Podcasts and long-form video interviews offer a powerful way to go deeper than a written questionnaire. A conversational format allows for nuance, follow-up questions, and gives voters a better sense of a candidate's personality and communication style. As with all election-related activities, the key to success is nonpartisanship and fair treatment of all candidates.
Why Choose a Long-Form Interview?
- Go Beyond Talking Points: A good conversation can break candidates out of their standard stump speech and lead to more authentic, insightful answers.
- Reach a Different Audience: Many people prefer to listen to a podcast or watch a video than to read a lengthy voter guide.
- Showcase Your Expertise: By hosting a thoughtful, well-researched interview, you position your organization as a trusted expert on your issues.
- Create a Valuable Asset: A recorded interview can be shared, excerpted, and referenced throughout the campaign and beyond.
Planning Your Interview Series
Invite All Candidates: You must extend an identical invitation to every viable candidate for a given office. The format, length, and general topics of discussion should be the same for everyone.
Choose Your Format and Platform:
- Audio Podcast: Easiest to produce. Can be recorded remotely with simple tools.
- Video Interview (Remote): Tools like Zoom or Riverside make it easy to record a video conversation remotely.
- Video Interview (In-Studio): More professional, but requires more equipment and logistical planning.
- Platform: Decide where you will host the final product (e.g., YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, your own website).
Develop Your Core Questions: While you want the conversation to be natural, you should have a set of 5-7 core questions that you ask every single candidate. This ensures fairness and provides a baseline for comparison.
Appoint a Skilled Moderator: Your interviewer should be:
- Knowledgeable: They should understand the issues deeply.
- Neutral: They must be able to conduct the interview without favoring one candidate over another.
- A Good Listener: The best interviewers know when to ask a follow-up question and when to let the candidate speak.
Technical Setup: Keep It Simple
You don't need a professional studio to get good results.
- Audio is King: For both podcasts and video, clear audio is more important than perfect video. A decent $20-$30 USB or bluetooth microphone is a worthwhile investment.
- Stable Internet: If recording remotely, ensure both you and the candidate have a stable internet connection.
- Quiet Location: Record in a quiet space with minimal background noise.
- Simple Editing: Use a free tool like Audacity (for audio) or DaVinci Resolve (for video) to trim the start and end, and to add a simple intro and outro with your organization's branding.