How to Conduct a Media Interview
There is no doubt that the recent boom in media industry has created opportunities for young journalists but it also has made it difficult for them to register their presence. People have remote controls in their hands and if you are not offering them something really interesting, they won’t wait for a second and switch to some other channel.
Viewers like to know about celebrities and the best thing you can do to build your fan following is to invite a celebrity in your programme and conduct an interview. However, you must understand that there are lot of differences in a chit chat and an interview. You will have to keep few things in mind to conduct a nice interview.
Instructions
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1
Prepare yourself:
First thing you should do is to prepare yourself for the interview. Do some research about your guest and try to bring the hidden aspects of that person’s life into light. However, this does not mean that you have the liberty to interfere in his/her or their personal life. Knowing your limits is very important to conduct a good interview. -
2
Know your audience:
Knowing your audience is also very important otherwise you won’t be able to offer them something of their taste. Set your goals for the interview and this will help you a lot in preparing the questionnaire. -
3
Prepare your guest:
Now, when you are fully prepared, it is time to prepare your guest for the interview. Though, you are not supposed to disclose the questions but it is better to give interviewee an idea about the topic(s) of discussion. You can tell them when and how to speak. In this way, you will be able to build a connection and ultimately your guests will open up in front of you. -
4
Start with general questions:
Do not ever show your cards straight away in the beginning; start your interview with general questions. Build the pace gradually and finally ask tough questions if you want to hit them hard. -
5
Do not humiliate the person(s):
The most common mistake interviewers make is to ask tough questions rudely. You can interrogate but you do not have the right to humiliate anybody. Give them space to think and reply. Do not interrupt otherwise they will get annoyed and ultimately stop cooperating. -
6
Ask open ended questions:
Instead of throwing definite questions, you should ask open-ended questions as that will entice your guest to go in details and ultimately you will get a lot more information, and consequently more room for exploitation.
