Doing media interviews with someone who stammers

A briefing guide for journalists and anyone in the media.

We understand if you might feel anxious about interviewing someone who stammers. After all, radio and TV both rely on voice communication and carefully controlled timings.

What kinds of things should you say or not say? When, if and how to interrupt? What are acceptable questions?

We've prepared this briefing to help you through.

What to expect / What you should know

If someone has flagged that they stammer, there are a few things worth knowing.

People who stammer might repeat, elongate or get stuck on sounds or words when they speak. You might see signs of physical effort as they work to push out a word. Or they might look away from you when they are concentrating on speaking.
People who stammer will commonly stammer or get stuck on words which they can't change, such as name, address, date of birth.
It's normal for stammering to fluctuate widely and be different person-to-person.
Some people try to hide their stammer. It might not be obvious to you, but they can be working hard to maintain that impression of fluency, perhaps swapping words to find a different way to say the same thing. Don't assume that their fluency is easy.
They might have interesting points to make but say much less if they're concerned about how others will react when they stammer. Eye contact and nodding to show you're listening can help them feel comfortable in saying more.

Stammering is just how some of us talk. We aren't nervous or inadequate. We just stammer. But we'd like our voices heard and valued.

Points to consider

Ask the Interviewee

It's normal for stammering to fluctuate widely and be different from person-to-person. With that in mind, it's ok to ask the interviewee what happens when they stammer. For example, do they push through the stammer and say exactly what they want to say? Do they try to find a different way to say the same thing? Do they repeat a previous phrase as a run-up to a difficult word?

You might say, "I want to create a good environment for the interview, so tell me a bit about what happens when you stammer and how you work through those moments, and if there's anything you'd find helpful or unhelpful. That way, I can make sure I'm responding appropriately."

Doing this will mean you're much less likely to misinterpret moments of stammering as something else. It also helps to make things more comfortable for your interviewee.

Formats & audience size

Some people might stammer more in particular interview formats. For example, many prefer in-person or video call conversations to telephone conversations.

Some might find it easier to express themselves verbally in pre-recorded rather than live interviews. Some might feel comfortable with fewer people around. It varies. So, where there is flexibility with regards to format, discuss preferences with the interviewee.

Time to talk

Some people who stammer need more time to say what they want to say. So, you may need to allocate a little extra time for that interview.

Introductions

It's common for people who stammer to find saying their names very challenging. If introductions are part of the interview, ask the person whether they'd like to introduce themself or if they'd prefer somebody else to do it.

Don't Jump in

Most people who stammer find it unhelpful if someone jumps in and says a word for them. Give the speaker space to finish their words and sentences.

It's OK to Challenge

Just because you're not finishing off someone's words or sentences, doesn't mean you can't challenge them on the content of what they said. People who stammer aren't any more fragile than other interviewees. If they've said something controversial, questionable or incomplete, go ahead and challenge them!

Don't praise fluency

Try not to congratulate the person if they speak fluently. This implies that stammered speech is wrong and unacceptable. Praising fluency might offend the person if they are proud of the way they speak.

It's the content of what is said that's important, not whether those words are stammered or fluent.

You can download this information as a pdf below too.

If you have any queries, email us at hello@stamma.org