This informal CPD article Don’t know? Then say so… was provided by Brian Weatherley at B2B Media Training, an award-winning trade journalist, video presenter, business-to-business magazine editor and media trainer.
It’s strange that whenever someone asks us a question, we almost feel obliged to answer it immediately, even if we haven’t a clue what to say. Not to almost seems like bad manners, or worse still a sign of evasion. Besides, who wants to admit their ignorance? Better to appear as if you know the answer, even if you don’t. However, it’s safer to admit from the start that you don’t have a clue, rather than to try to waffle your way through, as the chances are you’ll only end-up digging yourself into an even-deeper hole.
I’ve always advised my media trainees to heed the words of the fleet street editor who cautioned: ‘Some people try to be wise before the event. I prefer to be wise after it.’ Not a bad piece of advice. News breaks fast and a story can change just as quickly. Moreover, it’s not always obvious at the start of an event what the real facts are behind it. Fresh information has a way of changing the whole complexion of a story. Better to wait then until you can be sure of what you’re saying.
Of course, that won’t stop journalists asking you questions while events are still unfolding. The classic one being: ‘What does this all mean?’ But if you don’t know what it means, you should say so and why. It’s perfectly legitimate to wait until all the facts are in the open, rather than speculate while the balls are still in play. Unless you have a particularly good grasp of what’s happening, maybe based on previous experience or reliable inside knowledge, I’d be wary of guessing. You could end up guessing wrong.
Journalists enjoy pointing out when someone has got a prediction wrong, even if they seldom admit to their own mistakes. So, if you are asked a question you can’t answer, or to comment upon an event which is still unravelling, save yourself a lot of bother and subsequent backtracking and simply admit you don’t know, or that it’s too early to say. Besides, if you can be truly wise after the event, the media is more likely to come back to you, especially if you’ve got something cogent to say once everything is out in the open. If ever you’re not sure of the answer, hit pause and take a breath. You can always find out. As Bill Gates famously said: ‘I don’t know has become I don’t know yet.’
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