Media Interviews
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (128824)
Gainesville, Florida
February 11, 2016 6:44am CST
Have you ever woken up one day and thought to yourself, "Wow, my job sure isn't what it used to be!" Well, that's how I feel today! I was just glancing at my work calendar for today to see what I have scheduled, and lo and behold I have four media interviews lined up for today! Whoa...when did I become a public information officer? I thought I was a division manager, not the spokesperson for our department!
I have one interview with the Gainesville Sun (newspaper), two with WUFT (tv), and one with WCJB (tv), all looking for a story on a couple of interesting things going on in my department. Our city has a public information officer, but he feels I have more intricate knowledge of the subject matter being discussed today, so he has asked me to conduct the interviews.
I'm glad they have confidence in me, but four in one day is a little extreme. I'm going to be mentally drained by the end of the day today!
Have you ever had to give media interviews, or were you ever on tv or in the newspaper?
9 people like this
10 responses
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
Did that mean you had to be on camera quite a bit?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
12 Feb 16
@moffittjc NO! Thanks God, not, it happened that we were celebrating my birthday in the offices of the TV and I did not notice that the cameramen was shooting and they showed the shooting during that night news. I was furious.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
@LadyDuck I would have been very upset too. I think it is unethical to film/record someone without their permission.
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@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
9 Mar 16
Just one interview would stress me out let alone 4 lol I hope it all went well!
Well, nothing really related to work but when I was about 4 or 5 years old, me, my nan, mum and I think both of my brothers had our photo taken to be put in the newspaper.
Because my nans, grandfather or great grandfather ( I forget ), was a hero in Sydney. I really suck with this story but as far as I know, there was a really bad train wreck and I think a huge fire as well from the crash and my...great great great grandfather ( not sure how many greats actually ) saved a lot of people. Yeah I should probably read the article lol I still have it but that was one photo for the newspaper.
Then in Primary School, I was on TV with the choir I was in because we were singing a Christmas carol. It got filmed and got aired on TV a week later or something.
Over 5 years ago I wrote to a magazine to ask a Medium about my mum. So my story and a photo of mum and I were in the magazine.
Then last year I was on TV. The store I was working for was an op shop. I was volunteering there. Again, I don't remember the reason but the store got filmed and they made me and my then boss pretend we were working....well we were working but it still seemed force, so it could be recorded.
My boss told me the name of the show it was going to be on but she told me the wrong show. Just a little mistake so I never did get to see it.
So yeah, done a few things. Nothing special though really.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Mar 16
Sounds like you've been on TV or in the newspaper more than most people! That's a pretty big accomplishment!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
11 Feb 16
If I am in the media, people run the other way. I have given interviews, but my bosses were not happy. You see, although I have tact, I tell the truth.
Are you getting two paychecks, since you are now doing two jobs?
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
I should be getting three paychecks! During the recession, they eliminated one of the other division manager positions and merged that division under me! So I should be getting paid for doing my job, the other division manager's job, AND the public information officer's job! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Feb 16
@ElizabethWallace I'm in upper management. We're not allowed to unionize.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
12 Feb 16
@moffittjc This sucks, of course. I know they eliminated the others to save money. They could have done so even if they gave you a boost in your salary to give you some compensation for the extra work. Strong unions are the answer.
@JESSY3236 (22199)
• United States
11 Feb 16
I never done an interview, but I was in a local parade and was on tv for a second.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
You sound like my daughter! She was in a parade once too, and the cameraman followed behind her filming from behind. So when the video aired on the news, all you could see was my daughter's backside! lol I always tease her that her butt is now famous for being on tv!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb 16
Wow! I can imagine you'll be exhausted at the end of the day.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
Well, it wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be! I didn't feel too exhausted at the end of all those interviews. Fortunately for me, they didn't ask any tough questions at all. Unfortunately for them, they didn't get any juicy answers since they didn't ask the right questions! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
@JudyEv Haha my boss would have killed me if I did that! I certainly could dish out a lot of dirt!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Feb 16
@moffittjc You should have dished up the dirt if they didn't want the juice!
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Feb 16
No, it was not my first time. I give media interviews all the time. It was unusual that I had so many scheduled in the same day. Most of the time, one interview per month would be about average for me, but I've gotten a lot more requests lately.
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16568)
• Ireland
11 Feb 16
Nope, I've always dodged the lime light.. am the one that schemes and plotts in the shadows... mwhahahha
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
In the past I did everything I could to dodge the limelight. I still prefer to work behind the scenes, but found that I have a knack for being in front of the camera. Apparently, I am very good at charming people!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Feb 16
Well, all these reporters keep coming back and interviewing me, so I must be doing something right!
1 person likes this
@shshiju (10342)
• Cochin, India
13 Feb 16
@moffittjc Oh that is more than like a trap.
1 person likes this
@nottoooldtowrite (2715)
• Philippines
11 Feb 16
We have our corporate communications and they handle those things. It only means tht they believe in you.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Feb 16
I get that they believe in me, and believe me, I'm honored that they trust me so much! But, I have so much other work I need to get done that I don't have time to sit around and give interviews all day!
