What This TV Interviewer Does that Many Don’t
Interviewing is a skill that journalists need to develop. I’ve coached executives on how to manage interviews during a crisis. And politicians on how to turn tough questions around. And I’ve coached literally hundreds of multimedia journalists on how to interview.
My take: In most cases, the politicians manage the interviews far better than the reporter. No, I’m not talking about the “gotcha” questions during political campaigns. Rather, simple follow-up questions holding the person accountable. Accountable to either promises they made or accountable to the facts.
One of the best interviewers is Megyn Kelly on the Fox network. Before watching the video clip accompanying this article, here’s the background on the interview.
Fiery Debate
ObamaCare architect Dr. Zeke Emanuel joined Megyn Kelly for a fiery debate over ObamaCare on The Kelly File.
Just days ago, Bill Clinton made an extraordinary criticism of ObamaCare:
“You’ve got this crazy system, where all of a sudden 25 million more people have healthcare, [but] the people that are out there busting it–sometimes 60 hours a week–wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half,” Clinton said in Flint, Michigan.
Kelly said that Emanuel, brother of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, had promised the law ensured a stable health care market, though recently some insurers have decided to pull out of its exchanges:
“Obviously it is not [a stable market],” she said, “[There have been] enormous hikes in premiums,”
Emanuel took issue with the statement. He said reporters have been “cherry-picking” worst-case-scenarios of Americans incurring massive rate hikes or losing coverage.
“They don’t raise premiums across the board…it is a correction,” Emanuel said.
“No doubt [they] need to be addressed, but [the phenomenon] is not across-the-board.”
Kelly responded: “What we’re hearing today, in many states, the individual market is in shambles.”
Emanuel repeatedly blamed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for reportedly removing “risk corridors” that the doctor said insured against getting “too many sick people” in the exchanges.
What This TV Interviewer Does that Many Don’t: Takeaways
- Know the facts so you can challenge claims that seem out of line with the truth.
- Take the person’s claims one by one to cut down what could be a long list of talking points.
- When interrupting, be polite and explain “Before you go on, let’s unpack this issue so our viewers don’t get lost.
- Be persistent if the interviewee insists on talking over you.
- If you’re live on the air, you must take charge. Otherwise you’ll run out of time for your follow-up questions.
- Keep video clips of the person’s previous comments handy to hold them accountable to what they said previously.
Whether you’re facing tough interviews ahead or a journalist looking to improve your interview skills, I can help: bob@kapltz.tv.
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