Journalism Secrets for High-Impact Podcast Interviews with Tanya Targett Camacho

Do your interviews feel repetitive or shallow? Most podcasters jump straight into the interview format without any formal training in journalism, leading to cookie-cutter episodes that fail to stand out in a crowded market. This lack of interview strategy often results in missed opportunities for deep emotional connections and long-term listener engagement. In this episode of Podcasting Unlocked, Alesia sits down with former investigative journalist and award-winning storyteller Tanya Targett Camacho. They discuss how to move beyond the surface-level "journalist" role and become a master interviewer who can sit in silence, ask intentional questions, and create an experience that is truly unique for your listeners. If you’re tired of asking the same questions as everyone else and want to learn how to uncover the powerful, untold stories within your guests, this episode is for you. This week, episode 262 of Podcasting Unlocked is about journalism secrets for high-impact podcast interviews! 

Often called the “Media Darling,” Tanya Targett Camacho is an award-winning former investigative journalist turned video storytelling strategist for female entrepreneurs. Known for her fearless approach to uncovering golden soundbites, Tanya has helped women in 12 countries turn interviews into binge-worthy content — generating $7.4M+ in free publicity and features in The New York Times, Forbes, HuffPost, CNN, BBC, and FOX. 

In this episode of Podcasting Unlocked, Tanya Targett Camacho is sharing the importance of listening to the answers your interviewees give you and actionable steps you can take right now to go deeper in your podcast interviews. 

Tanya and I also chat about the following: 

• Why sitting in silence is often the most powerful tool in an interviewer's toolkit.
• The importance of focusing on what your listeners need to hear, not what makes your guest look perfect.
• Using intentional questions to uncover the "why" behind the guest's experiences, transforming a simple Q&A into a high-impact storytelling session.
• Harnessing the power of hope to leave your listeners feeling empowered.

Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!

Learn more about Podcasting Unlocked at https://galatimedia.com/podcasting-unlocked/ 

CONNECT WITH TANYA TARGETT CAMACHO:

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CONNECT WITH ALESIA GALATI:

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LINKS MENTIONED:

Ep. 252: The Future of Podcasting in 2026

Ep 155: Creating Conversations Your Guests are Proud to Share with Mai-kee Tsang

Free Download: 15 Ways to Improve Your Podcast

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Transcript

Alesia Galati: 0:00

Most of us podcasters did not go to school to become journalists, to become interviewers, yet that is typically the first type of podcast episodes that podcasters do today. We're talking to Tanya, who was previously an investigative journalist and has won some awards doing it about how we can as podcasters be more strategic as we are interviewing people, how to sit in silence with them, how to dig deeper into the stories and make our podcasts unique, not just for our guests, but especially for our listeners. Please join me in welcoming Tanya to the podcast. Welcome to podcasting unlocked the show for purpose driven podcasters. I'm Alesia Galati, founder of Galati media, and I'm here to share actionable strategies to help you amplify your message and grow your audience. Hello, Tanya, so excited to have you on the podcast. If you could start by telling everyone who you are and a bit about what you do. Awesome.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 1:04

Thanks for having me. Alesia, so my name is Tanya taka Camacho. I'm a former investigative news journalist. I'm also an award winning news reporter. I'm Australian, but I live in Southern California, and I specialize in helping entrepreneurs create story driven content, but I also work behind the scenes with on camera coaching and video editing. And the big thing about video editing, of course, we've got a lot of AI going on with all the warnings that go with it. So there's going to be a real craving for real humans and real content. And there's that fine line between editing and make it flow nicely and it be too much editing and it disconnect. So my specialty is about content and story based content.

