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Journalist interview questions (2026)
Researched, current questions asked in real journalist interviews (Creative & Media), with what a strong answer actually does. Questions marked 2026 are the newer, AI-era questions employers now ask.
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What they assess
- Finding & standing up stories
- Writing & storytelling
- Verification & accuracy
- Ethics & media law
The questions to expect
Pitch me three stories you'd write for us this week.
The standard newsroom test. Three real, current, outlet-appropriate pitches — each with the angle, the sources you'd call, and why now.
Tell me about a story you found yourself — not from a press release. How did you stand it up?
Original reporting is the currency: the tip or pattern you noticed, the sources you developed, the document that confirmed it.
A big claim is spreading on social media. Walk me through verifying it before you'd publish.
Show the toolkit: original source, reverse image search, geolocation, two independent confirmations — and the discipline to hold if it fails.
How does UK media law — defamation, contempt of court, privacy — shape what you can publish?
McNae's-level fluency is expected: what makes a statement defamatory, when contempt rules bite, and when you'd call the lawyer. Name real limits.
Tell me about an ethical dilemma in your reporting — a source's request, a privacy call. What did you do?
Show the framework, not just the feeling: public interest weighed against harm, the editor you consulted, the code (IPSO/BBC) you applied.
Walk me through your published work. Which piece shows your range — and what would you change now?
Bring clippings you can defend: why the intro, why that structure. Self-editing your own past work aloud shows a writer still improving.
You've got an hour to turn a dense 80-page report into 400 words people will actually read. How?
Method under deadline: executive summary first, find the human consequence, one killer number, quotes by phone if time. Say the order out loud.
Why journalism — and what beat do you want to own?
A beat answer proves seriousness: name the patch, show you already follow it, and the story on it you'd chase first.
How do you use AI in your reporting — transcription, research, drafting — and what's off-limits for you?2026
Transcription and document-sifting yes; unchecked facts and AI-written copy no. Every claim verified by a human — say it plainly, editors need to hear it.
Trust in media is low and AI-generated misinformation is everywhere. How does that change the job?2026
Verification becomes the product: showing your working, transparency about sources, original reporting AI can't fake. Sound like part of the answer.
Walk me through your portfolio. Which piece best represents you, and why is it in there?
Curate ruthlessly and rehearse aloud: for each piece — the brief, your decisions, the result. 'Best represents you' wants identity, not just polish.
Tell me about a brief that changed dramatically mid-project. How did you keep the work good?
Show flexibility without martyrdom: how you re-scoped, what you renegotiated, and the quality you refused to drop.
Preparation notes
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Turn this into a plan
A list of questions is a start; a programme is what changes the outcome. Intervooh builds a day-by-day plan for your exact journalist interview — company research, story building with an AI coach, spoken practice with delivery feedback, and scored mock interviews.