interviews Archives - Clapperton Media

One of the more interesting things about working with recorded interviews is seeing what happens after the conversation ends. Most spokespeople think the challenge is answering questions well. In reality, there is a second challenge that often receives less attention: answering questions in a way that survives editing. Once they’ve left the interview – that’s when the editor takes control.

Whether the final destination is a podcast, a broadcast interview, a video clip or an online article, editors are constantly making decisions about what stays and what goes. And many interviewees make those decisions far easier than they need to.

The first issue is the rush to start speaking. A question ends and the response begins immediately.

“Umm…”

“So…”

“Look…”

Most people barely notice they’re doing it. The problem is not that these filler words sound unpolished. The problem is that they create uncertainty about where the answer actually begins. An experienced editor can solve that easily enough. The filler gets removed and the quote is tightened. But in doing so, the editor is making decisions on the interviewee’s behalf. They are deciding where the answer starts and what constitutes the core message.

Most spokespeople would prefer to retain that control themselves.

Retaking control of interviews

A better approach is to pause briefly before answering. A fraction of a second is often enough. That pause allows the speaker to decide where the answer will begin, what point they want to make and how they want the quote to sound. It also tends to make them appear more thoughtful and authoritative.

The second issue is a small word that causes surprisingly large problems.

“And.”

Many spokespeople answer a question perfectly well. The answer is complete. The point has landed. Then they hear themselves say:

“And…”

Now they have a problem. Nobody can stop at “and”. The sentence demands continuation. What follows may be useful. It may even be interesting. But it is often less important than the answer that came before it.

From an editor’s perspective, this creates options. If the second point is stronger than the first, the edit may focus on that instead. If time is limited, the original answer may disappear entirely. The interviewee has unintentionally shifted control over the narrative into someone else’s hands. This is why our media training often includes an unusual recommendation: learn to think like an editor. Ask questions such as:

Would this quote work as a standalone clip?
Does it make sense without the previous answer?
Could an editor remove half of it without changing the meaning?
Is the key point obvious in the first sentence?

The strongest spokespeople instinctively consider these questions. They shape answers that are complete, self-contained and easy to use.

At first, this can feel unnatural. People become aware of every word and every pause. Over time, however, a degree of self-editing becomes second nature.

The result is not a more cautious spokesperson. It is a more effective one.

Because the less work an editor has to do, the more likely it is that the audience hears exactly what the speaker intended to say.

At Clapperton Media Training, we spend a lot of time helping senior executives navigate media interviews. Often, the biggest challenges aren’t about confidence or messaging. They’re about assumptions.

One training session from the past year illustrates this perfectly. During a media training session with a senior executive in the financial transactions sector, a particular phrase came up in a practice interview:

“Fiat currency.”

For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to currencies such as the pound or dollar that derive their value from collective agreement rather than being backed by a physical commodity like gold.

It’s a standard term in financial circles. Nothing unusual there.

However, when the client’s PR adviser suggested that not every journalist would be familiar with it, the response was blunt:

“Why would I want to talk to morons?”

Let’s park the tone for a moment. There is, arguably, a point worth considering. If every journalist covering that executive’s sector fully understands terms like “fiat currency”, then simplifying language might feel unnecessary. But that’s not how media works in practice. Journalists are not a uniform group of specialists. Even within business and financial media:

Some are new to the beat
Some are covering adjacent sectors
Some are generalists with a wide brief

The journalist who reaches your ideal audience may not be the deepest technical expert in your field. And even if they are, their readers or listeners may not be.

The “first day” problem

Every journalist has a first day. At some point, they are covering a topic they don’t yet fully understand. That doesn’t make them incapable. It makes them exactly what they are supposed to be: curious. And that curiosity is what drives good interviews.

If an executive assumes knowledge that isn’t there, two things happen:

The message becomes harder to follow
The journalist starts to shape the story themselves

That’s when control of the narrative begins to slip.

Not knowing something is not the issue

Describing someone as a “moron” for not understanding specialist language is obviously unhelpful. More importantly, it reveals something deeper: A lack of empathy for the audience.

Journalists are experts in:

Asking the right questions
Finding the story
Communicating clearly to their audience

They are not necessarily experts in your sector. Nor do they need to be.

That gap is where the opportunity lies.

What this means for spokespeople

The most effective spokespeople understand one simple principle:

Your job is not to demonstrate expertise. It is to make your expertise usable.

That means explaining terms without patronising, avoiding unnecessary jargon and meeting the journalist where they are Crucially, recognising that clarity is not a compromise. It is a skill.

Where preparation makes the difference

This is exactly the kind of issue that benefits from proper preparation.

A well-briefed spokesperson understands: who they are speaking to, what that person is likely to know or not know and how to address them fluently. Better still, structured media training allows executives to experience these moments in advance and adjust their approach before it matters.

The bottom line

The problem in media interviews is rarely the complexity of the subject. It is the assumption that everyone else understands it in the same way.

Executives who recognise that gap and bridge it effectively are the ones who:

Get their message across
Build stronger relationships with journalists
And ultimately see better coverage

And it all starts with a simple shift:

From speaking to impress, to speaking to be understood.

This morning I was halfway through a full day of media training — four delegates before lunch, five in the afternoon, all online. At one point, one of the delegates paused after a question and said:

“I’m glad you asked me that.”

He meant it. The question had landed right in his sweet spot, giving him the chance to shine.

Moments like that are great, but in truth they’re often a fluke. In real interviews, you can’t count on the journalist asking what your client wants to be asked.

That’s why, if you want to get the most value out of media training, the focus shouldn’t just be on the comfortable questions. PR professionals can add real impact by briefing trainers on the questions their clients don’t want to hear.

Start with the hard stuff

A simple but powerful exercise is to ask your client: “What do you really hope you’re not asked in an interview?” Once you have the answer, make that the starting point. Ask it in the training. Push them to answer. Refine the response. Ask it again. Repeat until they’re confident.

It might feel uncomfortable. The client might even leave the session thinking they’ve been put through the wringer. But that’s the point. A tough training room is infinitely better than being blindsided on live radio or TV.

Better tough now than unprepared later

Media training isn’t about rehearsing easy wins — it’s about preparing spokespeople for the moments that really matter. A well-handled difficult question can build trust and credibility far more than a polished soundbite ever will.

So next time a client asks you about media training, or even just about how an interview is likely to go, start here: what’s the one question they really don’t want to be asked? That’s where real preparation begins.