The fire is knocked down, but the scene is still busy. A reporter spots your helmet or your chief's badge and walks over with a camera operator. "Can you tell us what happened? Was anyone hurt? Why did it take so long to get here?" You have about ten seconds to decide what kind of story tonight's newscast will tell.
Whether you're a full-time public information officer or a battalion chief who handles the press when the PIO is off duty, the basics are the same. Reporters need information fast, the public needs accurate and calm guidance, and your agency's credibility rides on every answer. These seven media interview tips, drawn from CDC crisis communication guidance and experienced fire service PIOs, will help you stay clear, human, and on message.
1. Prepare Three Key Messages
Before any interview, decide the three things you want the audience to know. Everything else supports those points.
The CDC's Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) guidance advises spokespeople to make the key point first and to try to say it "in 30 seconds and in fewer than 90 words" (CDC CERC). Bruce Garner, public information director for the Chattanooga Fire Department, puts it even more tightly: aim for sound bites of about 15 seconds, because "if you can't pare it down to a sound bite or two, it won't get used" (Firehouse).
A simple template for incident messages:
- What happened and what we’re doing: “Crews contained a two-alarm fire at a warehouse on Elm Street.”
- What the public should do: “Please avoid Elm between 4th and 6th while crews remain on scene.”
- What we’ll share next and when: “We’ll give another update at 3 p.m.”
Write the messages down. CERC also recommends working with your PIO to list expected questions and draft answers ahead of time.
2. Bridge from Tough Questions Back to What Matters
Reporters will ask questions you can't or shouldn't answer: the cause, the name of the victim, whether an officer followed policy. Bridging lets you acknowledge the question truthfully, then move to information you can share.
Garner's example: "I'm not going to speculate on what might happen. What's important right now is..." CERC offers a list of bridges, including:
- “What’s important to remember is…”
- “The overall issue is…”
- “It’s our policy not to discuss this issue, but what I can tell you is…”
- “Your viewers really need to know…”
Bridging is not dodging. A good bridge answers briefly, explains why you can't say more, and gives the audience something useful. A bad bridge ignores the question entirely, and viewers notice.
3. Know What Never to Say
A handful of phrases cause most self-inflicted damage. Here are common ones, with better alternatives:
| Instead of this | Try this |
|---|---|
| “No comment.” | “That’s under investigation, so I can’t discuss it yet. What I can tell you is…” |
| “I think the cause was probably…” | “Investigators will determine the cause. We’ll share it when we can confirm it.” |
| “There’s no reason for anyone to be concerned.” | “We understand people are worried. Here’s what we know and what you can do.” |
| “I know exactly how you feel.” | “I can’t imagine what these families are going through.” |
| “Off the record…” | (Nothing. Assume every word is on the record.) |
CERC is direct on several of these points: don't say "no comment," state why you can't answer; don't speculate or make promises you may have to reverse; limit jargon and define any acronym you must use; and don't fight battles through the media or assign blame. Garner adds a warning about "off-the-record" remarks: anything said near a microphone can end up in the story.
4. Show Empathy on Camera
In a crisis, people listen to how you feel before they listen to what you know. CERC advises spokespeople to acknowledge fear rather than dismiss it: "Don't tell people they shouldn't be afraid. They are afraid, and they have a right to their fears."
Practical ways to show empathy without losing composure:
- Lead with people. Start with the injured, the families, or the residents affected, then move to operations.
- Name the emotion. “We know this is frightening for families on this street.”
- Match your tone to the moment. CERC cautions that humor during a crisis is “a minefield” and is likely to be misinterpreted.
- Watch your body language. Arms crossed, sunglasses on, and eyes on your phone all send a message before you speak.
5. Handle Ambush Interviews Calmly
Sometimes the reporter finds you: in the parking lot, at your car, at the end of a council meeting. The instinct is to wave them off or walk faster. On video, that looks like hiding.
Instead:
- Stop, face them, and slow down. “I’ve got a minute. What’s your question?”
- Don’t accept a claim you haven’t verified. If a reporter says someone has made an allegation, CERC suggests a response like “I have not heard that” or “I would have to verify that before I can respond.”
- Don’t repeat loaded words. If the question is “Why did your officers brutalize that man?”, CERC advises answering in as few words as possible without repeating the sensational elements.
- Stop when you’re done. CERC warns against filling the silence when a reporter keeps the microphone in front of you after you’ve answered.
- Offer a path forward. “I’ll have our PIO send you the statement within the hour.”
6. Protect Your Credibility as a Public Information Officer
Every tip above serves one goal: people believe you next time. Garner's rules are simple. Never speculate, argue, or lie. CERC adds a warning against distorting or spinning the truth, and against over-reassuring an audience.
If you get something wrong, correct it quickly and plainly: "Earlier I said two people were transported. The correct number is three." A fast correction costs far less than a slow one.
7. Choose Practice Formats That Build the Skill
Reading tips is the easy part. Delivering them with a camera in your face, while your radio is going off, is a different skill. That's why good media training always includes live practice.
Formats worth using:
- Mock press conferences. Colleagues play reporters and ask the hardest questions they can think of.
- Recorded one-on-ones. Video yourself answering five tough questions, then watch it with the sound off to check body language.
- Scenario drills. Build a fictional incident and practice the first on-scene statement, a follow-up briefing, and an ambush in the parking lot.
- Formal courses. FEMA offers public information training through the U.S. Fire Administration’s listed resources, including the independent study course Public Information Officer Awareness (IS-29.a) and the Master Public Information Officer Program (USFA).
Why Rehearsing Out Loud Changes Everything
Garner recommends practicing ahead of time, "preferably with someone who can ask questions that will likely be asked by reporters." CERC makes the same point: practice reduces anxiety and produces a more relaxed, natural delivery. It suggests practicing answers in 10- to 20-second phrases.
The reason is simple. Under pressure, you say what you've said before. If the first time you hear "Why did it take twelve minutes for your crew to arrive?" is on a live broadcast, you'll improvise. If you've answered it out loud a dozen times, a calm, honest bridge is already there. Rehearsal doesn't mean memorizing a script. It means making your key messages, your bridges, and your empathy statements feel natural.
Key Takeaways
- A public information officer, or any leader facing the press, should walk in with three written key messages that fit in about 30 seconds.
- Bridge from tough questions by acknowledging them, explaining limits, and moving to useful information.
- Never say “no comment,” speculate, go off the record, or dismiss people’s fears.
- In ambush interviews, stop, stay calm, don’t repeat loaded words, and stop talking when you’re done.
- Media interview skills improve fastest with realistic, spoken practice.
Rehearse the hard questions before the cameras arrive. Foretell AI from Glimpse Learning lets PIOs, chiefs, and emergency managers practice press and public Q&A out loud with a lifelike AI avatar that plays a reporter asking escalating questions. Each session ends with feedback scored against your rubric for delivering key messages and bridging back to them.