The Interview Is Not an Interrogation

Before the first question is even asked, many people walk into interviews already assuming they’re about to be interrogated, trapped, or tested.

That assumption shows up quickly. Shoulders tighten. Answers get shorter. Every question feels loaded before it’s even finished.

A lot of spokespeople enter interviews braced for battle. It’s exhausting - and it rarely leads to clear, helpful communication.

An interview is not an interrogation.

The reporter has a job.
So do you.

Your job isn’t to defend yourself.
It’s to provide clarity.

That shift in mindset changes how an interview unfolds. When you stop treating questions as threats, you regain control over your pace, your tone, and your message.

You’re allowed to slow things down.
You’re allowed to ask for a question to be repeated.
You’re allowed to say, “I’m not going to speculate on that,” and then deliberately bridge back to what you do know.

When I train spokespeople, there’s often a visible moment of realization. They understand they don’t have to match the reporter’s energy. If the tone becomes sharp, they can remain steady. If a question is loaded, they can answer the fair part and leave the rest behind.

You don’t control the questions.
But you absolutely control how you answer.

Once interviews stop feeling like tests, they become what they’re meant to be: a professional skill you can prepare for, practise, and master.