I’m always looking for interesting situations to cover in this space, and the midday show on KTAR News 92.3 — The Mike Broomhead Show — certainly delivered that.
Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon was scheduled to be in Phoenix on Friday, which is obviously a newsmaking event.
But Mike Broomhead was short on time. So was McMahon. So, there were only a few minutes to squeeze the Department Secretary onto the show to talk about her visit and what else is going on in one of the most-discussed departments since Donald Trump took office.
So, how did the KTAR News 92.3 host handle the situation? Let’s dive in to find out.
Being short on time, The Mike Broomhead Show didn’t waste any time. He introduced the guest, said thanks for coming on, before asking a short, simple, open-ended question: “What’s the purpose for the visit?”
That took all of 10 seconds. So, already off to a good start knowing that you’re short on time.
School-choice has been a hot topic, especially for conservatives, in recent years. Broomhead noted that Texas recently passed a school-choice bill for its public education system. He then asked McMahon why school choice is important and why it’s becoming more popular around the country.
Those are both good questions. But that’s double-barreling your questions, which is completely understandable when you know you’re pressed for time. When you ask two questions at once, though, your guest is always going to answer the question they’re most interested in answering, and maybe not even the question you asked. By asking two questions at once, you’re giving your guest — in this case a high-profile guest — an out-clause to talk about whatever interests them.
After McMahon’s answer, The Mike Broomhead Show host dug deeper by asking another well-worded question: “What is the vision that you have — and the President has — for education in America?”
It’s an important question to ask for your listeners. That’s a great way to get information — and important information — to your audience. Plus, a question like that isn’t likely to get a longwinded answer from your guest, which is important when you know you’re in a time crunch.
The next question, however, wasn’t as great, in my opinion. Broomhead shared that Mississippi has seen an uptick in its reading scores from it’s students by focusing on phonics and a back-to-basics approach. He then asked “Is that a part of what public schools should be doing: back-to-basics with basic learning in math and reading?”
First, it’s a close-ended question. At the end of the day, it is a yes or no question. Secondly, it’s a bit of a “No (expletive), Sherlock” question. No one is trying to make learning more difficult. That’s just not what is happening in public schools, and there’s a misconception that just because things aren’t taught the same way today that they were 40 years ago means it’s a dumb way to operate.
So, what is the Secretary of Education going to say in that moment? “Actually, we want this to be as difficult of an environment for kids to learn, because only the strong survive”? It’s a leading question, it’s a closed query, and it’s a bit hyperbolic, truthfully. Hyperbole is great when you’re giving a monologue. But when you ask a hyperbolic question in an interview, it generally doesn’t lead anywhere. I don’t think the topic got advanced or the audience learned much from a question like that.
That ended up being the final question to the Department of Education Secretary. The conversation lasted just under four minutes due to the tight timeline.
Ultimately, Broomhead was efficient. Getting that many questions in in such a short amount of time deserves a commendation. Because it’s not an easy thing to do. I think he set himself up well to get short answers from Secretary McMahon to maximize the information given to the audience.
I’m not going to get hung up on the last question, but I do think it’s a good learning tool for other interviewers. Everything has to be done with a purpose. Maybe the question had a purpose and the execution was just wrong, but being purposeful with your questions goes a long way in determining what is a good interview and what isn’t.
But, it’s clear Mike Broomhead went into the conversation with plan. It led to good answers for KTAR News 92.3 listeners, and when it’s all said and done, that’s what matters most, right?
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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.
