Interview Preparation Strategies

Why This Matters

Interview preparation separates amateur broadcasts from professional journalism. In radio newsroom work, you're being tested on your ability to extract compelling audio content while maintaining ethical standards and technical quality. The strategies you'll learn here demonstrate core principles: research methodology, question design, active listening, and production logistics—all skills that translate directly to real-world broadcasting careers.

Don't approach this as a checklist to memorize. Instead, understand why each preparation phase matters and how these elements work together to create interviews that inform, engage, and respect both your subject and your audience. When you're evaluated, you'll need to demonstrate not just what to do, but the reasoning behind each strategic choice.

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Research and Context Building

Before you record a single second of audio, your preparation determines whether you'll ask surface-level questions or uncover genuine insights. Thorough research transforms you from a question-reader into a conversational partner.

Background Research on Your Subject

• Study the interviewee's expertise and recent work—this prevents embarrassing gaps in your knowledge and signals respect for their time
• Cross-reference multiple sources including their publications, previous interviews, and social media presence to identify recurring themes and potential contradictions
• Identify the news hook that makes this interview timely and relevant to your audience right now

Topic Immersion

• Master the broader context surrounding your interview subject—understanding the field helps you recognize when answers are significant or evasive
• Compile key statistics and facts you might need to reference or fact-check during the conversation
• Note competing perspectives on controversial topics so you can probe beyond the interviewee's preferred narrative

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Question Design and Structure

The questions you craft determine the quality of audio you'll capture. Strategic question design balances preparation with flexibility, ensuring you cover essential ground while remaining responsive to unexpected revelations.

Developing Open-Ended Questions

• Frame questions that demand explanation rather than confirmation—"What led you to..." beats "Did you decide to..." every time
• Use prompts like "Can you walk us through..." to encourage narrative responses that make compelling radio
• Avoid compound questions that confuse interviewees and produce fragmented, unusable answers

Building Your Question Hierarchy

• Prioritize questions by editorial importance—know which three questions you absolutely must ask if time runs short
• Sequence questions strategically moving from rapport-building openers to challenging material, then to reflective closers
• Keep your list visible but not rigid—it's a roadmap, not a script

Anticipating Responses and Follow-Ups

• Predict likely answers and prepare follow-up questions that push beyond rehearsed talking points
• Identify potential pivot points where the conversation might branch into unexpected but valuable territory
• Prepare gentle challenges for claims that require evidence or clarification

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Interview Structure and Flow

Every strong interview has architecture. Planning your structure ensures you capture a complete narrative arc while remaining flexible enough to pursue unexpected gold.

Planning the Three-Act Structure

• Design an engaging opening that establishes context, introduces your guest compellingly, and signals the interview's focus
• Build the body around 2-4 key themes with planned transitions that guide listeners through complex material
• Craft a deliberate conclusion that summarizes insights and gives your subject a final opportunity to add perspective

Crafting the Guest Introduction

• Write a concise credential statement that establishes why this person's perspective matters—typically 2-3 sentences maximum
• Highlight timely relevance connecting the guest to current events or audience concerns
• Practice delivery so your introduction sounds natural rather than read, setting a conversational tone from the start

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Technical and Logistical Preparation

Professional-quality interviews require professional-quality preparation. Technical failures destroy otherwise excellent content, making logistics as important as editorial planning.

Equipment Familiarization

• Test all recording devices at least 24 hours before the interview—never discover problems when your guest arrives
• Master your specific equipment's quirks including optimal microphone placement, gain levels, and file formats
• Prepare redundant systems with backup recorders running simultaneously; professionals assume something will fail

Location Selection and Setup

• Scout locations for acoustic quality—avoid echo, HVAC noise, and unpredictable interruptions like phone notifications or foot traffic
• Prioritize interviewee comfort with appropriate seating, temperature, and privacy to encourage candid responses
• Control the visual environment even for audio-only interviews; cluttered or uncomfortable spaces affect how people speak

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Professional Standards and Ethics

Ethical preparation protects you, your subject, and your audience. Understanding consent, confidentiality, and legal requirements isn't optional—it's foundational to legitimate journalism.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

• Secure explicit consent before recording, understanding that requirements vary by jurisdiction—some require all-party consent
• Clarify ground rules regarding off-the-record comments, embargo dates, and whether the subject can review quotes before broadcast
• Respect boundaries when subjects decline to answer questions, and never promise editorial control you can't deliver

Active Listening Techniques

• Focus completely on responses rather than mentally rehearsing your next question—listeners can hear when interviewers aren't paying attention
• Use minimal encouragers like brief verbal acknowledgments to show engagement without interrupting the speaker's flow
• Watch for nonverbal cues that suggest discomfort, enthusiasm, or hesitation—these signal when to probe deeper or move on

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. What distinguishes background research on your subject from topic immersion, and why does thorough preparation require both approaches?

2. Compare open-ended questions with follow-up questions: how do they work together to produce compelling interview content?

3. If you had only 15 minutes to prepare for an unexpected interview, which three preparation strategies would you prioritize and why?

4. Explain how the three-act interview structure (opening, body, conclusion) serves both the listener's experience and the journalist's editorial goals.

5. A guest becomes uncomfortable with a line of questioning and asks to go off the record. What ethical considerations should guide your response, and how does your pre-interview preparation affect this moment?