The do's and dont's of a television interview

What does the invitation for a television interview entail?

Again, good preparation is half the battle. This starts the moment an editor invites you for a television interview. Nice of them to think of you. Don't say yes until the following questions are answered: What is the interview topic? And What is the angle of the interview? And just as important: who is the presenter? After all, an in-depth interview by Yvonne Jaspers requires a slightly different approach than "just" sitting down with Mariëlle Tweebeeke.

Who else will be your guest?

Also, don't forget to ask if more people are participating in the interview and what the other topics in the programme are. In the case of a talk show, the other guests usually have the opportunity to respond to your television interview. So it is important to take a moment to ask who else is at the table. You wouldn't be the first person who, thinking he had the kingdom all to himself with a convivial presenter, had to experience having his ears washed by another guest, host or side-kick, causing the interview to take an unexpected turn. Conversely, this also applies: make sure you are aware of the current news lead. And also why and which guests have been invited and what point of view they represent. If you are asked to give your opinion on another guest's topic during the broadcast, you obviously don't want to be at a loss for words.

Agreements made during a television interview

Make sure you get written confirmation of the interview's angle. Follow the example of Peter R. de Vries by putting the email in your inside pocket. Should the interview go in a completely undesirable direction, you, like Peter, can always wave that email around. Appeal in a raised voice to the agreements made. By the way, the vast majority of editors keep neatly to what has been agreed. However, you cannot be too careful. Especially if it concerns a sensitive subject.

How do you prepare for a television interview?

For an editor, the preliminary interview is often the moment to check whether a subject is interesting enough for broadcast. So ideally, you want to have your story all wrapped up when you get the call. Including striking examples, or if it's a human interest topic, nice anecdotes. If you are not a routiné, it pays - time permitting - to make a separate appointment for the preliminary interview and to write out potentially difficult questions in advance. This forces you to think about the wording beforehand. Most interviews on television are short, so be critical with what you want to say. Practising the interview with colleagues or family is also recommended.

Interfering checks and make-up

It may be an open door but clothes matter. Especially with women, where unfortunately clothes can quickly distract from the content. Again, don't rush into this and make sure the clothes match what you want to convey: authority or cosiness? It is wise to pick the clothes in advance. This will prevent stress on the day itself. Watch out for tartans, which can have a particularly dynamic effect on camera and interfere. For women: think about what you do or do not want in terms of make-up and be clear about this with the make-up artist. Bright red lipstick can look pretty classic but can also make a face look undesirably severe, as can heavy eyeliner.

It is a shame if the television interview went well but people were only concerned with your appearance, or even worse, if, when you look back, you don't feel that you are that woman on television.