Media & communications
Journalist interview practice
Clear, evidence-backed answers for the work this role actually does. The question bank is free; the AI mock interview builds its follow-ups from your resume and this role.
Practise this roleWhat this role evaluates
Prepare one real example per topic: what you owned, the constraints, the options you rejected, what you did and a result someone could verify.
- source verification
- interviewing
- story structure
Starter question bank
Eight questions worth preparing
Public practice prompts, not leaked questions from any employer. Pick one for a 10-minute drill with follow-ups and a report.
- 01As a Journalist, walk me through a real project that shows your source verification. What did you personally own?Drill
- 02Tell me about a time interviewing competed with a hard deadline. What did you prioritise and what did you give up?Drill
- 03Describe a time your work on story structure fell short. How did you find the cause and what changed afterwards?Drill
- 04How would you explain a interviewing decision to a colleague outside your field, and what if they disagreed?Drill
- 05You inherit a project with problems in source verification. What evidence do you gather and what do you do in the first two weeks?Drill
- 06Which achievement on your resume best shows you are ready for a Journalist role? Separate your part from the team's.Drill
- 07Before answering a case question about story structure, what would you clarify with the interviewer and why?Drill
- 08Tell me about a mistake you made in source verification. What do you do differently now?Drill
In-depth role guide
Scenarios and answer checkpoints
Interviewers seek candidates who can balance narrative impact with relentless factual rigor under tight deadlines.
Scenario 1
You receive a sensational tip about a local government official from an anonymous source just two hours before your deadline. How do you decide whether to publish?
A strong answer will
- Cross-reference claims against public records or secondary documents.
- Explain the specific threshold for confirmation before going to print.
- Detail the process of approaching the official for comment despite time pressure.
Scenario 2
You are interviewing a reticent subject who is withholding key details about a sensitive investigation. How do you adjust your questioning style?
A strong answer will
- Demonstrate active listening techniques to build rapport.
- Use open-ended prompts to move beyond the subject's defensive answers.
- Reframing complex questions to uncover facts without causing immediate shutdown.
Common mistake: Candidates often focus on the emotional impact of the story while ignoring the mechanical necessity of multi-source verification. Always describe the concrete steps taken to confirm details before discussing the narrative.
Free three-question practice
Speak first. Then write down the evidence.
No account, no AI, no credits. Notes stay on this page and disappear when you refresh.
Question 1 of 3
As a Journalist, walk me through a real project that shows your source verification. What did you personally own?
Fundamentals the interviewer probes
- Sourcing, verification and handling anonymous sources
- Structuring a story: lede, nut graf, evidence
- Interviewing technique and follow-up questions
- Ethics: fairness, right of reply, conflicts
- Working to deadline under incomplete information
- Audience, platform and headline judgment
Follow-ups to expect
- “Tell me about a story you had to hold or kill. Why?”
- “How did you verify the key claim in your best piece?”
- “Describe an interview where the subject stonewalled you.”