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defuse leading questions |
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Probably the most common technique
reporters use during an interview to evoke the
controversial, vivid, or uncovered, is asking leading questions. The intent of these questions is
to lead you to say something more than you should or to
phrase your answer in a more controversial manner. When
preparing for an interview it is important you
understand the various types of leading questions and
their intended outcomes, thereby enabling you to
recognize them and respond effectively on the spot.
Seven types of leading questions are most commonly used.
Forced choice—These types of questions offer a trade off. “Which would you rather have, increased profits or better antipollution controls?” The reporter is attempting to force you into a trade off of choosing one alternative at the exclusion of the other. The answer could be both, neither, or only one. But the important point to remember is you make that decision, not the reporter. Hypothetical—Be alert! When you hear the words, “What if…” flag it immediately as a hypothetical question. Hypothetical questions are intended to change the understood assumptions of the situation to encourage you to offer a different answer than your prepared message. The best response in such a situation is to not answer the question and transition to something that pertains to what is actually happening. “You’re asking me to speculate about the future, but I don’t have a crystal ball. What I can tell you is…” Multi-part—In a multi-part question the reporter asks you several questions at the same time. Reporters do this for two reasons. Either the reporter is afraid he or she will not have another chance to ask questions (e.g., during a Q&A session in a large audience, or at a press conference), or the person doesn’t know what to ask and is fishing. You are under no obligation to remember each part of the question. Answer the part or parts you like and ignore the rest. |
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