Advice for interviews

Meet the journalist in a pleasant manner, good relationships are always an advantage. Assume that the journalist wants to give you the opportunity to describe and present your story in your own words.

Before you start answering questions, find out what issues the journalist will raise. This will help you decide whether you are the most suitable person to answer the questions.

It is not necessary to answer immediately – ask the journalist for the opportunity to answer later, for example if you need to check facts or think about how you want to answer. Take the journalist's name and contact details and agree when the next contact will be made. Respect the journalist's professionalism and make sure you keep to what you agree. You should call back at a certain time if you have promised to do so. Journalists have times and deadlines that must be met.

Preparing for an interview

Thorough preparation. Get up to speed about what has happened, why it has happened, what measures are to be taken, and when the situation is to be resolved. Consider what is important for you to emphasise. Prepare short, simple and clear statements about important points, and use examples to illustrate your points. Prepare answers to the questions that you can expect to face, and try to predict what follow-up questions the interviewer will pose. Journalists are often interested in your values – your view of a situation, what you think, how you are feeling, how you have reacted to an event, etc.

Consider how your statement may be presented, and think about the role you hold while making a statement. If the interview deals with your work or conditions at work, for example, it is likely that you will be seen as a representative for Karolinska Institutet in its entirety. It’s a good idea to discuss the interview in advance with a colleague or your superior, or you may like to contact the KI Press Office for advice.

Before the interview

Help the journalist get the facts right – it’s a good idea to provide the journalist with reports or documents before the interview. This makes it easier for you to get to the interesting issues more rapidly.

Find out about background preconditions – what sort of interview will you be giving, and how will it be presented? A news item requires short and pithy answers, while in a longer report you may have better opportunities to give more detailed answers and give deeper insights. It’s a good idea to ask the journalist who else will be contributing to the report.

Keep to a reasonable time schedule – don’t let the interview drag on too long. It is difficult to retain concentration for more than 15–20 minutes. Inform the journalist how much time you have assigned to the interview, it will make it easier for you both.

Request an opportunity to read the text before it is published – this will give you the chance to check that the journalist has understood you correctly. Correct any factual errors, but remember that it is the journalist who decides on an angle, and which parts of your answers are to be included in the article or report.

The interview

Don’t wait for the right question. If you have got something important to say, say it!

Answer honestly. If you can’t answer, or don’t want to answer, say so – and then explain why, for example that it is not your area of expertis or that you simply don’t know.

Don’t speculate about things for which you are not responsible, facts that you don’t know, or areas of which you lack knowledge. Be careful to indicate if you are making predictions or guesses.

Remember the target group. It is the journalist's target group or audience that is to understand what you say.

Take breaks. If you notice that your answer is getting tangled, take a break and ask to answer the question more clearly.

Facing criticism – show empathy, take responsibility and make it clear what you are going to do to solve the situation.

Interview in front of a camera

Think about the way you look. Your choice of clothes and hairstyle sends a signal. Try to sit or stand as steady as possible during the interview, and speak into the microphone.

Decide what message you want to convey. Make a list of your main messages before the interview and practice by reading them aloud a few times. Keep your answers as short and to the point as possible (also view the interview tips above).

If the topic of the interview is controversial, consider insisting on a live broadcast to ensure that your message will not be shortened or distorted.

Interview using Zoom or similar

There are a few challenges with being interviewed via video link, and the purpose of these tips is to improve the chances for the "KI expert" to give a general good impression.  

Avoid the 'snake's eye view' (low angle). If you are being interviewed on a laptop, place it on a stack of books or similar so that the camera is at eye level. However, a large computer screen is preferable.

Find a neutral background. A cluttered or extreme background risks detracting attention from what you say during the interview. Also, make sure that family members or colleagues don’t appear behind you in the middle of the interview.

There is a special KI background image for e-meetings that you can use. A link to where you can download it and information on how to use it is available on the Staff portal.

Avoid backlighting. Don’t sit with your back to a window on a sunny day, for example.

Make sure your face is properly and equally lit.

Speak into the microphone. Using a headset is recommended.

The principle of public access

• The Swedish “principle of public access” gives the general public and the media the right to scrutinise activities of the government, county councils and municipalities. The principle of public access is expressed in various ways:
• everyone is allowed to read public documents held by public authorities (public access to official documents)
• civil servants and others who work in the central government sector or for local authorities have the right to tell outsiders what they know (freedom of expression for civil servants and others)
• civil servants also enjoy special freedoms to provide information to the media (freedom to publish for civil servants and others)
• court proceedings are open to the public, as are meetings of legislative assemblies.