Alesia Galati: 1:47

Oh, I love that so much. And that's one of the things by this time, when this episode goes live, my 2026 predictions of what is happening podcasting will be out. Everybody go back and listen to that episode if you haven't already. And one of the things that I mentioned in it is the need for, if you have a brand and you're utilizing AI, disclosing that in some way, we had someone on who was talking about how he's planning on launching several podcasts that are AI versions of him, but strictly AI for people who want that, and then for His podcast that's him, like, actually, as a human doing it, then he's gonna do way less editing for keeping it a little more human. And like you said, there's a lot of warnings that come along with AI environmental stuff. I was talking to someone about that today, so just being careful with it. But I think that we as people are craving normal connections and human connections and human stories. So I think that what you're doing is so incredible. When podcasters get into this space, one thing that I notice is they always want to go into their podcast is, oh, I'm going to interview people, instead of doing solo episodes where you just talk at the camera. They want to interview. But most of us, unless we went to school for the things that you did in your career, have never interviewed anyone before, and it's a skill that you have to develop and work on. What are some of those glaringly obvious things that podcasters are making mistakes around when they are interviewing someone?

Tanya Targett Camacho: 3:25

Oh, that's a great question. My first thought, because there's a few, but I think the number one is not listening to the answers that the guests give, so they'll be prepared. They might have done their research, and they've read their bio sheet, and they've got all those sort of facts, and then they've got a list of questions. List of questions that they know they want to get through, and they're in such a hurry to get through those questions that they're missing. What makes the interview gold, which is listening to the actual answer. So there's this skill of being in the present moment, but knowing exactly where the conversation is going, and that's one of the ways that I work with people is not only am I podcast editor, but I come on the podcast in the background, and I listen for those opportunities to take that conversation deeper, and I know that your listeners will be able to relate to this. Because how many times Alesia, have we been screaming at the TV? Ask that question, ask that question, and no one asked that question, and we're sitting here going, if only I was on whatever CNN or Fox News or whatever your fancy is, I would have asked that question. As a podcast host, you have that opportunity to ask that question so listening but knowing where you're going and having that plan and directing it, and giving yourself permission that you might not end up asking all of those questions, because what your guest is giving you is far more fascinating than your prep list of questions.

Alesia Galati: 4:47

Yeah, and there are shows for that, right? Like, I was just on a show recently where he goes through seven questions I have two minutes to answer it, and that's the style of his show. We went a little deeper on some of the things. We maybe went over time a. Little bit, and then he has the choice to cut it wherever he needs to. But that is that show, I think, when we're talking about here is making sure that when we are having these conversations, especially if we want the guests to share it, if we just go through our standard list of questions, guests are like, Oh yeah, I was on another podcast, and I didn't really talk about anything different that I've never talked about before. But when we can go deeper, when we can take a moment and listen and pull them in a little more, I think that it can make for some really interesting conversations. And also people opening up about things that they maybe have never talked about anywhere else.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 5:38

And that brings me to add on to that is being uncomfortable in sitting in silence as the podcast host. So quite often, you'll ask a question and then end up somewhere that you didn't predict, and there's a lot of emotion in it, and sometimes we feel bad. You might feel bad for the guest, and you want to ease that pressure, I encourage you to sit in the silence and allow your guests to have that moment, because it's emotion, right? I can't think about all the stories I've seen on the news or what I learned at a seminar, but I can remember how I felt. And so when a guest brings emotion to a podcast, it can be really, as a human being, we might be empathetic, and we want to ease that pressure. I encourage you to lean into that pressure by simply using the power of silence, because whoever is listening is actually in control of the conversation. So sit in that silence, and if your guest needs a moment, say, look, it's okay, please feel free to take a moment. Or I understand that this is painful for you. I think it would be really valuable if it's okay with you, if we go in a little deeper here. And the reason why I gave that question, that permissive question, asking for permission, is because I'm now in my PR mode, and I don't want the podcast host to get all these nasty messages going. You didn't give that poor woman or that poor gentleman a break. You're asking for permission to go deep. And again, that, and it's got goosebumps. That is where the gold is in the interview.

Alesia Galati: 7:08

Oh, you said something there. The listener is in control of the conversation. Can you expound on that a little more?

