Be neither in nor out: interviewing the journalist-politician.

This paper discusses the ways in which interviews with a politician who has journalistic experience, deviate from other interviews with politicians. Interviews of the official Flemish television channel are analysed, comparing four interviews with a party chairman who used to be a political journalist to similar interviews with 'ordinary' politicians. In the interviews with the former journalist, the interviewers appear to take a more adversarial stance, whereas the interviewee tries to create an informal atmosphere. This is indicated by explicit as well as implicit references, by the way of address that is being used, by the kinds of questions and statements that are uttered and by the footing shifts that occur.