U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Additional Tips to Prepare for Media Interviews

NCJ Number
255205
Date Published
August 2020
Length
3 pages
Annotation

These "tips" from the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center provide brief and practical advice to victims and survivors of mass violence incidents (MVIs) who are preparing for a media interview regarding the impact of the MVI on their lives.

Abstract

The first set of suggestions pertains to self-presentation during the interview, such as being relaxed and sincere, speaking slowly and clearly, giving brief and succinct answers to questions, repeating thoughts and feelings that are important to you, being clear about what is being asked, correcting any inaccurate information you may have provided, and not being fearful or embarrassed about emotions displayed in the interview. Other suggestions for an interview pertain to having a support person plan with the interviewer to have an environment for the interview that is physically and emotionally comfortable and having the support person learn about any technical requirements that should be known by the victim prior to the interview. Suggestions for follow-up to the interview pertain to feedback from a support person on how the interview went and when the interview will be published or aired.