When you’re starting something new, I think you start with the best. Hugh Hewitt, host of The Hugh Hewitt Show, is one of the finest interviewers in the the news media space.
Each week, Barrett Media is going to dissect news/talk radio interviews to see what went right, what went wrong, what could have been better, and how the art of interviewing continues to be mastered by some of the best in the industry.
Hugh Hewitt’s interview ability has led him to participate in several televised debates, including Presidential debates with CNN and NBC News.
Like yours truly, Hugh Hewitt is a Buckeye, which naturally puts him on an elevated intellectual pedestal. No one is smarter than people from Ohio, I always say.
And it shows. Hugh Hewitt knows his stuff. With a background in law, government, and politics, if a guest is scheduled on The Hugh Hewitt Show, they should be aware of the dangers of not being completely knowledgeable on the things they should be, and what the consequences will/can be. For instance, Hewitt essentially ended the presidential campaign of former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) last year after asking him a difficult question that the politician didn’t have an answer for. That’s what happens when you step into his dojo.
Three things stand out during interviews with the Salem Radio Network host.
The first? Pace. During a recent interview with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the runtime of the discussion was just under 14 minutes. And while it spanned over two different segments, Hugh Hewitt asked Collins 12 questions during that window. Which is quick.
That also encompassed some pleasantries at the start of the interview. Which is — generally — a bad thing. I know most interview teachers will tell you to skip the “How are you?” greetings that a normal phone call usually features. And while I most often agree, I think there can be some wiggle room, especially in news/talk. When you’re trying to get information for your listeners, I’m ok with some “buttering up” of the interview subject if that gets them to loosen up, think it’s a safe environment, and share information they might not be so inclined to do if there is an adversarial tone in the questions.
The reason Hewitt interviewed the Seantor was because of her recent appointment as incoming chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. If you’re a political junkie, it’s a big deal. The job was viewed as one likely for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but Collins got the job.
So, naturally, that’s where Hewitt began. Which is the logical launching point. Collins isn’t dumb. She knows why Hewitt wants to talk to her, so get that out of the way. People want to hear what her thoughts are on taking the job, the election of Donald Trump, and what the incoming Congress hopes to accomplish, almost in that order.
Hewitt approaches interviews with a purpose. Rather than looking at them as an “innings eater”, looking to fill up time in a three-hour show, you can hear the preparation he’s put into the questions he’ll ask, but is flexible. He knows what he wants to accomplish during the discussion and does so reliably. And if you’re not working on his timeline, he isn’t afraid to interject and get an answer from you, which is a great quality to have.
Secondly, and while this seems like something you don’t have to point out, Hugh Hewitt always asks a question. Oftentimes, you will hear an interviewer will make a statement and expect the subject to react. That often leads to the guest to just regurgitate the point the host just made, which doesn’t serve the listener.
Hugh Hewitt asks questions. And he asks one question. There are no double-barreled questions. There is a clear expectation from the interview subject on what your answer should entail. And if they try to find a proverbial exit ramp, Hewitt will push them back to the original question. While it feels as if that’s a common sense approach, it often isn’t. Many interviews will include a “talk about” section, where the host simply says “Talk about (insert topic here.” It’s bad, it’s lazy, it accomplishes absolutely nothing, and it’s a problem.
But that problem doesn’t exist on The Hugh Hewitt Show.
There is one downside, in my humble opinion, to a Hugh Hewitt interview. And that’s the length of the time it takes Hewitt to ask a question. Obviously, some explanations are needed as a precursor to a question.
Most questions, though, are best served in two sentences or less. With as few words as possible. That isn’t Hewitt’s strong suit. One of the downsides of being prepared and knowing your stuff is that you have that information at your disposal. And if you have it, it’s natural to share it, right?
During the interview with Senator Collins, it was somewhat on display. For instance, this was the leadup to one of the final questions: “I agree with you, Senator, on appropriations, on both riders and on earmarks. One of those earmarks I’d like to see is for more Arleigh Burke destroyers, because I’ve read everything that I can. I’m a civilian. I’m not a military person. But they work. They’re important. They do a lot of heavy lifting. They protect our carriers. We only have three of them in the Kennebec. What about more of those per year, Senator?”
That’s some next-level stuff that the average listener might not understand. But it’s also the long, somewhat meandering path to the question. It took Hewitt 25 seconds to get to the end of the question. While I try to find the best in everyone, attention spans don’t last 25 seconds anymore. We live in a TikTok, instantaneous, immediate world. Holding a listener through a 25-second question about naval ships — while a badass topic — isn’t a likely outcome anymore.
Additionally, it gives the interviewer subject a second to tune out for a moment and provide an answer to something else that was broached and not about the actual question.
But believe me when I tell you, that if being over-prepared and having too much information is the downside an interviewer has, they’re doing boatloads of things extremely well. Hugh Hewitt is someone aspiring broadcasters — and even those already established in the industry — should study as an interviewer. Because few do it as well as he does.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
