The fundamental rule is to tell the guest exactly what the subject of the interview is.
There may on rare occasions be a case for obtaining an interview by subterfuge - to expose crime, for instance. This is when all other means of securing the interview have failed or are unlikely to succeed, and you have senior editorial approval.
But in almost all broadcast journalism hiding the real reason for an interview is deception. A presenter can ask supplementary questions and should pursue interesting answers - that’s not the same as ambushing a guest.
Intermediaries
With some guests - politicians, public figures, business leaders - you'll usually deal with an assistant or PR who will push you hard for as many details as possible.
They're entitled to know:
- Who will be doing the interview
- Which programme or programmes it's for
- Whether it's live or recorded
- Whether they will be in discussion with another guest and, if so, who that is
- The broad subject area - if you are planning to make a specific allegation, they are entitled to know the precise allegation in the words you plan to use to make it.
But, unless there is an overriding reason, you should always refuse to:
- Provide questions in advance
- Fix a precise duration
- Fix durations or the proportions of the interview for subject areas
- Avoid certain subjects
- Give the guest the right to withdraw or edit the interview after recording, or any other editorial control.
Independence in fixing guests
How do you make sure you’ve made your choice of guest wholly independently of any spin or pressure?
"Fair dealing is essentially about letting contributors know how their contributions will be used"
Your independence can appear to be compromised by spin doctors and press officers, off-air relationships, favouring one (kind of) guest over another, or appearing to have an agenda.
Listen to the press officer’s pitch, by all means; but the harder they pitch the more careful you have to be to apply your professional judgement to what they say.
You may have a range of contacts who you know are prepared to do interviews at short notice or who always perform well in a discussion. But are you checking often enough that they're the best person for that interview? Is their agenda starting to show in your output?
And what about social relationships? While there is nothing wrong with going to a book launch, an MP's reception or meeting sports team members in the club bar, you have to keep a professional detachment - and a detachment that the audience will recognise.
Pressure or harassment?
You will often have to be persistent to persuade a guest to appear. But excessive pressure can be counter-productive, especially if the person is not used to being in the public eye.
Ask yourself:
- Are you making serious allegations about that guest?
- Is there a public interest in hearing from that person?
- Is it difficult or impossible to get to the truth or be impartial without hearing from that person?
In general, if you reach the point where you've spoken to the potential guest in person, made it crystal clear what's going to be said, and that you'll say on air that so-and-so was approached and declined (empty chair), and the answer's still 'no', then further calls probably amount to harassment.
Unless the story or situation changes, it's legitimate to re-approach a potential guest if, say, a new story is running in the papers or there’s a new contribution from a player in the story.
Door-stepping
It's not normally acceptable to try to grab an informal interview or doorstep someone, certainly not on private property.
It may be a legitimate option if you are making serious allegations against them; you've explained precisely what they are; and they've declined to appear or make a statement.
But you must always make a conventional approach even if you're sure it will be declined.
When to stop chasing
You shouldn't give up on a guest until you're certain they know exactly why you want to talk to them. If they decline in full knowledge of your bid that's normally the end of it unless the story changes.
Guests, or more often their PRs, believe that by saying 'no' to an invitation to appear they will kill the story. If you intend to broadcast the story anyway, make that clear.
And if it's your intention to 'empty-chair' the interviewee, you should say so. Make it clear that you want to know precisely why they're declining to appear and that you will use that reason on air.
The BBC editorial guidelines give specific guidance on political independence, dealing with contributors, rights of reply and privacy issues, including door-stepping.
