enough to talk about them naturally while still answering the actual question.
It’s also perfectly fine not to have an answer for everything. A question may be outside someone’s area of expertise, or there may be information they simply can’t discuss. Trying to fill that space anyway is usually where people get themselves into trouble.
Not Every Thought Leader Needs to Do Interviews
Media interviews are just one way to share expertise. Some people are much better at developing their ideas through writing, research, speaking or other formats that give them more time to think. Their expertise can also shape someone else’s interview behind the scenes.
That doesn’t make them any less of a thought leader.
Organizations can miss out on great ideas if they assume thought leadership belongs only to the people who are comfortable talking to reporters. At the same time, there’s no reason to push every smart person into becoming a spokesperson just because they have something valuable to contribute.
And plenty of experts who aren’t immediately comfortable with interviews can become very good at them. Responding clearly in real time is a skill, and like most skills, it gets easier with practice.
Preparation Should Make People More Natural
Media preparation can go sideways when too much attention is put on perfecting talking points. Someone can sound great while practicing the expected questions and then completely lose their footing when a reporter asks something differently.
Instead, think of preparation as a way to get a clear sense of what matters to the story, what the spokesperson wants the reporter to understand and where the conversation could reasonably go.
Running through likely questions can uncover long explanations, buried points or confusing internal nuance while helping the spokesperson get comfortable talking about the subject in different ways. The goal isn’t a perfectly delivered message. It’s being able to listen, respond naturally and communicate the expertise that matters to the story.
