I call it interviewing without prejudice
I am told I am good at interviews – something I have not discovered until recently and if that is the result of what feels fairly effortless, then it is satisfying to hear. I have had a couple of comments recently on which I thought I might speculate a little as to why people seen to get value from my interviews.
The specifics of this surround my very vocal opinions about the existence of a formal UK Podcasters Association (note the word in bold) – my reasoning I’ll go into more detail in another post at some point but it is basically that I feel it is unnecessary and offers what I believe to be an inappropriate image for independent UK podcasters to be presenting to the rest of the podcasting space.
Anyway, on the forums at Britcaster and in Skype conversations, I have voiced my opinions in no uncertain terms – I will not hold back when I have strong opinions, and I don’t apologies for not being Mr. Nice Guy all the time. However, there is a time and place for everything.
At the WeMEdia Fringe event last week I was asked by BBC Radio 5 Live to record some audio snippets, chats with attendees, etc. The main motivator behind the UKPA, Dean Whitbread, was there and I felt it might be of interest to the R5 Pods & Blogs listeners to know about what he was doing, so we did an interview. I had a comment after (on the Britcaster forums during another energetic exchange on the subject) which suggested that he was surprised that during the interview I had actually helped him put his arguments and message across and not imposed my opposing viewpoint on the conversation.
Another comment regarding an interview the same night where Hugh Fraser recorded myself and Dean talking about the state of UK podcasting in an overall positive light. The other comment I received asked why I hadn’t opposed his UKPA views in that discussion – the comment went along the lines of ‘how did you manage to keep your cool when he started on about it’.
I received similar comments about not ‘attacking’ Adam Curry in my recent interview with him on various issues arising out of activities of his Podshow business.
My answer to all is the same: there’s a time and a place, and the bigger picture is far more important than my insignificant personal opinion. When I interviewed Dean, it would have been less informative for the BBC R5 listeners to hear an opposing debate about a subject they currently know little about, and in the Hugh Fraser interview, the most important thing was to show the positive side of what we are doing in the UK podcasting space, and not two podcasters head to head over an issue very few people outside the handful of active UK podcast community contributors care more than a passing fart about. In these situations I am motivated to give the listener some value, not to further my own cause.
Perhaps it sounds egotistical, but I think that attitude smacks of a little professionalism, even in my entirely non-prfessional and lowly status as a part-time podcaster. Controversial and argumentative interviews have their place, but are they genuinely more informative than entertaining? I do not think so, and respecting the – sometimes opposing – views of others in the conversation, and giving them the space to properly voice those opinions, is entirely more valuable to the listener. And anyway, my personal opinion might just be wrong!
I think it’s great and indeed professional that when intervewing Dean, you didn’t let your views impose. But perhaps when I was holding the mic in the middle, you could have allowed your own views to come out. Had I known about your opinions on the UK Podcasters Association, I would have encouraged some (good natured) debate about it between you two. Perhaps there will be another time and place where I can ask you and Dean to explain your differing points of view.
I think I would have avoided it that time anyway with my two other responsibilities for the evening not giving my focus entirely over to your interview. Next time, in less of a busy atmosphere, I’ll be happy to articulate my opinion on the matter.
I wasn’t THAT surprised you weren’t nasty, as you weren’t self-employed at the time, plus, though we may have differences, we don’t have emnity. But I thought you were actually HELPFUL which I appreciated, and stated.
My prediction is that History will show that any UKPA / anti-UKPA position is more a question of style than substance, and politically, culturally we are more similar than different.
For the record, I am anti-UKPA. I wish it wasn’t necessary. Nonetheless it needed forming, the time is right for it, and it taking shape on the basis of need.
UKPA will not remain a single issue grouping. It is a way UK Podcasters can reach out to the world – we’ve just affiliated to the German group. We have been very pleased to receive welcomes from many existing organisations – the AOP, the Open Rights Group, QUT Law Faculty, and even though the Music Alliance have been rather startled by us, at least they are prepared to recognise us and meet.
I think speaks louder and more clearly than I could ever do.
> UKPA will not remain a single issue grouping
It has to broaden it’s outlook to remain credible. With the latest words from the MCPS-PRS (Alex’s conversation with the MCPS-PRS here) quashing the one issue which was the reasoning for suggesting the existence of a UKPA in the first place (here and here) there have to be other fights to justify it’s existence both to the outside world and those inside who are going to apply their time and energy into it.
Neil – “Quashing” – good word, but simply not true. Nothing has been quashed. Re: license – You are referring to a press office conversation, and this is I’m sorry to say relatively meaningless.
Your forum is not the only place where the issues are being debated and the answers/questions there are but a part of the wider debate.
I am certainly not going to waste time justifying the existence of UKPA – it doesn’t require any justification, and very few people with certain notable exceptions such as yourself have anything other than encouragement for us.
If the people who visit here give a gnat’s fart about the subject then they can decide for themselves whether the press office quote from the MCPS-PRS is relevant or not. You do not need to justify the existence of a UKPA to me, but you have to accept that it does not get my support in its present form – let alone my support being wholly irrelevant.
> Your forum is not the only place where the issues are being debated
Mail me some links or post them here, I wanna read what others, particularly those outside the UK podcast community, are saying – I am genuinely interested in keep an ear to the ground as to what’s happening.
“you have to accept that it does not get my support in its present form – let alone my support being wholly irrelevant…”
Neil, It would be arrogant of me to assume that your support, one way or the other, is not going to have some influence on others’ thinking, or that your opinions, articulate as they are, have no relevance.
Personally, I am glad that I have had only a brief recent exposure to the rough and tumble of forum-style debate, which always seems to have an innate tendency to descend into non-productive insult and name-calling, and which certainly doesn’t give too good a public account of what is a majoritively intelligent group of people.
> tendency to descend into non-productive insult and name-calling
I saw no ‘name calling’ in recent exchanges, do you have any specifics I missed?
The Britcaster forums seems to have evolved into a place where if someone brings passion to the table, they have to expect passion in return. I think many in recent times in particular have just expressed an opinion with a sense of authority and hope it is accepted without question. Thankfully, the sheep are both minimal and infrequent.