Tanya Targett Camacho: 7:16

Yeah, absolutely. And again, your audience will be familiar with this, where we get a podcast and we're excited and we like the sound of our own voice, your listeners have come on for the expertise of the guest. So every question that we ask should be intentional, and it should go deeper, even if you're trying to make a guest feel comfortable, that question needs to be intentional. Tell me more about that, what did you learn from that? If you could do that over again, what would you change? Okay, so every question is going somewhere, and every question I'm asking is trying to disarm and get behind the wall that we all put up. When we put up a public face out there, we tend to fire off these questions, but it doesn't necessarily add the value to the listener, because the value is in the answer. And you'll see people in arguments, and the person with the loudest voices thinks that they went it's not, it's the person who is listening. And in your listeners can Google this is actually the person who was listening, who is speaking the least that is control of the conversation. So as a podcast host, we want to be very intentional with our questions, not interrogate them, like a journalist would do, but just ask us intentional questions. One or two you might need a clarifying question, and then sit back and relax, let the magic unfold in the answer. Don't be afraid of silence, because if there is too much, you can always edit it later, and if you're streaming it live, that's okay, because in that silence We listen in, right? It's like the story of a third grade teacher or first grade teacher. When all the kids are out of control, a seasoned teacher won't raise their voice. A seasoned teacher will go, Okay, boys and girls, Okay, boys and girls. And everyone has to quieten to listen. That's what we're doing as a podcast host. We're being quiet and so that we can listen to the guests and the goal can be shared.

Alesia Galati: 9:06

Oh, that is so good. Like, just thinking about, like, I mean, I've been podcasting for many years, and I'm in no way an expert interviewer. It's literally like, How can I have great, interesting conversations with people, and the topic is low stakes, right? It's podcasting. We might not go deep on like your childhood trauma or stories, but there are podcasts out there. What are some ways that we can maybe, if we have a show like that, give the guest opportunities to share more, to be more. I don't want to use the word explicit, but I guess open about their experiences.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 9:49

It's a great question. I think the first thing is that I find, as someone who goes on a lot of podcasts, and I've done a lot of media interviews, it'd be quite surprising the number of podcast hosts that actually. Don't do their homework. So the first thing I would encourage you to do is don't just read what the guests send you. Go and check out their socials and see what stands out to you. There could be something in a video or a post that they've created that you know is a pain point or relevant to your audience. So the first thing would be to do your homework. Then we were talking about your opening question to me, Alesia was about some of the basics about interviewing. And there are the who, the what, the why, the when, the how. Okay, so your basic sort of journalist questions, but within that, there are other questions. So if someone said to me, if I had a guest coming on, and they said to me, I'll share a little insight with you. So I used to be an investigative news journalist, but if you were to ask me specifically about that you would I'm going to share it with you. You would uncover an interesting story. I actually failed English in high school. Why is that an important Yeah, why is it important topic? My English teacher told me I'd never be able to write as long as my backside pointed downwards, right, and I ended up becoming an award winning news journalist. Now, did that haunt me? My career for my first two years, it was absolutely terrifying working in a newsroom, submitting stories. Now what is the takeaway from that story? If we were to go down that path, it gives permission to anyone who doesn't consider themselves a writer to get started. So if you were talking to someone about you just started a podcast, you had a guest on a pod, and you're talking about the podcast like we are. I would ask some background questions, like, Did you always want to do a podcast like Hannah? What inspired you to want to do this podcast? What sort of challenges did you have? You very vocal growing up. Were you more of a listener? Tell me about that quite often. When we're listeners, we pick up on non verbal cues a lot more than when we're actually speaking, is that a superpower that you have? And then I pause, and now I'm looking to unpack learning challenges. I'm looking to unpack introverts. I'm looking to unpack the struggles that brought them to this podcast. I'm encouraging to unpack a lifelong dream that's been realized, and in the process of doing that, I'm giving someone else permission to get started, to go deeper or to go bigger. So it's again, not being afraid to ask deeply personal questions. And I consider that a personal question. If I was going to get really deep, I slot in that. Would it be okay if we talked about that for a little bit? So ask the deep questions, anything that's you think could be slightly offensive to the person or the audience listening, just ask for that question of permission.

