Why Understanding Your Interview Format is Important

Understanding different media interview formats is crucial for anyone preparing to engage with the media. Media interviews can be daunting, especially if you’re unsure of what to expect. Knowing what you’re in for beforehand, and therefore limiting any surprises can help give you the confidence to communicate your message more effectively.

Over the course of one week, the Profile Media team helped facilitate a range of interviews involving our clients, including:

• A lengthy “sit down” for a tv story
• A 20-minute podcast
• An open media conference including television, radio, and print reporters
• A live radio interview conducted over the phone
• A print feature.

Each interview format required a different approach from both the interviewer and the person being interviewed.

Live versus pre-recorded

In a live interview, time constraints and the lack of editing elevates the importance of speaking clearly and succinctly.

A pre-recorded interview, meanwhile, may offer more flexibility for refining your answers. This is not always the case, as some pre-recorded interviews are conducted “as-live” so stopping and re-starting is not an option.

Knowing the difference can avoid embarrassing – and potentially damaging – mistakes.

Over-the-phone versus in-person

There are also nuanced differences in phone and in-person interviews.

Body language and appearance are important considerations when involved in an in-person interview, and the media may gather as much information from your visual cues as they do from what you say.

For example, smiling throughout an interview regarding a serious issue can give the impression that you’re not being sincere.

Be sure to align these visual aspects with the message you want to convey.

Conversely a phone interview relies heavily on the tone and clarity of your voice, and interview sound bites may not reflect your intended meaning if you don’t communicate it clearly.

Print versus broadcast

Interviews for print publications rather than broadcast also require different considerations.

In an interview with a newspaper or magazine reporter, you’ll likely have more time to consider your answers and clarify your points.

However, there is also no room for error when it comes to what is said and ends up in print.

An implied tone or expression – to indicate sarcasm for example – can be overlooked in print form, making it even more important to convey your message clearly and explicitly.

Broadcast interviews allow you to be more expressive with your voice and appearance when you want to be, while also presenting the challenge of remaining measured when that response is more appropriate.

Understanding the specific format of your interview before you go into it gives you one less unknown to worry about, or adapt to, on the run. This should give you the confidence to focus more on what really matters – delivering your key messages with clarity and impact.