What to do when a journalist won’t send you questions ahead of an interview...
Sarah Forster Dec 16First, don’t panic, and certainly don’t push for them.
Journalists are taught not to share questions in advance because it compromises editorial independence, and asking repeatedly can irritate your interviewer before you've even got started. In fact, very high profile interviews have even been cancelled because questions were erroneously sent in advance. It gives too much time to prepare the answers and damages the integrity of the interview.
Instead, shift your preparation and ask for the topic areas, not the questions. They will happily give you these so that you can have any facts and figures fresh in your mind.
You can also clarify the format, duration, and whether it’s live or recorded. This should all put your mind at ease.
Now you can start to prepare whatever message you want to get across. Know the two or three points you need to land regardless of how the question is phrased. At this point, does it matter that you don't know the exact questions?
And always assume the hardest question will be asked. So be ready for it.
Finally, remember this: a good interview isn’t about control, it’s about composure. If you understand the subject you don’t need the questions to perform well.