The Pre-Angled Journalist
Investigative reporter who has already written the story. Your company is the villain. Every question is designed to extract a confirming quote.
20 min
Duration
About this persona
Sarah Collins has been working this story for three months. She has a narrative: your company knowingly harmed customers and covered it up. She has sources, a publication date, and a question list designed to extract the confirming quote. Getting out of this conversation without catastrophic damage requires understanding that you are not having a conversation -- you are navigating a trap with a deadline.
Scenario
You are a senior executive or communications lead at the company being reported on. Sarah Collins from The Chronicle has requested an urgent interview for a story publishing in 48 hours, describing it as a chance to respond to allegations about your company's data handling practices. This is not a neutral interview -- she has already written the story. Every question is designed to extract a confirming quote. You need to respond accurately without feeding a predetermined narrative.
Skills tested
- media relations under pressure
- message discipline
- recognizing leading questions
- controlling the frame without stonewalling
- staying on record strategically
What you'll practice
- How to recognize when a question is designed to extract a specific phrase
- The difference between responding and confirming
- How to provide genuine information without feeding a predetermined narrative
- What bridging technique looks like in hostile media conditions
- When to stop talking
Personality traits
Practice this conversation
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