Alesia Galati: 13:11

There's we had someone on May Kay sang, we'll have the episode listed in the show notes where she talked about getting consent, having consensual conversations, and how important that is. And one of the things that she mentioned was in your intake form asking, is there anything that you don't want to talk about? We always ask the guests, what do you want to talk about? And then we'd free rein it. But is there something that they don't want to talk about? And having that question in there, you'd actually be surprised. Some of the responses that you'll get, some I've had people respond, hey, my job is in politics. I can't get political. That's a good thing for me to know. Obviously, this podcast, we don't tend to get political, but maybe there's a question that comes up, so then I know, hey, I need to steer that question a different way, or state it in a different way. And so I think that just even that slight little thing of okay, and I just want to clarify and make sure beforehand, to make sure we're both good, that this isn't something that we're not going to be discussing. Because I've been on podcasts where i Someone has said, Hey, can you share more information about that? And I'm like, actually, don't feel comfortable doing that. But then they were like, well, then you're giving that power. And I'm like, I'm not, I'm choosing to not have this conversation, and that makes me feel rough as a guest and not excited to share the episode.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 14:33

I got you covered there when I used to do media training, which is very relevant for any kind of social media podcast interview. Sometimes, even though you've got that questionnaire that says, Is there anything you don't want to talk about I actually would still when I was getting that guest ready, I said, Look, I know you don't want to talk about politics, but how do you feel about talking about whether or not people should talk about politics on social media? Because I find that quite interesting, but bridging passages. So for instance, if you ask me a question that I didn't want to answer, I would say, Alesia, that's a really great question, but unfortunately, there are some sensitivities around that that prohibit me from being able to discuss that with you today. But what I'd love to do is when those sensitivities, and it doesn't just involve me, involves other people, when those issues are resolved, I'd love to come back on as a guest and talk to you about those then. So what you've done is you've taken control of the conversation. I've included other people in a reason as to why I can't talk about it. So now the audience and the podcast host can't blame me, and if the podcast host continues, they're not going to look very nice, but you as the guests are still going to look amazing. So things like, there's some sensitivities around it, I can't talk about that today. It doesn't just involve me. It involves other people. Sometimes a podcast host will also ask a question that they think you're an expert on and you're not. So another it's. Safe conversation pivot is that, again, that's another great question. Unfortunately, that's actually not my area of expertise, but what I am an expert in is and then you redirect the conversation on. So now by saying I'm not an expert in that area, it could make you look bad, except you're saying it's not my area of expertise, but I'm an expert over here, and then you redirect the conversation. So having those safe conversation bridging passages is a technique you'll see them use on TV, and it's a technique that you can use as a podcast guest and as a podcast host as well.

Alesia Galati: 16:17

Oh, those are so good. So what we were talking a little bit about being open and like sharing your story, getting the guests to open up, how much of our own stories should we be filling in to allow the guests? Very similar to how, as you were sharing your story, I was like, Oh, I have a story of the reason why I started podcasting and the reason that I wanted to do it, and my background and like my brain went to I want I have a story too, which is how my brain tends to think, how much of that should we do as hosts as we lead up to the question, versus, like, maybe just letting the guests only share?

