ABSTRACT
Spontaneous interaction has become a major component of broadcast programming on radio and television, a discourse form that differs from both fictional stories and journalistic reports that are fully scripted and prepared in advance. Within this interactional domain, often referred to under the rubric of broadcast talk, interviews occupy a prominent position. This chapter will discuss broadcast interviews from the standpoint of the linguistic and interactional practices that comprise them, and note what issues are at stake as media have evolved. It will start by defining the media interview, before going on to review current research and explore future challenges in the field.
