And there you have it! Here’s a guide written for my psychologist counterparts who are about to answer questions from my journalist colleagues. It’s time to bury the hatchet between these professionals, both experts in communication…

Psychologists and journalists: a mutual misunderstanding!

Our five years of study don’t prepare us psychologists for dealing with the media. Generally speaking, journalists are not appreciated by psychologists – in fact, they even scare them a little. It has to be said that prejudices are tenacious: journalists distort the news as it suits them, are scoop-hungry, exaggerating, always in a hurry, and pretentious. And this misunderstanding is reciprocal. The image that journalists have of psychologists is no more glorious! Once again, prejudices are rife: psychologists are introverts, they’re not funny, they can’t express themselves, and when they do, we don’t understand a word! In short, for a journalist, interviewing a psychologist is no picnic! Psychologists and journalists: they don’t seem to speak the same language, yet both are experts in communication. It’s just a question of finding common ground…

One small step for you, one giant leap for the profession!

A journalist offered you an interview, and you accepted? Well done! Psychologists don’t get enough exposure in the media, unlike psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, who are everywhere. And the presence of psychologists in the media offers innumerable advantages to the profession. This has the merit of combating old clichés: no, a psychologist is not that old man with bifocals who jargonizes more than he speaks, and above all, refers only to psychoanalysis! Each intervention by a psychologist makes the general public a little more aware of the variety of the major currents in our discipline, as well as the different facets of our profession. The more psychologists appear on the media scene, the more they will be taken into consideration, both politically and economically.

A few tips…

The best way to prepare for an interview is to immerse yourself in the journalist’s mindset: after all, what does he or she want from you? In a nutshell, that you’re a « good customer » (as they say in journalistic jargon, a term that makes shrinks shudder!). And the criteria vary widely from one medium to another, whether it’s a TV, radio or print interview.

-Be responsive When a journalist offers you an interview, he or she hopes you’ll respond as quickly as possible. Sometimes they’ll even ask several experts to interview you at the same time to save time, which can make you cringe. But don’t take this as a sign of lack of consideration on his part. It’s just that the legend is true: in the press, they’re in a hurry. In many media (especially news and TV), journalists have little time to develop their stories.

-Find out the context of the interview Ask the journalist for his or her name, telephone number, media outlet, subject and angle of the story, deadline, publication date, and whether he or she would like to receive any additional documents by e-mail.

-Be prepared It’s important to prepare the key points you want to communicate well in advance, leaving little room for improvisation or impulsiveness. In fact, don’t accept an immediate telephone interview. Give yourself time to think things over. Ask them for their deadline, and offer to get back to them within 10 minutes. If you don’t want to give him an interview, explain why (no time available, not your specialty) and refer him to one of your colleagues.

-Introduce yourself At the start of the interview, mention our surname, first name, job title, place of professional practice, organization to which you belong, and your specialty if necessary. This will avoid any (unintentional) mistakes on his part! On the net, not all profiles are always up to date.

-Be understandable Avoid all jargon, and if you dare to use one or two « big » words, explain them immediately afterwards in clear terms, as if you were talking to a patient or an 8-year-old child. Unless they’re specialists, journalists have a very lay knowledge of psychology.

-Keep the red thread in mind A journalist’s questions are generally very precise, concrete and very « general public ». This can be unsettling for some psychologists, who are more accustomed to more speculative questions with a higher level of analysis. That’s why it’s important to keep your interviewer’s question in mind. If you don’t know how to answer, or if you don’t want to, don’t try to bury the fish – the journalist isn’t fooled and will come away annoyed! Be honest and explain it simply.

On the other hand, if you have a specific message to get across on the subject, and none of his questions address it, restate the debate yourself, for example: « the question is not whether this approach has a future, but whether it is really adapted to patients’ needs ».

-Give concrete examples and figures Journalists are fond of examples, concrete data such as figures, percentages, dates, testimonials and memories. Of course, avoid divulging the case of a patient, even if the journalist asks you to. Instead, imagine a story that could be real, but make it clear. This allows them to bring content to their interview, and to touch the reader (listener or viewer) more deeply. So, before the interview, set aside all the qualitative and quantitative data you’ve gathered on the subject, which will help the listener to identify with you, and which will enhance your words on the day.

-Be innovative Whatever the subject, it’s probably already been tackled in the past. So be innovative! Bring something new to the table, or approach the subject from a different angle than usual, and make your strategy clear to the journalist. By definition, journalists are looking for novelty.

-Hook your audience If you’re going to be interviewed on radio or television, make sure you grab your audience’s attention! Grab their attention by making the subject exciting and striking, and by starting your speech with a strong idea (a key idea, an unexpected figure, an example). Usually, an expert’s words go in one ear and out the other a few minutes later. For your part, make sure people remember your ideas three weeks later! And keep your message short, clear and concise.

-Offer to reread the interview before publication To avoid distortions (intentional or unintentional) of your words, ask the journalist in advance whether or not it will be possible to reread your contribution before publication; bearing in mind that in many journalism schools, the motto is not to have the interview reread. In print media, proofreading may be customary, unlike in television and radio. But don’t forget that proofreading doesn’t mean you can rewrite everything from A to Z! Journalists hate that. And with good reason: if you’re the author of these words, the journalist is the author and owner of this writing! Be careful not to short-circuit him. On the other hand, expect your 45-minute exchange to end in a maximum of… 45 words! Producing a lot to keep a little is the law of the genre in the press. It’s not that what you had to say wasn’t interesting enough, it’s just that the journalist doesn’t have much space to spare.

In a nutshell, during an interview :

-Never get angry

-Don’t say anything confidential

-Don’t use jargon

-Be accessible

-Don’t speak too slowly or too quickly

-Stick to the facts

-Be sincere

-Keep it short and to the point

Good luck! The shrinks’ guild is with you 😉