Author
Tina Šoln
As Slovenian radio journalist Tatjana Pirc writes in her work "Radio: Zakaj te imamo radi," (in English: “Radio: Why We Love You”), radio is considered the most intimate medium. It teaches us the importance of listening, and it has been with us for a long time, anywhere and anytime – in the car, in the bedroom, in the garden ... Because of the intimacy and the special connection that is created - also due to the absence of images - between creators and listeners, radio is considered the most trustworthy mass medium there is today. Therefore, an invitation to a radio interview represents a special honor, but also a big responsibility. To help you prepare for a radio interview as best as possible and to ensure that both you and the journalist are satisfied with the recorded material afterward, we have prepared some useful tips for you regarding preparing for a radio interview.
An invitation to a radio interview represents a special honor, but also a big responsibility.
When you receive an invitation to a radio interview, the first thing to do is, of course, to express your gratitude. If you don't know the journalist and the show you're invited to, it's a good idea to quickly check where you've been invited – to figure out if you're even a suitable interviewee, whether the show's vision aligns with yours or the vision of the company/brand you represent ... If the journalist does not mention the expected topics and the type of interview (you might be just a part of some show or it might be a longer in-depth interview about you or your work) and how long the interview will last or whether it will be live or pre-recorded, in the initial call or email, you should check with the journalist. It is important to gather as much information as possible about the content and conduct of the interview. Once you and the journalist agree to collaborate, the next step is to coordinate the timing for recording. If the interview will be conducted live, it is up to you to adjust your schedule so that you can be on time for the recording and have enough time to participate in the show. If it's a recorded interview, it's best to state your flexibility regarding both time and location immediately, so that the logistics of the interview can be arranged as quickly as possible. Although the journalist will ask for your phone number, always save their phone number as well, as this will facilitate communication in case of any issues regarding your arrival for the interview or maybe even rescheduling the interview ...
Some journalists will send you the exact questions they will ask you during the interview in advance, but others will not do that. Although it may initially seem disadvantageous not to receive questions before recording, it is really an advantage. Of course, if it is expected that we will present scientific findings, present precise business results during the conversation or maybe talk about a period in our lives that we will have to accurately time; we need to prepare for that. Therefore, I suggest asking the journalist for guidelines on how the conversation will flow and ask if you need any specific and precise information. Based on the guidelines, prepare your own bullet points (on paper or in your head) to help you during the interview. Even if you receive the journalist's questions before the interview, I do not advise to prepare exact word by word answers you want to say in the interview - except in some special cases. Why? Radio interviews are considered a relaxed genre, where journalists listen carefully to you, and they may respond to one of your answers with some follow-up questions. In such cases, "perfect" preparation for the interview, where you have learned the answers to the questions by heart, can throw you off and cause a lot of tension during the recording.
It is finally time to record the interview! If the interview is live, it's great to be at the agreed-upon location about 30 minutes before the start of the conversation, and even if the interview will be pre-recorded, there's nothing wrong with being at the radio station about 10 minutes before the agreed time.
Be relaxed. In all media appearances, it is crucial to just be yourself. To speak sincerely, not to pretend to be something you're not. Nowadays, listeners quickly recognize a speaker who is not authentic, and consequently, they quickly switch stations or close the tab where they were listening to the conversation.
Eliminate distractions. Put your phone on airplane mode, and even if you use a computer for bullet points, you don't really need Wi-Fi during recording. I also recommend having bullet points, if you even need them, written on paper. Why is it important to limit distractions as much as possible? To maintain focus during interview - during recording, your main focuses are the journalist and you or your thoughts (in the case of talk shows where other speakers are present, it is essential to listen to them too, so that you can respond with a reply, add another perspective to what was said...). We all know how quickly our thoughts race when a notification pops up on our phone and how difficult it is to refocus afterward.
Nervous? Sometimes we feel like having stage fright before a public appearance is the end of the world. But it's quite the opposite. Stage fright just reminds us that something unusual is about to happen in our life, but that doesn't mean it won't be a great experience. The key mental shift we can make in overcoming stage fright is to realize that it is a very physical feeling (similar to anger) and therefore, find physical ways to overcome stage fright - for example, shaking hands helps me because I feel like I'm shaking these feelings of fear out of my body; for someone else, a relaxed conversation with the journalist before recording might help.
Physical appearance. Although only the sound is recorded on the radio, it is still important to come well-dressed for the interview. First, because it makes us feel better, and second, because radio appearances are also media appearances - even though the listener doesn't see your image, the journalist forms an opinion about you based on your appearance. At the same time, in the age of social media, radio is becoming an increasingly visual medium, so we can expect the journalist to ask for a photo, and some radio shows even record video content before or during interview for promotion on TikTok or Instagram Reels.
When the interview is over, do not forget to thank the journalist for the opportunity and ask them to inform you when the interview will be published, and if it will be published online, ask them for a link.
In the last decade, podcasts have joined radio content, significantly changing the production of audio content. Although podcasts initially only represented an extension of the content broadcast on radio stations, and podcast platforms at the beginning represented an additional distribution channel, the rules of the game on the market have quickly changed: the individuals have started to record and share their podcasts with the world. It is important to know that the podcast format allows creators more freedom - both in terms of topics and execution, so conversations published as podcasts are much more relaxed, less attention is paid to language correctness (there is a lot of slang, foreign words, dialectal expressions...), and the host of the podcast and the guest rarely use formal address. In recent years, podcasts, originally exclusively audio content, have been joined by video - so it is important to ask whether it is just audio podcast or video is also recorded. Otherwise, the advice for preparing to participate in a podcast is the same as the advice given above for participating in a radio interview, with the addition of even a little more relaxed attitude. Good luck!
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