Live vs. Pre-Recorded: How to Tailor Your Interview Strategy

Approaching every style of media interview with the exact same strategy, is not a strategy for success.. One of the first questions you must ask yourself is: 'What kind of interview is this?' Broadly speaking, broadcast interviews boil down to two distinct types of interview, each with entirely different rules: live-to-air and pre-recorded.

A live-to-air interview is a direct connection with your audience. Breakfast television panels, 24/7 news stations or talkback radio programs are a high-wire act—if you make a mistake, the audience hears it in real-time. But the massive payoff is control and context. The reporter cannot edit your answers or twist your words out of context, because the broadcast is raw. Your strategy here is depth, forward momentum, and getting to your best material within the first answer, as live segments can get cut short due to sudden breaking news.

Conversely, a pre-recorded interview for a nightly news package is a search for sound bites. The journalist might stand and question you for ten minutes, but the final package on the six o'clock news will only be 90 seconds long.  Of those 90 seconds, the reporter might only use 10 seconds of your voice. If you deliver long, rambling, meandering answers, you are of very little use in the story.

To win the pre-record game, you must adapt your delivery in two key ways:

1. Answer in Full Sentences:

Incorporate the question into your answer. If asked, 'What's the best part of living in Australia?' do not say 'Beaches.' Say, 'The best part of living in Australia is the golden beaches.' This gives the editor the necessary context, since the reporter's question will be cut out.

2. Use the Restart Recovery:

If you trip over a word, make a mistake, or lose your train of thought, do not panic. Simply stop your sentence, look at the reporter, and say: 'Actually, let me rephrase that.' Start your answer fresh from the top. The reporter will love you for it, because it gives them a clean, usable news grab.

Know the rules of the game you are playing before you step onto the field. Align your preparation with the format, and you will deliver a professional performance every single time.