Why do Interviewers talk over Interviewees ?

I'd call it "The Question Time" effect. That regularly descends into a chaos of screech-owls.

But - even worse - "The Moral Maze". Michael Buerk couldn't keep any semblance of control to save his life.

D'you think they take their cue from Donald Trump?

I so agree, it’s the Fiona Bruce show now, she spoils it for me. The show isn’t about her and I’ve noticed too re the Conservative people.

Sparklefizz

Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast is one of the worst. I can't stand her.

I totally agree, along with Charlie Stayt who irritates me so much too. I don’t watch BBC news when they’re presenting.

There is a female presenter on local radio who continually interrupts interviewees, particular those who are not members of the political party she supports. Those of the same political leaning as her are allowed to speak for as long as they like (even over-running so the news is late)

Grantanow

I'm not surprised interviewers need to interrupt because most politicians don't answer the question as put. They waffle and divert. The prime complaint from audiences is that interviewers let politicians get away with it. Bruce sometimes intervenes to challenge 'facts' stated by politicians and she is often right.

Agreed. Interviewers dont get it right all the time but in short interviews they are just trying to get politicians to ask what I often want to find out not put up with a waffle.

Longer interviews are different but the job is still to get the difficult questions answered.

I'm not surprised interviewers need to interrupt because most politicians don't answer the question as put. They waffle and divert. The prime complaint from audiences is that interviewers let politicians get away with it. Bruce sometimes intervenes to challenge 'facts' stated by politicians and she is often right.

Basically, those who interrupt are just plain rude and usually tend to have an ego to match their bad manners. 'Sorry to interrupt'? In your dreams. I do so much switching off these days. Very frustrating when the topic really interests me. Ugh!

So glad that others agree with me re the Today programme. I've lost count of the times I have switched it off because of the constant interruptions. They do not give the politicians a chance to reply.
I did it again this morning when one of the women presenters was supposedly interviewing Nigel Farage. Radio unlike TV cannot be muted for 5 minutes until the next segment begins, so normally the radio remains silent whilst |I eat my breakfast.

Intelligent debate had gone down the drain. Interviews from the 60s or 70s I see on YouTube show how basic manners have deteriorated.

I now listen to Radio Ireland, where the interviewers not only give people the right amount of time to respond, but have a light touch, not so aggressive as here,

Only me (in my head about the question dodgers) NanKate!
🤣

I listen to the Today programme every morning and am always amazed how the political interviewees in particular can get out of answering a direct question. You rarely hear a simple yes or no when that might be appropriate and politicians go off at a tangent and repeat the same twaddle like a broken record without addressing the actual question. Where do they learn this?
Given given time limits especially in a programme like Today they have to be interrupted to try to bring them back to the question. Trouble is time runs out and they are off the hook.

Who said that Urm? 😀

Smileless2012

It was some time ago so I can't remember who was being interviewed Sparklefizz, but as he was talking she said 'I don't mean to interrupt' and he responded with 'don't then'. Her face was a picture .

Love it!!
I missed that.

“I will beat you down and bamboozle you with my word salad”.

On the rare occasions the person being interviewed asks the interviewer to give them a chance to answer, they do appear to hold back somewhat.

NotSpaghetti I think you have misinterpreted what I said. I wanted MH to ask the first question then allow KB to answer without MH talking over her the whole time. There were so many other questions MH could have moved onto but it was all about the Birth Certificate. Neither of them came away with a proper balanced discussion. It was a wasted opportunity.

I do agree that it’s very irritating, but it’s surely frequently down to the fact that the interviewee isn’t answering the question - either slithering around it like an oiled snake, or answering the question they would prefer to have been asked.

IIRC it was John Prescott who was almost impossible to interrupt - he could keep going like a verbal bulldozer, never apparently needing to pause to take a breath!

Nags Munchetty is so so rude to people speaking over them and her sidekick Charley State is no better.

I like Camilla Tominey on GBNews very much. For the next few weeks she is sitting in for Nigel Farage. I wish it could be a permanent replacement. She’s intelligent, forensic and yet courteous at all times. She’s gives space to the interviewee to answer fully, without interrupting.

Mind you, yesterday morning (her usual Sunday slot) Yvette Cooper was hung by her own petard as Camilla asked her FOUR times about where school places would be found in September state schools for children whose parents have to remove them from private schools due to Labour’s policy of introducing VAT on school fees.

Ms Cooper just kept repeating the Labour line “fairness blah blah .. up to the private schools blah de blah”. An exasperated Camilla listened very politely for some considerable time, yet kept pressing Ms Cooper - to no avail. As she listened her face was a picture - incredulous and exasperated. In the end she had to say “well we are getting nowhere with this”.

It was illuminating in its lack of policy.

It was some time ago so I can't remember who was being interviewed Sparklefizz, but as he was talking she said 'I don't mean to interrupt' and he responded with 'don't then'. Her face was a picture .

YesSarnia, that’s exactly what she does. It’s really annoying.

Interviewers may well have an agenda, but on Question Time the idea is that a range of views is represented and expressed. Fiona Bruce has got too high an opinion of herself, she’s there to make sure that all the panel members get the same opportunity to speak so that the audience can hear all sides of the argument. She doesn’t do that.

That's why I struggle with Question Time on BBC1. Fiona Bruce loves the sound of her own voice. She asks someone a question and before they can answer fully she has barged in and shouted over them.

I heard the same interview on the radio NanKate - the "Today" programme- but interestingly just wished Kemi Badenoch would answer the flippin' question. She did keep repeating the same (rather ambiguous) words.

NotSpaghetti

Marmin

I suspect it might be a reaction to interviewees that are clearly not answering the question.

Exactly this!

Just so.

I think the problem is often because the interviewee wishes to get their agenda across , irrespective of the question asked . Politicians are , in my opinion , the worst offenders .