Hey there! Thanks for agreeing to participate in our podcast. We appreciate your interest and look at the opportunity as a win-win for both the hosts and the guests.

We prefer to pre-interview all guests prior to their appearance simply because we'd like to meet you before the actual episode! We don't want the actual interview to be the first time we've ever spoken to each other. We want you to feel comfortable since you'll be talking to us for an extended length. It helps to determine if you'll be a good fit for us and for the audience we're trying to reach. And we're sure you want to put faces to the names before the interview.

We have done a few of these pre-interviews now, and have decided to compile the most commonly asked questions, as well as the questions we plan on asking, into this handy quick reference document to help better prepare you for the questions that will be asked, and to answer some questions you might have about the podcast itself.

WHY ARE YOU STARTING THIS PODCAST? WHO ARE YOU HOPING TO REACH?
The goal with this podcast is to reach students in college who may want to enter the broadcast journalism industry. We're both super passionate about it and want to learn more ourselves. We also hope to appeal to those currently within the industry, those looking to get out, as well as a casual viewer who just wants to learn more about the journalism industry.

There are things you are not told about the industry prior to your first job, and it's our hope to peel back that curtain and hopefully help people learn more from those who have been there before.

HOW LONG IS THE PODCAST?
We intend on episodes being anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on how the interview goes. The interview itself can last anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how the subject answers questions, if the hosts ask follow-up questions, etc. The actual episode will be edited down for length and clarity. Some unused content may be posted on our YouTube page as "supplemental" material.

We recommend blocking out about an hour for the interview, although if you need to leave sooner, we can most certainly accomodate and are very grateful for whatever time you are able to give us.

WHERE WILL THE PODCAST BE PUBLISHED?
The main outlet for the podcast will be our YouTube channel, as this will be a video-driven product (we are talking about TV, a visual medium, after all!). Although not active yet, the podcast will also be published on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and several others. We have a subscription to a podcast host that will handle all of this for us as soon as our first episode is recorded.

HOW WILL YOU RECORD THE INTERVIEW?
Our interviews will be conducted over Zoom, and we would need the video component as this is a video-driven podcast. It is suggested that guests dress appropriately for the interview (as casual or as professional as you want). We also suggest guests wear headphones to prevent feedback (hearing the hosts from your speaker being picked up by your microphone).

We do not really care if you use your computer's built-in microphone or if you so happen to have a dedicated microphone of your own. As long as listeners can hear you, that's all we need.

CAN I SHARE THE EPISODE ONCE IT'S PUBLISHED?
Absolutely! We highly encourage it, as a matter of fact, to help get our name out there. We will email/DM you links to your episode once it goes live. All episodes will have their very own page here on the site which will include:
- Guest name
- Headshot (provided by guest, and as formal or silly as you like)
- A brief bio (we prefer to write our own bios rather than pull your station's)
- A notable quote you said during the episode
- Links to the episode across all platforms we're on
- Your social media handles
- Audio version of the episode
- Video version of the episode
- Supplemental content (such as games we play)

HOW CAN I HELP YOUR PODCAST?
We would appreciate the help in two ways. First, don't forget to follow the pod on Instagram @broadcastbulletin, and subscribe to us on YouTube! You can also promote your episode to your audience on as many platforms as you like to help get our name out there. If you are ever talking to your friends, casually mention the podcast in the conversation. Good-old-fashioned word of mouth never hurts!

Secondly, if you know of any great people within the industry you know who have an interesting story, please email a name and contact info to dma37dude@gmail.com and I will try to get in touch with them, if they are OK with being on the podcast. We are always looking for on-air and off-air talent.

WHAT QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED DURING THE PRE-INTERVIEW?

We have a standard format we follow. Some of these are for your episode bio we will write, and some are for question formulation for your episode. Here's the questions you can expect to be asked, so you can prepare accordingly:

- Where are you from originally?

- When did you know you wanted to enter the industry?

- Where/when did you graduate? (please provide specific major so we can include in the bio - some universities have a different name for "Broadcast Journalism")

- What stations/markets did you work at? Please include internships you held.

- Where do you live now and what is your current occupation?
(a general idea is fine; we will not mention the employer's name if you do not want us to)

- How to pronounce your name, as we obviously don't want to butcher it in the actual episode

- Please send us a preferred headshot - as professional or as laid-back as you like, whatever you think fits your personality best

- Is there a specific story you wanted to share with our audience? Whether it's a major story you felt impacted your career the most, or something that struck out the most doing your job, we want to hear about it!

- What is the most important message you want our listeners to take away from our interview?

- Are there topics you would prefer to avoid all together? We're not out to get you in any way, but given your very public position in the community, we can understand if there's topics you would rather avoid completely. 

- Any questions you may have for us or for the format itself? (Hopefully we answered them all here!)

If all goes well and we feel your story would resonate with our audience, we will schedule a final interview date during the session. Please note, Tuesday evenings are our "preferred" days to record. That being said, we are fairly flexible with scheduling and will try to fit you in where we can.

WHY START A PODCAST?

We want to showcase the unique industry of TV news, as told through the stories of those who have been there. After all, the people you see, or saw, on TV are professional storytellers, and it's only fitting they share their stories. We think their stories and how they came to be where they're at now, and what they've seen in the newsroom are equally as interesting as the stories they tell on TV.

Additionally, there are so many things news consumers and those already in, or are looking to enter the industry do not know, and this is the perfect way to peel back a layer of something so many of us consume.

We want this show to appeal everyone. Industry veterans, aspiring journalists, news junkies, and even the casual viewer.  It is our hope that the insights our guests bring will help you learn things you've never known before.

The opinions of our guests are solely theirs and not of past or present employers. 

WHERE CAN I FIND YOU?

Given that the subject is television news, it's only fitting that this podcast be a video-driven one, so our YouTube channel has the "main" version of the podcast that you can watch.

But if you want to listen, here's where you can find us! Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Podcasts, Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Audacy.

Should we be on another app? Let us know!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.