I'm so glad I was not the reporter in this case

One of the foundations of good interviewing is to come to the situation prepared, having done enough research to ask better, more to-the-point questions.

I have had young reporters ask questions of, say, the head football coach, like, "What is your current record?" That obviously gets things off to a poor start, with the coach properly wondering whether the entire interview is a waste of time. Seriously, the kid couldn't be bothered to look up the team's record?

I see that a more public example of not being prepared -- or maybe not possessing common knowledge -- occurred Monday night, as Gillian Anderson was questioned via Zoom about her Emmy for playing Margaret Thatcher in "The Crown."

Ms. Anderson was asked this question in a press conference:

“Just to kind of continue with the whole Margaret Thatcher thing, first question: Have you talked to her about this role at all?” the journalist asked, forcing Anderson to confirm that she had not been able to contact the late British leader before playing her role in the show.

“Um, I have not spoken to Margaret,” Anderson said, with a straight face — a response that some on social media said was so dignified it should have won her another award.

 Unfortunately for the American reporter, Thatcher died eight years ago.

The British in the audience were amused, much as we might be amused by the naïve musings of a four-year-old. It occurred to me that someone like a young Steve Martin might have asked such an ignorant question as part of a routine, and gone even bigger. But maybe the age of willful ignorance has made such a comedic approach all too close to reality.

Just another reminder that we all must do our homework prior to embarking on a public writing or speaking adventure.