Doorstepping dos and don'ts:
It is a moment that every client who is in the public eye dreads. Opening the front door of their house to be confronted by a television camera and a journalist shouting questions at you. Here are some dos and don'ts that should allow you to maintain control of the situation:
- Do not slam the door on a TV camera - it makes you look defensive
- Never ever put your hand in front of a camera - it looks brilliant on television and it looks like you have something to hide
- If you have been doorstepped at your office, do not allow doormen, security guards or colleagues to block cameras. Actively prevent them from doing so
- Do not say nothing, refuse to acknowledge the camera crew and get into a car. Even if it’s “I’m sorry I can’t speak to you at this stage and I have to leave now” it will make a huge difference to how you come across in the footage
- Do not have someone else answer the door and claim that you are not at home - it looks as if you are hiding. They will wait outside your house all day if they need to. If you genuinely are not at home, tell your family to take journalists’ contact details and make sure one of your media team contacts them immediately
- Do be aware that if you have an intercom system at home that your voice will be recorded when you speak on it
- Do not look out of the windows at the television crew. They will film you and use the footage to make it look like you are hiding
- Do not be aggressive or rude - anything you say will be filmed and it will make you look defensive. Understand that journalists are only doing their job
- Breathe. If you can’t delay the interview pause before answering questions to allow you enough time to think. Make sure your body language makes you look open and in control. Don’t smile, but don’t make it look like you’d like to rip the journalist's head off, either!
- Do not say “no comment” repeatedly and nothing else. “As I am sure you can understand I can’t give an interview at this time but I will be happy to talk to you when I have all the facts at my disposal” says exactly the same thing, but makes it look like you are in control of the situation
- Buy time. It would be appropriate for you to say: “I am happy to speak to you in a few minutes once I have had a chance to gather my thoughts. I don’t want to be interviewed on my doorstep. Please can I suggest you set up over there and I’ll come and speak to you when I am ready?"
- Know the law. Cameras are entitled to film if they are on public property. This means that if they are standing in your front garden you are entitled to ask them, calmly, to move back to the road. Be aware that they can still film your property from there
- Make sure that you take details of the journalist who has interviewed you. Ensure that your comms team follow up with them to maintain control over the situation
- Think in terms of simple, key messages that you want to get across - 3 maximum - regardless of what questions you are asked. Use bridging techniques to get to where you want to be in the interview: “I can see why you’re asking that, and I recognise that people are angry about this, as am I, but I think the key point to understand is this...”
- Do make sure you've been media trained and get in touch if you need help with this