Reporters Can't Ask Gotcha Questions If You Have Nothing to Hide.

When a reporter comes looking for a story, they usually find one. Not always the one they came for. But something.

I was running communications for an edtech nonprofit in the middle of a national scale. A vocal group of educators opposed to screen time had been pitching our organization as a cautionary tale to anyone who would listen. Most of the outlets that covered this group were small. I let those go. but then they landed an opinion writer at the Washington Post. This woman had written a negative piece about our organization before I was hired... so I knew her angle before she ever sent an email.

I prepared our CEO. Not with talking points. With the truth.

We ran through what is called a “rude Q&A.” I asked every hard question, every loaded framing, every version of "your product is harming children" I could think of. My CEO quickly realized the answers were not hard, because they were honest. 

Our program was fifteen minutes a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting recreational screen time to one hour. We were well under that limit. The AAP also said educational screen time should not even count toward that total because of its demonstrated benefit. We had the highest effect size of any edtech program in the category. Parents and educators were actively involved through coaches. Our mission was to ensure children had the best educational experience possible. These were earned accolades, not talking points. That is a meaningful difference.

The Tough Reporter Questions Aren't So Bad When You're Speaking Truth

I sat in on the interview and the CEO was steady the entire time. When a false narrative came in through the framing of a question, he named it, corrected it, and moved back to what was true. He did not get defensive. He did not dodge. He did not pivot so hard that he ignored the question. He answered with honesty.

The writer never published the piece.

There is a version of media preparation that makes leaders worse. It is the version where a communications team hands a CEO a list of approved messages and tells them to repeat those messages no matter what is asked. Viewers can feel that. Reporters can feel it faster. And when we do? We dig in more because what we are seeking is the truth. The moment a leader stops responding to what is actually being asked and starts reciting, the interview is over, even if the camera is still running.

There is another version of media preparation that makes leaders better. It starts with the story. What is actually true about what you do? What do you believe so completely that no version of a hard question can shake it? What are the facts that exist independent of anyone's opinion about you?

If you know those things, a hostile interview is not a threat. It is just a conversation with someone who started skeptical. You are not there to win an argument. You are there to tell the truth clearly enough that the argument dissolves.

I know a lot of leaders who are scared of doing an interview. If you fear being on camera or speaking in front of a crowd, you are not alone. According to research, public speaking is one of the most commonly reported fears across the general public. It even has a name: glossophobia. For our ancestors, rejection from the group meant death. Clearly, that threat is no longer real but our brains have not caught up. The only way to get past that fear is to keep doing it. And the best way to keep doing it is to really know what you are talking about.

Before your next media interview, do your own version of a rude Q&A. Write down the ten hardest questions someone could ask you. Answer them honestly. If the answers feel shaky, that is a signal that your story needs more work before it goes public. Fix the foundation first. Then do the interview.

The goal is not to be unflappable. The goal is to know what you believe so well that nothing can shake you... even your nerves. There are no gotcha questions when you have nothing to hide and everything to stand on.

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About the Author

Kim Fischer is a strategic communications advisor who helps leadership teams align on narrative, messaging, and trust during high-stakes moments. She is a former investigative journalist and communications executive with more than 20 years of experience working with CEOs and founders.