In news, we prefer a standard sit-down interview. The trouble is, this dynamic isn’t always helpful in motivating your guests to go off-script and can be one-dimensional to the audience.
One thing I love about YouTube is the endless inspiration I get from creators and media publishers who find inventive ways to showcase their guests. This creativity mostly emerges in entertainment fields – think sports, music, fashion – where interviews are woven into a wide range of topics. And the view counts show that people love it when production teams get creative.
This is a non-exhaustive list of engaging interview formats we’ve seen that you can adopt or try in your own newsroom.
subwaytech
Hop on the famous New York City subway and you might see Kareem Rahma with his signature sunglasses and lapel mic attached to his MetroCard. In ‘Subwaytex’, Rahma asks her guests for their “take” – then immediately announces “100% agree” or “100% disagree.” Sitting on the fence is not allowed.
outcome? playful, spontaneous conversation Sometimes they even stop nearby travelers. For a true rollicking, chaotic roundtable.
The show has traveled to other rail lines including the London Underground – proving that hot take knows no limits. Episodes come in snackable vertical clips and longer, uncut horizontal versions with many familiar names.
fact or fiction
Wikipedia is not always gospel.
Loudwire’s ‘Fact or Fiction’ features musicians debunking (or confirming) baseless claims from their Wikipedia pages, often setting the record straight with juicy stories.
defend your career
There’s no better way to put fans’ burning questions to their idols than asking fans to do it themselves. In this case we are also talking about former fans.
Midnight’s ‘Defend Your Career’ pits Michael Owen against five fans representing the five clubs he played for in a career filled with trophies, injuries and controversy.
The ‘expert versus everyday person’ format is a classic – think of Jubilee’s hit ‘Surrounded’ debate series, which featured articulate voices Jordan Peterson, Mehndi Hasan And piers morgan Against a room of 20 critics.
Stephen Hendry’s Hint Tips
Snooker legend Stephen Hendry has recently joined a group of retired sports professionals launching a content channel. But this isn’t just another former footballer’s podcast.
Hendry’s YouTube channel ‘Q Tips’ is an interesting mix of interviews, game-improvement tips and behind-the-scenes glimpses at some of the frames.
Hendry talks to old rivals, professionals from other sports and media personalities who want to arm themselves with a sign. The result: a fun mix of games and stories.
ten essential things
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