The midterm election season is upon us. Must we interview these grifters? I guess so. I know many news/talk hosts love to interview these people and enjoy being around the American Idol for unattractive people… midterm election season.
With this being said, what is your strategy? Do you have an interview blueprint for those seeking to work for your station’s listeners?
Even if you like the bozo who is asking to become your next U.S. Senator, dog catcher, or Congressman (or congresswoman), no one should get a free ride. These people are seeking a job, and the voters are the people making that hire. Always remember, you are in a privileged position. You get to ask questions for the people. Considering the lapdog local TV media, blogs, and what is left of the print industry, you are likely the only person asking real questions.
Since we are here for the people, there are three types of questions that every human who is running for office should receive. I believe that every politician or aspiring office holder should be given a win, a chance to explain why they are running, and a tough question.
Giving the Candidate a Win
You are giving this person seven to 10 minutes of free airtime. There is no reason to give them any more than that. The win is that the interviewee can give their elevator pitch to your massive footprint. This is their opportunity to give the reason they think the people should vote for them.
If they give some happy-crap pitch that says absolutely nothing, your job is to get them to clarify. Some of these people don’t have an understandable reason for running. I think many of these people are running to get a larger government pension. Who am I kidding? Of course, politicians are thinking of themselves first.
You may agree with that human on almost everything. Most of our public servants are not running to serve the people. Remember that.
Always Ask a Tough But Fair Question
If the person has held office before or is currently on the government payroll, there is a record to mine for mistakes. It is the job of the news/talk host to ask about that mistake. This helps the candidate. If they don’t have an answer to a publicized mistake in their life, your question allows them to seriously evaluate how to answer it properly.
In 2016, Megyn Kelly asked Donald Trump about all the vile things he said about women. Trump’s answer was perfect and really helped propel him to victory. Trump said that he only said those negative comments about “Rosie O’Donnell.” Tough question — victory. Sometimes a tough question leads to a candidate falling apart. If you are representing the people, your legitimacy is on the line.
Here are not the people — political activists. This may be a sad reality, but most people are not involved in campaigns in any way, including donations. If you are excited about your local political dinner where the governor is speaking, you are probably not representing the people. If you are invited to be the master of ceremonies or speak at the event, please do so. Take a lot of selfies and work the room.
But if your show is centered on political activists, it is a very limited audience.
Ask a Softball Question
Yes, making this into an aggressive grilling of the candidate is not a winner for anyone. Your people want to hear the candidate speak. Give the candidate a softball. This allows the news/talk host to come across as a nice human. This also allows goodwill in your community. If a person is going to come on the show, they must get something from it.
I can only think of a couple of hosts who are not pleasant to be around. Most of the hosts I have met are very nice people. If that candidate wins, you will want them back on your show at some point. If this were a positive experience, even if the future elected official disagrees with you most of the time, they will come on.
Follow these tips and you will serve the audiences you wish to influence. Some of these candidates have deep pockets and can add a sizeable amount of billing to your show and station. Get that sweet cash money.
If you are too aggressive with some candidates, they may not buy your station at all. Remember, we are in the advertising business — not the elect-my-buddy industry.
Let’s talk about equal time. Some candidates may never come on your show for a variety of reasons. Always invite everyone to be on your show. I believe in equal opportunity. If a candidate does not want to appear, that is fine. The last time I checked, this is America. You can’t force them.
But if you are in the interviewing-candidates game, you must be willing to speak with them all. A big issue for the news/talk format is being too predictable. Interviewing politicians can be so boring.
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