It’s a typical day at your desk and…You are dreading that formal performance review with your assistant.You are having a hard time focusing on that report that’s due next week.The numbers on that spreadsheet are swimming before your eyes.You are nodding out with your fingers on the keyboard. The phone rings and suddenly… 

Your heart is pounding. Adrenaline is coursing through your system.  Your hands are damp and your mouth is dry. Fear and a bit of loathing are rising from deep inside you. It is an enquiring reporter.  The name sounds only vaguely familiar, but the news organization you know well.  That reporter just has a few questions for you. 

What would you do?  Here are some options:A) Hang up immediately.B) Tell the reporter she’s got the wrong number.C) Dive right in and start answering her questions.D) None of the above. Good.  You picked D.  But what should you do? 

You should focus the story.  Zero-in on what this reporter is after, not merely what she says she’s after, what she’s really after. Before you say a word, you ought to get some information from your interrogator.  The way to do that is to ask some questions, yourself.   There are five questions anyone should ask before agreeing to be interviewed by anyone from the news media.   

First Question: What is the story about?Simple enough.  The reporter may even volunteer this information immediately after her introduction on the phone. “I’m working on a story about….”  That’s a start, but you need more than that. Second Question: Whom have you talked to?This will be revealing.  Maybe she’s talked to a competitor.  Maybe she’s talked to a regulator.  Maybe she’s talked to an analyst who covers you.  Maybe she’s talked to a so-called expert about your industry.  That will tell you something, won’t it?  You’ll have a pretty good idea what those sources had to say about you just by knowing who they are.  But let’s make sure we know what they said. 

Third Question: What did they say?You might get some objection to this one, but you can point out that you can give better responses to her questions if you know what background she’s picked up from other people she’s interviewing.  But chances are, the reporter will readily share with you what else she’s been told, because the essential tension that makes most any news story compelling is the conflict that exists between contending sides in any issue.  Or maybe you want to avoid any appearance of disagreement.  Knowing what the other guy said will allow you smooth over any potential disharmony.  

Fourth Question: Are you talking with anyone else?Find out if you’re the last phone call.  If not, you should ask for a call back and the opportunity to respond to additional statements that are made. Fifth Question: What is your deadline?This question does two things.  It signals the reporter that you are no rube; you know how this all works.  And, it buys you some time to prepare for your interview.  How does it buy you time? Will the reporter let you off the phone?  Yes, if you promise to respect her deadline.” I’m in the middle of something right now.  May I call you back in an hour? Thirty minutes?  Fifteen minutes?”  You have more leverage here than you know.  This is a bit of a negotiation. The reporter needs/wants you in her story.  You don’t want to be interviewed right now.  Assuring her you will participate and in a timely way will almost always get you off the phone.   

This will let you buy some time.  You can now do the smart thing with the intelligence you’ve picked up; prepare.  Be thoughtful.  Cool down if you’ve heard something that really burns your butt.  Edit yourself.  Prepare some messages you want in the reporter’s story.  Now, style counts here.  If you begin this fact gathering by declaring that, “Before I agree to this interview, I have some questions I’m going to ask.” you aren’t going to be terribly successful.  Do what a smart, veteran reporter does.  Be chatty, ease into your questions in a casual way.  A good tactic is to start with an easy going, “I want to help you with your story. Tell me what you know.”  It’s disarming.  Move onto your five questions.  You’ll have great success in getting the reporter to share what she knows.  That’s focusing the story.  The information you get from the reporter allows you to bring into sharper focus how your participation in the story is going to play.  And by the way, you don’t always have to be a participant in the story. News media contact is probably not at the of the top of your anxiety list as you begin each day, but there’s nothing like a call from a reporter to spike the anxiety meter.  Keep the five Focus the Story questions handy.  They’ll provide fast relief.