Tanya Targett Camacho: 16:58

I think that it's that's actually a tricky question because it's very situational. Sometimes you just might want to share a little bit of your story, but if it's a tricky one, right? For instance, I'm very happily married. Have the most wonderful man, but years ago, I was a single mum. Now if I was coming to if I had a guest on my show who had been through a difficult relationship, I have experience in that if she or he found themselves with only a certain amount of money in the bank, they need to get a business off the ground. I have experience in that, so I might share one, two, maybe three sentences to disarm a guest and help them feel like they're not alone. So I think it's important to be able to connect with that. If you're editing it, you could go as long as you wanted, and you could always cut it out after but I think it's a really important point you mentioned, because some, again, podcast hosts love the sound of their own voice, and they share too much of their story. Your listeners may have already heard it before, and then the guest is now sitting there, twiddling their thumbs. I think we all need to remind ourselves that the listeners are on to listen to the guests and on that topic of story, how much to share. Only ever share a story that you have emotionally healed from. Quite often, people might feel that they've healed or haven't completely healed, and they'll start to share a story and it becomes too emotional. Now that sounds horrible, but it can be too emotional, and now you've lost they just become unable to continue with the conversation, and it's and it becomes very dark. Now think about the impact that's going to have of the audience. Because whenever I'm creating a video for my clients, I always want to know, what is your audience looking for? What is the demographic of your audience? Because every podcast, every video, every story, should be created from the beginning with the end in mind. Okay, so if you're creating, say, a video about going out to eat, who was the audience? Are they food lovers? Are they mums and dads? What are they? Because depending on who that audience is, is going to change how you bring that story together, and how deep you go in that story. So you can't do enough preparation, in my opinion, particularly when you're a new podcast host, if you're quite seasoned, you could probably get it done about 1520 minutes, but doing some homework before you get on creates helps create a really good interview and knowing which parts of your story to share,

Alesia Galati: 19:18

yeah, knowing what parts of your story to share is important, and you have to have that kind of forethought to Okay, where is this conversation going to go and what makes sense to share while also actively listening to ensure that you're not just throwing a random story in a space that doesn't make any sense. I'm someone who definitely on my hobby podcast, I'm constantly editing myself down because I could talk forever with my guests, and usually we do talk quite a bit. And even the post after we stop recording, we're still going on for like an hour afterwards. But I have to be like, Okay, think of the listener now I'm in editing mode, so switching that, like you said, for the listener, and ensuring that they're getting what they need out of this conversation.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 20:07

Meanwhile, I'm really curious to know why you started your podcast, and that's the whole thing, right? So as a podcast, like, if this was me, I've got my notebook, I'd be like, okay, podcast episode, reluctant. Podcasting, where it came from. Get other podcast ideas and story ideas. But I'm fascinated, can you Have you shared that story? Can I switch roles?

Alesia Galati: 20:27

Sure love it. So yeah, I ended up, I grew

Tanya Targett Camacho: 20:30

up in a cult. Wow, that's fascinating.

Alesia Galati: 20:33

It was a fundamentalist Christian call. And especially as a child and a woman in a cult, you have no voice there. There's none. And one of the things about pot. Casting in what I do is just being the platform to launch voices out into the world, to amplify the voices of people who have historically been silenced. And that's I'm so passionate about it because of that. But then also, growing up, I would be in choir, and I would lead worship, and I was a soprano, and then I got really sick with bronchitis when I was in college because of some mold in the building, and then ended up, my voice completely changed, and I hated it. I went from a soprano to an alto and a bass singing with the guys, and then getting comments of I used to give such an annoying voice. And then, when I was like, I think I want to start a podcast, being like, wait, I have an annoying voice who's gonna listen to my voice. 250 episodes later, years later, of podcasting, here I am, but getting people to like, okay, get out of yourself. It is not for you. Your podcast is not for you. It is for the listener, and you are the one who needs to say this thing. So yeah, it just makes me passionate about that kind of stuff because of my experiences.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 21:50

I love that. And by the way, who doesn't hate their voice when they play back, my husband will watch some of my videos. I'm like, Would you please turn the sound off? I hate the sound of my voice. So that is great relatability, because we all hate our voices when it's recorded. What a powerful story that you're literally giving people the voice that was taken for you for so many years, and then the voice once you found it, that you were ridiculed for. And now here you are showcasing not only your voice, but the voice of many. I love that.

