Interview Tips for Journalists, From ‘Meet the Press’

The interview is a fundamental ability in journalism. Even Kristen Welker, “Meet the Press” moderator, knows that he is one of the most difficult to dominate.

“The best advice I have received about the interview is that the interviews is not about talking, it’s not about asking, it’s about listening,” Welker said. “If you are armed with the facts, if you are armed with a good set of questions and monitoring questions, then when you hear something really significant, you are present and you are at the time and ready to follow up.”

To prepare for the news program of Sunday morning every week, Welker conducts extensive research, note and interviews are simulated to anticipate several addresses that could take the conversations.

“When people come ‘know the press’, they know that it will be the most challenging interview they could have, and fair,” Welker said. “That is my goal with each interview.”

To see Welker’s interview approach, see the video above and read some of your tips below.

Why do journalists do interviews?

There are some key objectives with each journalistic interview.

First, to make sure that the person who is interviewing can express their perspective and opinion. I try to never interrupt the person I am interviewing, even when I am interviewing her on satellite. Sometimes it is a bit challenging, but you want to let everyone feel their perspective.

The following objective is to make sure that they are asking challenging questions, holding them to account for their words, for their actions. Part of that requires going back in time, looking at their past statements, looking at their past interviews, to make sure they are holding them not only for what they said this week, but what they could have said several years ago.

And finally, it is to educate the viewer. You want to make sure you are educating the public with each interview. You expect the viewer, that your reader, that your listener leaves each interview with new and important information.

How do you prepare for an interview?

When I am preparing for an interview, I try to compromise as much as possible to memory. I have also written notes in front of me and take notes throughout the interview. I do simulated interviews to be able to anticipate where the interview could go, but sometimes it takes a turn for which I am not necessarily prepared.

But if I have done enough simulated interviews, if I have read enough, if I have investigated enough, I hope I am agile enough to ask a follow -up question, to obtain the type of information or answer that will be valuable for our spectators.

How do you prepare for an interview that you know could be confrontative?

The way to make sure you start with the right foot with people is to go big at the beginning, so that the person says what it means … to give them space to talk about their point of view on a subject that really matters to them.

[Former “Meet the Press” moderator] Tim Russert had a really wonderful stylistic approach to end sometimes with a somewhat lighter note, and that allowed him to show a little personality to the audience, and for the person who is interviewing to feel that they ended up with a slightly lighter note.

Politicians sometimes say journalists ask too many “gotcha” questions. What is your opinion about “Gotcha questions”?

I try not to ask “Gotcha questions”, and what I mean by that is that I try to ask questions that the person interviewing can answer, is equipped to answer, has the experience to answer. I try to ask these open questions. I try not to ask questions of itself or not.

But really try to give people space and breadth to give their perspective. I think if you are seeing each question through that lens, you will reduce that notion of what someone could consider as a “Gotcha question.”

What advice do you have for people who one day want to work to “meet the press”?

To get a job like “know the press”, which is really the greatest honor of my life, took years and decades and, frankly, of great hard work. And I enjoyed the trip. My advice for people who are starting their careers: get that first job. Say yes, learn everything you can. Raise your hand.

My first job in the air was in Redding, California, about five hours north of San Francisco. I did all my own camera work. I wore a tripod. I wore a battery bag. I operated the teleprompter with my foot. I even made the weather.

And it was one of the best experiences of my life, because I learned a lot about how the transmission news works. I have a lot of respect for all those who work in each writing room, because I lived a mini version.

A special thanks to Kurtis Ming, Kerry Loring, Toby Lyles, Adam Kessler, Joe Gabriel, Tom Craca, Caitlin Hartman and Louise Rath.