3 ms·

You seem unaware that many, many journalists and interviewers do indeed spend several hours interviewing their subjects....that is then significantly edited dow

You seem unaware that many, many journalists and interviewers do indeed spend several hours interviewing their subjects....that is then significantly edited down. That good interviewers (and their staff) have spent many, many hours doing background research to prepare for the interview. If you think Joe Rogan is an impressive interviewer, your mind will be blown away by someone like Terry Gross. She appeared on the Tonight Show and Fallon showed a photo of a book Gross had read before interviewing the author - stuffed full of notes, page corners turned down Stephen Colbert presenting her Peabody award covers her show better than I ever could: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8mkTFY-D8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8mkTFY-D8

filmgirlcw 4y ago
Exactly what my comment I spent way too much time writing was trying to say. And as you say, people like Terry Gross and Oprah and Diane Sawyer and Mike Wallace and even Howard Stern (who is one of the best ever at interviewing) actually do research ahead of time. And the interviews are far better for it. Having an off the cuff conversation is fine. Having awareness of the person you're going to talk to, familiarity with their work and with what they are about, is even better. Watching Oprah interview Lance Armstrong remains a master class in the art form and her ability to interview such a wide range of people about so many things is just incredible. Likewise, Terry Gross does what she does so well -- and is one of the best audio journalists of all time, that it's honestly comical for Rogan to even be in the same sentence.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 4y ago
  Charlie Rose was one of the GOATs as well, and the exact opposite of Rogan: you could immediately tell he'd done a super deep dive on the interviewee and the subject at hand before the interview ever started. I think Letterman has been doing some interesting stuff lately in the gray area between those extremes. He's a humble funnyman that keeps things a little loose, but you can still tell he's done some prep and is quite well-read.

filmgirlcw 4y ago

Exactly what my comment I spent way too much time writing was trying to say. And as you say, people like Terry Gross and Oprah and Diane Sawyer and Mike Wallace and even Howard Stern (who is one of the best ever at interviewing) actually do research ahead of time. And the interviews are far better for it. Having an off the cuff conversation is fine. Having awareness of the person you're going to talk to, familiarity with their work and with what they are about, is even better. Watching Oprah interview Lance Armstrong remains a master class in the art form and her ability to interview such a wide range of people about so many things is just incredible. Likewise, Terry Gross does what she does so well -- and is one of the best audio journalists of all time, that it's honestly comical for Rogan to even be in the same sentence.

rrrrrrrrrrrryan 4y ago
Charlie Rose was one of the GOATs as well, and the exact opposite of Rogan: you could immediately tell he'd done a super deep dive on the interviewee and the subject at hand before the interview ever started. I think Letterman has been doing some interesting stuff lately in the gray area between those extremes. He's a humble funnyman that keeps things a little loose, but you can still tell he's done some prep and is quite well-read.