I attended an awards ceremony last week celebrating academic impact with the work of each nominee showcased in a short film.

What stood out for me as I watched these lovely films was the use of the first person…

“I was able to directly influence policy…”

“I’m proud of the impact my work has had…”

I suspect the academics were cajoled into it a bit – they were after all nominated for awards celebrating the individual, but it struck me how powerful it sounded.

And also how rare it is to hear in interviews.

It didn’t sound arrogant. It sounded impactful. Don’t be afraid to make yourself important on air – as long as it’s warranted of course.

If a journalist feels you are at the heart of a story they are much more likely to cede control of the interview’s direction.

I heard a really experienced media performer being interviewed the other day and at one point he said on air, “the example I always like to use…”

It was a moment in passing, but it kept bugging me.

If it’s the example you always like to use, don’t keep using it.

Isn’t news at its most base of definitions something new? Come up with a different example, a fresh comparison, a killer stat, an unexpected analogy.

It just sounded a bit tired. Make the most of every opportunity – however often you go on air – to make your subject as impactful as possible.

And if for some reason you do need to keep using the same example, don’t flag up to the audience that you’re doing it.

After another unedifying week in politics it was fitting that in the seconds before an interview a delegate asked the other day, “you’re not going to do a Paxman on me are you?”

It’s amazing how many people still use this line. Jeremy Paxman stopped presenting Newsnight in 2014 – eight long years ago. Yet that reputation endures.

The advice I give to someone preparing for an interview is to visualise the audience…and then consider the behaviour they expect from their representative – the interviewer.

With politicians the audience are largely sanguine about a journalist trying to catch them out or box them into a corner. Ditto dodgy chief execs and scandal-hit celebrities.

But I’m going to take a punt and assume you don’t belong to any of those categories. So why on earth would I dream of “doing a Paxman on you?”

Expect to be tested. Expect controversial areas to be explored and difficult questions asked. But also expect to be given space to bring newsworthy, impactful content that resonates with the audience.

And if you must ask that question in the seconds before the red light goes on, at least invoke an interviewer who didn’t retire almost 10 years ago.