I'm being interviewed by the New York Times!

[MuseRider]

This evening, I am terrified. Our little election out here in Kansas is apparently making big news. I have been volunteering all my time to this campaign http://www.votenomarch1st.org/ and they are coming to speak with Erin Norris from the Equal Justice Coalition and me. Wish me luck, this is not the kind of thing I am comfortable with, I have never been interviewed by anyone. :scared:

[shraby]

1. If you know your material, you'll have no problem.

[atommom]

2. Wow! Congratulations! You're going to do just fine. I'm glad to see

they're going to cover something positive about Kansas, for a change!

[BlueEyedSon]

3. There is only one thing worse than being interviewed,

and that is not being interviewed!

[ewagner]

4. Good luck

but I'm sure you'll do great!!!!

Congrats to you!!!! break a leg (figuritively of course)

:toast: :toast: :toast:

[applegrove]

5. Wow - very exciting for you. Keep the excitement level up and you

will be able to bubble like a brook when the questions start. That nervousness is something to harness (like a brook's energy).

I'd be terrible worried if you were not exactly where you are right now.

[ClassWarrior]

6. ~sending positve vibes and prayers to Muse~

Speak your values. Speak the truth. And you'll do great.

Remember...

Never Give Up.

[lazarus]

7. record it

So you can compare it to what the "reporter" writes later.

[bunkerbuster1]

8. reporters put their pants on one leg at a time.

You'll be misquoted, but it'll be ok.

[SteppingRazor]

10. Hey!

It's not like all of us make a habit of misquoting people, making up sources, and all that. Every time I see some post about, "EVERYONE IN THE MSM IS A FREAKING ANIMAL!! THEY SHOULD EAT $%&@!!" I die a little inside. Sniff. Sniff. Sob.


Kidding aside, I know a couple of guys that have written for NYT. They're just like anybody else. Long as you give them detailed answers, you'll be fine.

[bunkerbuster1]

13. The NYT does a lot of things right.

And when I said "misquoted," I didn't mean that the reporter was going to make stuff up, rather that the intent of your quote is likely to be twisted a bit in order to fit a story's narrative.

[Dr Ron]

20. A good description of what happened one time I was interviewed

See my longer post. This is what happened when the Detroit Free Press interviewed me, with my statements twisted to fit the author's narrative. Fortunately, while it wound up looking like I was expressing an opinion other than what I held, it was over a rather trivial point and didn't really matter.

Then there was when the Wall Sreet Journal really twisted things for an anti-Kerry article. At least this was an editorial writer--hopefully something on the news pages would have been fairer.

Actually a reporter for Dow Jones newsservice did interview me shortly before the election. I never saw the results. It was very close to the election, and most likely nothing got written from it in time for the election. If they publish and twist things I'm sure I would have heard. When the WSJ editorial page misquoted me, I found email from the campaign HQ even before I got around to reading the morning papers myself. (The article didn't mention me by name, but it was clear they were referring to me as it was at a small, private town hall meeting.)

[Dr Ron]

18. But will they go with the details?

In the handful of times I was interviewed by newspapers while working with the Kerry campaign, I found that the more room for detail in the aritcle, the less likely I was to be misquoted.

The national professional publications (such as an AMA Newspaper) and tiny local business magazines were the best. They could afford to devote large portions of an article to the interview and the results were pretty accurate.

Things were less accurate when the article interviewed tons of people and a long interview turned into a couple of lines, with the results not always very accurate. I also noted some reporters would paraphrase what I said but put it between quotation marks, and this would be misleading.

Sometimes it was benign. For example, one reporter was primarily interested in Michigan's on line requests for primary ballots. That was a trivial part of what I actually talked about (as I was more concerned with trying to get favorable publicity for Kerry). The result actually made it look like I had a different opinion on the primary ballots than I had, but it was a trivial issue and didn't really matter.

The more dishonest case was when an editorial writer (note editorial--not news) for the Wall Street Journal twisted an exchange between be an Kerry at a private town hall meeting during the campaign to turn support for Kerry into what appeared to be an attack to support his editorial stance. Of course we know better to expect fairness from a Wall Street Journal editorial writer.

[Bunny]

9. Good luck and way to go!

You'll have to let us know how it went. :thumbsup:

[shance]

11. You are simply going to rock. All there is to it.

Have a great time and let that passion and heart you've got for the campaign shine on through in the interview!

:)

[skids]

12. Make up some "sound bites" and practice them.

Thry to make up a few zingers, say them out loud, and see how they sound. Look them over for possible misinterperatations. They should be things you would like to be quoted as saying.

Then during the interview, work them in, and when you say them, emphasize a bit more so they stand out.

[ZootSuitGringo]

14. Congrats to you!

Please make sure to link the interview/article when it is published.

[MuseRider]

15. You all ROCK!

Thanks. I have loads of passion for this issue so I am hoping my nerves don't somehow mute that, I will be on the look out for that. I think three weeks of phone banking helps a lot because I think I have now heard everything that can be thrown at someone. I feel like I have been fighting Fred my entire life so it should come easily. I practiced all the way home in my truck, I must have looked like a total dork lol. Thanks to all of you I am now more excited than nervous. I will let you know how it goes. Just say NO to discrimination! Just say NO to Fred.

[rndmprsn]

16. congrats...keep us updated for sure n/t

[Just Me]

17. Assume they want you to be great and you'll do great!!!!

I'll keep positive thoughts about you this evening and will look forward to reading about you in the near future!!!:D

[blm]

19. You're as sharp as they come. And undergod knows you have plenty of info

at your fingertips.

[blondeatlast]

21. You'll do great, and any red state liberal voice is valuable.

Go get 'em, and remember that DU is behind you!

[Buddhakitty]

22. Remember to LISTEN to the questions - it's easy to forget to listen when

you are being interviewed. Try your best to stay calm and really listen to the question - the answers come easier that way. Good luck! You CAN do it and do it well!

[kodi]

23. demand they re-imburse you for your time. they are making $ off of it.

when i can get the ny times for free then they can interview me for free.

[calimary]

24. One hint: If you say catchy things, clever turns-of-phrase, you're more

apt to be quoted. If you've read around DU awhile, you know there are loads of 'em.

DON'T BE SCARED! This is your opportunity to shine! They're talking to you because they already recognize you as someone knowing a LOT more about this than they do. They're coming to you to be educated. I KNOW you know your stuff on MULTIPLE issues. And the NYTimes folks are just people trying to do a job and meet their deadlines. Just give 'em a couple of juicy quotes and you're home free. There is NOTHING so deeply lusted after by ANY reporter - as juicy quotes. Even if you're talking about something boring.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Wow Muse!

That is really awesome!!

Let us know how it goes and what day the article runs so I can run out and buy a copy of the paper!