How to interview and how not to — that is the question. Fortunately, it has many answers.
But why are we interested in interviews? Well, because this week saw many of them—in newspapers and on television. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar led the way.
Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur was in great demand on TV news channels. He was seen in at least four TV interviews this week. Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena and Delhi’s Minister of Education Atishi Marlena were no less popular with the newspapers—they were featured in all the mainstream English dailies last Sunday.
Why conduct multiple interactions with the same people? I guess it is because of FOMO – fear of missing out. The politicians didn’t want any audience to miss what they had to say, and media houses didn’t want to miss out either.
What did we learn from them? Interviews come in many shapes and sizes. Most are neither hard-hitting nor probing — they simply ask questions that individuals want to answer.
Also read: Three elements that boost PM Modi’s image on TV, in newspapers
The different kinds of interviews
First is a simple, straightforward interview, where every question is easy like the one DD National did with Jaishankar on the G20 summit.
Next, there’s the one where each question is loaded with the answer. This allows the interviewee to aim and fire. Watch Republic TV’s session with Thakur on ‘India that is Bharat’, Sanatan Dharma, and other issues.
The channel claimed this was a ‘live’ conversation and not a recorded one like most interviews.
How about the interview that reads rather like a written speech? PM Modi’s interaction with the editors of Press Trust of India about G20 is one such example.
By the way, e-mail interviews are routine in news reporting. It’s the easiest way to get someone on record – or keep a record of your interaction with them.
Next is the ‘disguised interview’. Here, the anchor/reporter hides behind someone else to quiz the guest. It normally begins with “The opposition claims….’’ Times Now used this ploy effectively in its interview with Thakur last weekend.
We also have the balancing-act style of interviews in which the opposing views of two people appear side by side. Many newspapers used this format to let Saxena and Atishi have a go at each other over the preparations for the G20 summit in the capital city.
Last, sometimes you come across an interview that flatters to deceive. In Aap Ki Adalat (India TV) with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the anchor slipped in a googly just when the CM had fiercely defended his position.
Also read: TV news landed on the moon before Chandrayaan-3 did. But at least it brought Indians together
Bharat, Sanatan Dharma, G20
Let’s consider each interview in some depth.
In the PTI one, Modi’s replies read as though they had been neatly typed out, although we’re told the session was conducted at the PM’s residence. Ditto about the questions. For a student of multilateral relationships and India’s current viewpoint, the interview was a lengthy articulation with intricate details of Modi’s world view. However, for the average reader, it is too long and too detailed.
The recent Business Today interview with Modi was more accessible. The questions were shorter and clearer: “There has been talk of a global framework for regulations of cryptocurrencies. What has been the progress on this?” However, the answers were, once more, only for students of foreign affairs.
Neither interview raised any difficult or awkward questions to Modi, but then, the PM has never been asked uncomfortable questions ever since he took office.
Jaishankar’s ‘DD Dialogue’ was a studio session with an audience, which asked questions—and at least one on the absence of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping from the G20 summit was a pinprick.
Jaishankar is a consummate performer and spoke easily on numerous issues. He was relatable and expressive.
Thakur was completely impassive in each of his interviews. Did he even blink? The Republic TV question-answer round had a sole purpose: To attack the opposition. Each question was focused on it: “Why does it have a problem with ‘Bharat’?”, “They don’t want anyone to say ‘Bharat mata ki jai’, what’s their difficulty with it?”, “Is their attack on Sanatan Dharma an effort to deviate from India’s moment of glory?”, “Are they deliberately doing this?”
All these questions gave Thakur the opening he wanted, and he launched an “all-out attack on the opposition…” as TV news is fond of saying.
When Thakur was interviewed on ‘Frankly Speaking’ (Times Now), we saw more difficult questions asked in a disguised way. The anchor used the Opposition to target Thakur, who then targeted them in his replies.
There were questions such as “The opposition says you are stressed so you’re talking about ‘One Nation One Election’”, “The opposition says the government is taking the credit for the rotational G20 summit”, “Rahul Gandhi alleges that China has taken our territory—yes or no?”
Conversations with NDTV India and Aaj Tak gave Thakur more time to rail against the opposition—and to praise the Modi government. One interesting: when Aaj Tak asked him about an early Lok Sabha election, he replied that in his 23 years in public office, the PM has never advanced polls by even 23 hours.
Also read: Fed up with fake melodrama and hysterical news debates? Be thankful there’s still Doordarshan
Surprising end
Newspapers featured Saxena vs Atishi in Sunday editions with mutual recriminations on each side. Each claimed to have cleaned up and beautified the capital city and blamed the other for non-cooperation. Saxena was more double-edged in his remarks and Atishi was more combative: “I must commend that all agencies put their best efforts in the preparations…” he told Hindustan Times. “If AAP had worked, I would not have stepped out, said to The Times of India. “Now he will claim credit for Chandrayaan,” stormed Atishi to The Indian Express.
The most successful interview was Aap ki Adalat with the Madhya Pradesh CM. The anchor was willing to ask difficult questions on the (mis)use of religion, feeding revdi to the public and sticking on as the CM. Chouhan calmly enumerated his achievements, to which the host tartly commented, “Are you going to conduct your entire election campaign here?”
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)