# How tough should a news interviewer be?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tough-should-a-news-interviewer-be/235618>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 21, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tough-should-a-news-interviewer-be/235618 "2004-03-21T23:09:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tough-should-a-news-interviewer-be/235618/21 "2004-03-24T21:34:35Z")

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> [@Zoe](#):
>
> In general I think that Tim Russert does a good balancing act. He is my favorite political interviewer. Open hostility serves no purpose…
> 
> I find Russert to be assertive although I do wish for some follow up questions sometimes when they aren’t there. I think he trusts his aduience to get the drift of what the person being interviewed is actually saying or dodging. But his questions can be tough.

I agree 100 percent. Personally, I prefer probing, rather than confrontational, interviews.

If one wants confrontation, there are more than enough Crossfires, Bill O’Reillys or Hannity and the Idiots out there to satisfy. Please keep their grubby paws off my 60 Minutes, Tim Russert, and Nightline.

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