Live Radio Interview Rachel Tate 3.61

Types of Interview: TV Interview Television interviews consist of two or more people, and are often very emotive as the interviewee can be seen. This allows the viewers to asses factors such as body language that can add to their response. The interviewer can either be positioned in frame so that they can be seen, or out of frame to allow the focus to be entirely on the interviewee. Note taking is often not required with television interviews, as the information is already documented on film. This makes it a simple interview to refer back to if needed. As the footage is edited, producers are able to cut anything out that they don’t want to be shown or heard. These types of interviews are often aired for the public to see, for example on the news. People that choose to watch television interviews would do so for informative/educational purposes, so the questions asked are often intense and intrusive.

Types of Interview: Radio Interview Radio interviews are usually one on one, as it would be difficult to have multiple people answering questions in this format. This allows them to be a little more personal, as it feels like a discussion between the radio presenter and the interviewee. When an interview is taking place on a live radio show, the information is often being aired in real time for the public to hear. This means that any mistakes, inappropriate answers etc. will be immediately broadcasted, so there is little room for error. The public would normally tune into a radio station for casual listening, such as when driving, therefore interview questions are often light hearted and easy to listen to. Although each radio station has a different target audience, they bare in mind that people of any age can tune in; all content has to be family friendly. This restricts what can be said/asked on live radio interviews.

Types of Interview: Print Interview Print interviews are quite versatile as they can be adapted easily to suit the context. These can be found in newspapers, magazines, and now many online sites. Newspapers and magazines will often have a designated interview section in their regular issues. This could be a double page spread, or a small question and answers panel on the back page. Depending on each newspaper, the style and formality of the interviews can really vary. An interview in The Guardian is likely to be more formal and informative than an interview in The Sun, which would be in place for entertainment purposes. Like TV interviews, print interviews are adjustable in the sense that the editor can tailor the information they wish to be included.

Interview Styles: Hard/Soft Depending on the purpose of the interview and the result you are aiming for, the interview styles can be either hard or soft. If the interview is light hearted and friendly, soft style questions are likely to be in place. An example of soft questioning: ‘I love your new hairstyle. Do you have a professional stylist or do you do that yourself?’. The interviewer has a friendly approach that allows the interviewee to feel relaxed and comfortable. An example of hard questioning: ‘Why did you lie?’. Here the interviewer gets straight to the point and doesn’t allow the interviewee to avoid the question. 3.61

Interview Styles: Informative/Promotional Informative interviews are conducted with the audience in mind. The questions asked by the interviewer will be worded to encourage extensive, informative answers. This interview style is very common in formal settings such as on the news or in a newspaper such as The Times. Promotional interviews are in place to push a product or service by showing or demonstrating it to the public. An example of this would be Russell Brand having a TV interview about the release of his new biography. The product itself was visible and the questions asked promoted the book to the audience. This interview style assists the interviewee as well as being beneficial to the interviewer. 3.61

Interview Styles: Expose/Entertaining Exposing interviews are commonly used in more informal settings, such as in a magazine or on reality television. Interviewees are often celebrities which means that there could be a large audience if it’s about someone that the public take interest in. The purpose of this type of interview is to exploit the interviewee and release information often about their personal life. An example of this would be interviewing a politician about their mistakes. Entertaining interviews are regularly used across all types of interviews; they vary depending on the target audience. A Radio One listener is likely to find an Ed Sheeran interview entertaining, however this may not be as successful if it was placed in The Telegraph. The editors and producers have to choose what their typical audience would find entertaining and enjoyable. 3.61

Question Styles: Open/Closed Most interviews will have a mixture of open and closed questions throughout. The amount of each can be tailored to suit the desired outcome of an interview. Open questions allow the interviewee to answer extensively and provide reasons and explanations. An example of an open style question: ‘What kind of music are you into?’. Many open style questions begin with who, what, where, when, why and how. Closed questions are very direct and encourage one word responses. They can be used in short interviews that get straight to the point. An example of a closed style question: ‘How old are you’. Closed questions are often responded to with a simple yes or no answer. 3.61