Asking a reporter for a list of questions before an interview sounds reasonable, right? After all, with a list of the reporter's questions you can do all the proper research and come to the interview with great answers. So why did the reporter's response sound so distant and cold when you asked? Maybe it's because you've just committed a major faux pas of news interviewing.
What sounds reasonable to many people in business organizations often has a decidedly different ring in a reporter's ears. Asking for a list of questions before an interview ? especially requesting a complete set of interview questions ? is a clear example. Yet business people agreeing to news interviews often to make that mistake.
Sure, having the questions ahead of time would help you prepare. But requesting a list ? especially a complete list ? of questions is tantamount to telling a reporter that you are putting limits and restrictions on where the interview can go, the subjects to be covered, the topics to be discussed. At least, that's the way reporters are likely to interpret the request. Following such a practice is bound to distance you from the reporter and will almost undoubtedly make the upcoming interview adversarial, two things you should be trying hard to avoid.
Keep in mind that in any interview with the news media, the roles for interviewer and interviewee are already well established. The reporter is responsible for the questions. Your one and only job is to provide answers, or better yet, to deliver messages that your audiences will find persuasive. If you have prepared properly, you should be able to deliver those messages regardless of the questions posed during the interview.
Is this a recommendation that you go into a news media interview unprepared, with no idea o ...