Alesia Galati: 22:20

Yeah, it's I love podcasting for that. I think that we can have these deeper conversations. Now, when it comes to podcasting, what are some maybe differences that you've seen in the ability to go deeper and have more meaningful conversations over more traditional media like you've been involved in your career,

Tanya Targett Camacho: 22:42

censorship, that's my number one. In fact, that's actually why I left journalism, was because I got tired of the censorship of stories that needed to be told, and so my passion is untold stories from far away places. The thing I love about social media is that we are literally our own broadcasting company. So yes, there's some funny stuff with algorithms, and yes, some people get shadow banned for brilliant content, but there's still a lot of ways to get it out. So the beautiful the thing that I love about podcasts and your podcast host is you guys all have the ability to ask the questions and share the stories that mainstream media don't have the guts to share, and we need more podcast hosts asking those deeper questions. My biggest criticism with podcasts is there's too much fluff and bubble. There is too much just let's have a chat. Let's have a conversation. I'm like another one. Why don't we actually get to some depth here? Because the truth is that stories can change the world. Every one of your guests can change someone's life, maybe even save someone's life. I was speaking an event. This was many years ago, and I'm actually an introvert. A lot of people, when they meet me or they send me a video, they go, Oh, I thought you're an extrovert. No, I'm an introvert. So getting on video, I was a newspaper journalist, so much happier behind the scenes, and I was doing some public speaking, and I really didn't feel like it like my introvert social battery had really expired, but I was booked to go, so I had to go. And I went and I it was like about 10 years ago, something, no, 12 years ago. And I just finished a book called How would love respond, by Keurig Ashley, and he was talking about how that, if we're not everything's in a constant state of motion. Even my pen, it's just that everything's tightly packed so it holds a solid form. So if everything is in constant motion, if you are not moving forward in personal development, business development, whatever it is you are in effect, by definition, if you're standing still, you're moving backwards, because everything is moving. And I thought that was a really interesting line. So I shared that takeaway. About eight months later, I had someone come up to me, and they said, Oh, you spoke at such and such an event. And I had to think about it. And I said, Oh yeah, I did. And they said, he said to me, Oh, you shared some book by some Hollywood stuntman. And I'm like, oh, yeah, long forgotten about it. I was reading other books. And he said, Yeah, there was a lady there in that room who had written and left a note to her son that she was jumping off the Story Bridge in Brisbane that afternoon, and where to find all of her legal affairs. And he said, I only got goose once again. He said, she came and listened to you, for whatever reason, she kept that breakfast meeting room full of people, and she heard what you had to say. She went home, she tore up the note, and she's alive to this day, and had counseling. I know, right, so I wanted to share that story to show your audience stories save lives. You don't know what random thought, what random quote, what random tip, what hope you are giving to allow them to live another day, to go home to see their children and. And that, for me, is what we need more of in podcasting. Yes, we want the light stuff when the funny stuff and we want to have a bit of a balance, right? But you can have that balance inside a conversation. So that was a bit deep, but we've had light stuff in this conversation. Please, as hosts, guys, don't shy away from the power of deeper questions, sharing your stories to put your guests at ease in a intentional, concise way to get to the goal that they have, because it really could not just change a life, but save a life.

Alesia Galati: 26:16

That's the takeaway. Who summed that up so beautifully. Tanya, this has been so incredible. And I love, love, love everything that you said. I have some things that I want to work on myself. Okay, I'm going to be more intentional about these things. Where can people find you? Get to know you work with you if they need this kind of support on the back end for their show and their content,

Tanya Targett Camacho: 26:37

absolutely come and check me out on Instagram. Guys, it's my handle. Is Tanya target Camacho. In my bio, you'll find my link tree, and there's all kinds of goodies in there for you. And there's actually an opportunity for me to review your content for free, to give you some feedback. It is legitimately for free, and because it is and I have limited spots, there's a questionnaire to fill out. And if you have an amazing story, I encourage you to fill it out and jump up and down and show me why I really do need to pick you, because I, as you can tell, my passion is stories and my passion is hope, and helping people move forward with hope and really changing lives through the power of storytelling and podcasting. Because you, Alesia, and your listeners, have the most amazing opportunity with what you do, and we really do need it, and we need

Alesia Galati: 27:24

more of it, yes. Ah, so good. Thank you so much for being on and we'll make sure we have links for that in the show notes. For anyone who's doing other things, definitely go check out Tanya and what she's doing over there. Ah, thank you.

Tanya Targett Camacho: 27:37

My absolute pleasure. You.