When Seeking to Raise Your Profile, Understand the Pitfalls of Long Form Interviews
In today’s media landscape, many podcasts offer long-form content. It is not unusual for some podcasts to broadcast for 2 to 3 hours at a time. Podcast hosts love this and some viewers do as well.
However, I caution clients that the longer the interview, the greater the chance for a person to make a mistake. Even with the best of intentions, it is natural to relax over time. And when we relax, we may be more likely to say the wrong thing or say the right thing at the wrong time.
Biblical Wisdom
Even the bible is replete with caution on speaking too much.
Proverbs 10:19 cautions, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
Proverbs 21:23 advises, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”
Ecclesiastes 5:2, admonishes, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”
Backlash
Sometimes we brace for an immediate backlash to our words. In many cases, the blowback comes later. Think of all the people who have run for political office, only to have prior comments brought up when they are campaigning. Everyone can change their mind. But when we speak in absolutes – as some are prone to do in media interviews – contradictions can reflect poorly on us. Some leaders give interviews or remarks that are celebrated in the moment, only for certain portions of it to fall out of favor down the line.
There is always the potential for this sort of thing, but the risk is greatly increased when a person sits for long interviews. When a person participates in a media interview, they may be on edge, ensuring they say the right thing and project the right image. But the longer the interview goes on, the more concern and caution can dissipate.
The Longer You Speak, The Greater the Risk
While I am mostly discussing media interviews, the same thing can happen when delivering public remarks. Public speakers can let their guard down when they are speaking with people who they believe support them. The longer they speak, the greater the chance for them to go off message.
It is imperative then that persons in the public eye, do three things:
- First, be wary of interviews that are longer than 20 to 30 minutes. With the abundance of words, there are ample opportunities for mistakes.
- Next, if you are being asked to participate in an interview longer than 30 minutes, request to have a colleague participate in the interview with you. This offer much needed breaks allowing interviewees to collect their thoughts and carefully consider their remarks.
- Finally, establish ground rules for what you will and will not discuss. The truth is you shouldn’t engage in any interview without setting parameters for what you will and will not discuss. But this advice is critical in long-form interviews.
It is easy to feel like you are the exception to the rule. But each of us is fallible. Therefore, do what you can to establish guardrails that will protect your current and future self. Relatedly, when possible, limit interviews to 30 minutes or less.
Jennifer R. Farmer is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Check out our blog posts and subscribe for updates.