Given that my podcast's main component is an interview,  my genre research focuses on delivering an informative and engaging interview my the target audience.

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In order to conduct an interview, the interviewer must first do their research and choose a guest whose thoughts and experiences are of interest. This should be a guest whom the interviewer feels will keep conversation flowing (podcast.co). Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also important to consider the nature of remote interviewing. Many interviewers suggest conducting a video call so that the two parties can read body language and feel more relaxed. “Easing” into this interview via video call is also important. Taking a few minutes to introduce yourselves to one another prior to recording is crucial to fostering the ideal interview atmosphere as well (Anchor).

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There are two primary components to the interview: writing the questions and preparing the interviewee. The former is the more difficult part. The interviewer must first focus on “making a structure for what it’s [going to] be”. Outlining these big concepts for the interview helps to target the questions to these themes. Some interviewers, like Ira Glass, think of the interview in two pieces – narrative and reflection. The bigger story-like aspect of the interview is the narrative, and prompting the interviewee to share their thoughts or outlooks is the reflection. Sometimes delving deeper into the reflection aspect is tricky when interviewing somebody whom you don’t know well. Ira Glass suggests sharing personal stories with the interviewee because oftentimes it offers the interviewee a level of comfort, and the individual will reciprocate by being more vulnerable (Glass and Abel)

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The latter component of conducting an interview ­– preparing the interviewee – is relatively more straightforward. The interviewer should speak with the interviewee in advance to inform them of the big concepts that will be covered. The interviewer is not necessarily obligated to prepare their guest with the questions, but the guest should be aware of the general topics being brought up. Additionally, the individual should be made aware of any technological equipment or software that will be used. Since I am conducting an interview via Zoom, I will send my interviewees links to a Zoom meeting prior to our scheduled meeting. Another important component is transparency – telling the interviewee how much time they should allot for the interview and whether the audio will be edited down further. The interviewer should make sure that the interviewee feels comfortable interjecting so that the conversation is more natural. (Glass and Abel)