The news interview: journalists and public figures on the air

TLDR

The news interview is a primary vehicle for broadcast news and political commentary, serving as a key interface between journalism and government. The book investigates the role of the news interview in Anglo‑American society and traces its historical development in the United States and Britain. It analyzes the norms and conventions that shape interview conduct, the recurrent practices balancing objective and adversarial standards, and the dynamics between journalists and public figures as seen in well‑known interviews. The work is positioned as essential reading for students and researchers in sociolinguistics, media, and communication studies.

Abstract

The news interview has become a major vehicle for presenting broadcast news and political commentary, and a primary interface between the institutions of journalism and government. This much-needed work examines the place of the news interview in Anglo-American society and considers its historical development in the United States and Britain. The main body of the book discusses the fundamental norms and conventions that shape conduct in the modern interview. It explores the particular recurrent practices through which journalists balance competing professional norms that encourage both objective and adversarial treatment of public figures. Through analyses of well-known interviews, the book explores the relationship between journalists and public figures and also how, in the face of aggressive questioning, politicians and other public figures struggle to stay 'on message' and pursue their own agendas. This comprehensive and wide-ranging book will be essential reading for students and researchers in sociolinguistics, media and communication studies.