Interviewing is part of my everyday. As a reporter, it’s our job to ask the tough questions. I’m no stranger to this, as I recently aired an investigative report. It was more than a month of asking questions, being constantly shut down, and re-asking those questions until someone finally gave me an answer I could run with. It wasn't wast getting to the bottom of a very important story, but it was worth It.
On the other hand, sitting down and interviewing my colleague was a first. When tasked with creating an interview podcast, one person immediately came to my mind: Matt Hunter.
Matt is Spectrum News Albany’s most senior reporter. He’s been in the industry for 12 years, a decade of that time spent in our newsroom. Matt has one of the most infectious personalities that has ever crossed my path. He is funny and witty, yet clever and insightful. Matt’s inflection can hold your attention for hours, which is ultimately a goal of creating a successful podcast episode. As a journalist you always want to grow and learn from those around you, and I have learned so much from Matt.
As friends, both in and out of work, our camaraderie helped propel our interview conversation forward. I didn’t need to research much about Matt’s experience accomplishments, as I already know so much about him.
I knew Matt would be the perfect fit and reflect the theme of this website and blog. Our purpose as reporters is to educate the public. A role Matt transcends to our interns in the newsroom. He is often tasked with guiding and teaching our interns, that change as often as the seasons. So I knew he would also be able to educate our listeners, giving them perspective of where his career has taken him. But, I also wanted him to be able to provide some advice for any potential journalists out there. Which, Matt did just that.
I wanted to focus on Matt's accomplished career, and what he's learned in the 12 plus years in the industry. He began his career more than 1,500 miles away in South Dakota. Since then he developed a passion for political reporting, and interestingly enough, his reporting 'beat' focuses on horse racing. While It may seem a very odd reporting gig, our coverage area houses the Saratoga Racecourse, one of the oldest horse racing venues in the country.
Since I know Matt so well, I didn’t feel the need to give him pointed questions, as I may in my day-to-day interviews. I knew that when I brought up a topic, he’d know exactly how to answer it. I wanted It to feel more like a conversation, rather than a question and answer.
Together we discussed some interesting and fun moments. I wish I had more time to include more in-depth answers and a longer conversation. It’s amazing how quick ten minutes can fly by! However, I knew Matt would provide long-winded and well thought out responses. If not, ten minutes could have been a mountain to climb.
Throughout this interview, I also found out little tid-bits I didn’t know about Matt, myself. I was amazed to hear more about what it was like to cover triple-crown winner, American Pharaoh. It was a 'bucket list' moment professionally and personally for the veteran journalist, and a storyline he is able to continue well into the current racing season. I hope you learned as much about Matt and our industry, as I did!
Full interview can be found here. The only space available for the time needed to conduct the interview gave us some reverb, giving it an echo, so next time I would definitely move locations.
To find out more about Matt or view his past reporting, visit Spectrum News. You can also follow Matt on Twitter. Headshot courtesy of Spectrum News.
All music courtesy of Purple Planet Music.
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