Today we are going to talk about doing interviews remotely from our home or office.

Remote interviews are the norm for TV news today
In the past, TV stations usually had guests come into the studio and conduct an interview live or recorded, but in person. The only major exception to that was a station wanting to interview someone in another market, especially if they needed a quote or full interview quickly.

But even in big markets, the stations liked to have guests in person. I live and work in Charleston, South Carolina, but I have done TV interviews on stations in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. I had to travel to those cities for the interviews.

But COVID-19 changed that completely. Now almost all interviews are done remotely, even national network channels and stations in major markets. Often, the station leadership decided to only allow their talent - the hosts and maybe the reporters and the producers and cameramen and women - into the studio.

Maybe the situation will go back to normal after the pandemic ends, but it very well might not. Remote interviews are easier for the studios in some ways, and maybe cheaper for the rare stations which pay for travel. Other than some technical issues that come up sometimes, doing an interview with an expert on Zoom or Skype is fairly easy for news shows.

We will talk about the technical side of remote interviews, especially equipment you need, in a future episode of the show. But today, let's talk about setting the scene for your interview.
Mistakes experts make with scenes and backgrounds in Zoom or Skype interviews
To me, even discussing this is a little surprising. I would think people would automatically consider their background and try to make it look as good as possible. But after watching remote interviews on news and sports channels during the COVID-19 times, it's obvious that very few experts think about it at all.

And here is why it matters.

If your background is distracting for the viewer, they will focus on that and miss what you're saying. If your ultimate goal is to get more customers, clients or patients, and to help people in general, you want them focused on you and the message you are sharing.

But here are just some of the awful backgrounds I've seen in the media over the last year:

A plain white wall
Nothing on the wall or walls behind them
Lights behind the expert
A messy, disorganized office
Scene is too dark
Items in the background that might raise flags
Clocks
Something in the background that is flashing, shining, or moving
A green screen

How to create a great scene or background for a remote interview
You want a background that looks professional and positions you as an expert. But you also want to show a little bit of personality. So here are some ideas. Different people will prefer different looks, and that's completely fine. Test different ideas out and see what you like best. Even have a Zoom or Skype call with a friend or colleague and have them give you feedback based on what they see.

Here are some ideas to consider for your background:

No open or uncovered windows in the shot
No lights in the background or overhead in the scene
Put one or two lights behind the camera or webcam pointing at you.
Get rid of all clutter.
Use non-white walls, but avoid walls that are too dark
One or a few things that add color, such as a nice painting
Diplomas or awards on the wall in the background can show expertise for some people.
Items that represent what you do might be appropriate
A bookshelf with books on it
A vase with flowers or a plant

Plus,