Any interview for the media is a kind of battle between two brains interacting: one with the mission of extracting information and the other trying to give away what is convenient or relevant. It’s more than words that are exchanged in the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, since gestures and attitudes, including body language, are a key part of any face to face talk, especially if both participants are on camera at a TV show or at a prerecorded interview.

Larry King, in his book “How to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere. The secrets of a good communication”, says that an interview has the same elements of a conversation. He has a success formula with four key elements:

1) Honesty, I would say just be yourself, don’t pretend and be sincere to your audience

2) Practice, so do as many interviews as possible or rehearse them if you don’t have the chance

3) Interest on what the other person has to say, so you need to listen and show sincere empathy

4) Be frank, so be as open and sincere to your interviewee as you want him to be with you