Behind the mic: Gayle King, Ziwe, and Mehdi Hasan on the art of the interview

By Khaleel Rahman,

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Dalton, Megan Fitzgerald, Catie Talarski, Chion Wolf

Published October 13, 2023 at 2:14 PM EDT

1 of 5 — Mehdi Hasan, host of the Mehdi Hasan Show on Peacock; Ziwe, host of Showtime’s Ziwe and the web series, Baited; and co-host of CBS This Morning, Gayle King.

Mehdi Hasan, host of the Mehdi Hasan Show on Peacock; Ziwe, host of Showtime’s Ziwe and the web series, Baited; and co-host of CBS This Morning, Gayle King.

chion wolf

2 of 5 — Mehdi Hasan is the host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on Peacock. His latest book is called "Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking"

Mehdi Hasan is the host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on Peacock. His latest book is called "Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking"

3 of 5 — Ziwe is a comedian, writer, actor, executive producer and star of ZIWE on Showtime. She is also known for her web series, Baited. Her book is called ”Black Friend: Essays”

Ziwe is a comedian, writer, actor, executive producer and star of ZIWE on Showtime. She is also known for her web series, Baited. Her book is called ”Black Friend: Essays”

Myles Loftin/SHOWTIME / SHOWTIME

4 of 5 — Gayle King is the co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. She is also the curator of the book, ”Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People”.

Gayle King is the co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. She is also the curator of the book, ”Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People”.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images / The Washington Post

5 of 5 — Gayle King (center) at 7 years old.

Gayle King (center) at 7 years old.

Courtesy of Gayle King

Back in the day — with your Walter Cronkites and David Brinkleys — it felt kind of inappropriate for an interviewer to bring their full selves to the conversation. It was all about the guest, after all, so why bother bringing their own distinctive flairs?

But now, people tune in as much for the interviewer as the one being interviewed. And because of that, the experience feels much more authentic!

So today, you'll get to know three masters of the craft who each have their own distinct, but oh so compelling styles of asking tough, thought-provoking questions.

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS:

GUESTS:

Mehdi Hasan: Host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and Peacock. His latest book is called Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
Ziwe: Comedian, writer, actor, executive producer and star of ZIWE on Showtime. She is also known for her web series, Baited. Her book is called Black Friend: Essays
Gayle King: Co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. She is also the curator of the book, Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People

Khaleel Rahman, Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Fitzgerald, Meg Dalton, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.

Audacious with Chion Wolf is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Tune In, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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