Some interviews go well, other interviews are a nightmare. It happens, you fluff up your questions or fail to make a connection with your guest.
Experience is often the best teacher but there are three golden rules to interviewing, according to Josh Helmuth, morning news anchor for US local TV station Good Morning Colorado.
On Helmuth's YouTube account, he leans on the wisdom of veteran Canadian journalist John Sawatsky and summarises that all questions must be open-ended, neutral and lean.
This means start all questions with who, what, where, when, why and how. Avoid trigger words or those which put guests on the defensive. Crucially, keep questions simple and succinct - no long-winded or double-barrelled questions.
"Just make sure your questions are short. The more content, the less effective the answer," Helmuth explains.
Want to receive journalism news and job updates straight to your phone? Subscribe to Journalism.co.uk on Telegram on our jobs channel for latest job opportunities, and our news channel for a weekly digest every Monday morning.
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
