Ready, Set, Action! How to Ace A Media Interview For Your Young Star
My child will never be on TV or internet interview! This may be your immediate reaction when you see the title of this article. In this modern period (especially post-COVID-19), this may be a new reality for your child! Plenty of the mediums have presently moved online, even for our young communicators. From video assignments, home-based learning, and even becoming virtual tour guides, your child must now learn how to adapt their developing communication skills to the online setting.
One setting that stands out and apply in both the virtual and physical setting is media interview skills. This is more than just preparing for an interview (for a job or school). Instead, media interview is often accompanied with a clear angle or objective for the interview (e.g. to share a personal experience, to deliver relevant content). At the Public Speaking Academy, some of our confident young communicators have been given opportunities to feature in media interviews, be it on television or a Zoom interview (complete with the full filming team!).
How can your child present themselves confidently and competently in such a situation? Fret not! Here, we will share three tips your child can take note of to prepare for such a scenario.
Tip #1: Don’t Rush in Blind – Prepare & Prepare!
Aside from an impromptu interview, there is usually an opportunity for your child to prepare some stock answers beforehand. These are answers that your child can use as a template to deliver relevant and complete responses to interview questions. To pre-empt those questions, your child should understand the context of the interview. For example, a media interview following a forum or event is likely to relate to that event (instead of other aspects).
When pre-empting questions, it is a strong habit for your child to explore the whole spectrum of potential questions. They can move from broad to specific questions to prepare for – flitting between personal experiences or some technical knowledge. For example, if the media interview is about a community project they completed, they can start identifying broad questions (e.g. how do you feel about the project) to specific ones (e.g. what was the toughest challenge you faced?). The aim is for your child to think through their responses to these questions and reduce the stress in such a high-stakes scenario.
Tip #2: Understand the Questions
Your child needs to understand that it is alright for them to clarify the questions if needed. The pressure to respond quickly does not mean they have to respond quickly! Instead, an answer that is thorough and relevant is preferable to one that is rushed and messy. To achieve this, your child can clarify, unpack, and internalise the questions thoroughly before responding. Encourage them to take that analytical pause before diving into an answer.
When clarifying the question, remember to be professional and polite. Your child can use transition phrases such as “If I may clarify …” to help them achieve this. That said, avoid over-clarifying as this may give the impression that your child is avoiding the question. Instead, if the question is one that your child is not comfortable responding to, there is nothing wrong with informing the interviewer or requesting for a different question. The aim of the interview should be for the interviewee to give a genuine and sincere response!
Tip #3: Share your Stand-Out Features
But what can my child share? Aside from direct answers, your child should have a ready stash of stand-out features that they can share. This consists of signature stories, personal anecdotes, or even learning points they gained. For stories, your child can rely on anecdotes that are close to their memory and easier to flesh out. These responses need not be long – they can be relevant, bite-sized answers to the questions asked.
Another strong sharing aspect is learning points – what did your child learn from the event they attended? To challenge themselves, your child can even share the broader point of what they feel is worth sharing for the audience. An aspect of a media interview is the ability to keep an eye out for the learning experience of the audience (live, virtual, or otherwise). How can the audience gain by watching the interview with your child? Doing this will encourage your child to have a value-giving perspective!
Ace that Media Interview!
Media interviews are not exclusive to adult or experienced communicators. As students become more comfortable with the use of new media, the platforms for communication will continue to expand. Your child may be randomly assigned such platforms, even if they are not prepared for it. We hope that with the quick guide above, your child will have the tips to ace that interview.
Some interview segments from our National Public Speaking Competition (NPSC) contestants:
Primary students’ responding to media interview questions:
Secondary students’ responding to media interview questions:
By The Way…
Public Speaking Academy strives to help students with both types of communication:
For verbal communication:
Public Speaking course for Kids / Children:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/group-classes-students-age-9-18/
For written communication:
PSLE English Tuition for Primary 5 & 6: