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91热爆 reporter Sarah Mukherjee got the rare chance to visit '91热爆 Farm' to interview HRH Prince Charles and writes about the experience:
In the cynical world of journalism, there are only a few words that excite the jaded editorial palates of news editors. You can guess most of them; 鈥渞esignation鈥, 鈥渁ffair鈥, 鈥渘atural disaster鈥 (I hang my head in shame for my colleagues when I admit that 鈥渨ar鈥 and 鈥渇amine鈥 don鈥檛 really do it any more 鈥 too many of them). Rarity and scale is the key (that might exclude the second one, come to think of it). But the one word that will always attract their attention is 鈥渆xclusive鈥.
Now, of course, there are exclusives 鈥 and exclusives. There are the sort of exclusives that translate into 鈥渘obody else wants it, so I鈥檒l try and flog it to you to get a few minutes of airtime鈥 (that鈥檚 the one beloved of politicians). There鈥檚 the one that鈥檚 inextricably linked to someone鈥檚 book coming out. And then there鈥檚 a proper exclusive. Like hen鈥檚 teeth and leprechaun gold, a mythical thing 鈥 but all the more astonishing when it actually happens. An interview with the Prince of Wales is one. He doesn鈥檛 do them. Or at least, he didn鈥檛.
A few months ago, I had the idea of putting together a series of reports on the changes to the European Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP 鈥 the way farmers are paid their subsidies. After long and laborious negotiations, there has been a radical shift away from giving money to farmers for food, towards giving them money to look after the countryside 鈥 and in Britain, this new system kicked in a few months ago. I鈥檝e been a rural affairs reporter for ten years, and most of my long-established contacts told me this was radical but necessary change 鈥 and could alter the whole way the countryside looks.
Now, as a correspondent, you鈥檙e part expert, part salesman. Unless a programme editor commissions a piece 鈥 in other words, agrees to have it in the programme 鈥 it doesn鈥檛 get made. When I put this wizard CAP idea to most people, their eyes had glazed over before I got to the word 鈥淧olicy鈥. Only Jamie Angus and Kevin Marsh on Today agreed it was a subject worthy of debate. They gave the reports good slots with strong guests off the back to comment.
As ye sow, so shall ye reap. I had had dealings with the Prince of Wales鈥 office over the years on various issues, occasionally putting the odd request in for an interview on food and farming (rather in the way you do the Lottery, with, as I thought, similar odds). After the CAP reports went out, I received a call from them. I thought at first it was someone in my own office, taking the mick, and very nearly put the 鈥榩hone down. But I鈥檓 glad I didn鈥檛 as this was the first step in the negotiations the led to the interview.
The Prince鈥檚 officials were understandably nervous. Fingers had been burnt so many times 鈥 the journalist鈥檚 almost irrepressible desire to throw that last, curved ball question 鈥 that it seemed at first we would never reach agreement. I was helped inestimably by two long-term contacts in agricultural circles, who I believe provided character references as to my trustworthiness (all those buying drinks and talking about pig prices at livestock markets over the years did pay off, after all). But there were many, many conversations about editorial control, and the areas of questioning.
I did point out that if we were to do this, it would have to be a challenging interview (what about the miners? What about people on low incomes?) which the Palace readily agreed to. I think the Prince鈥檚 officials were as keen as I was that this shouldn鈥檛 be a 鈥渋s there anything else you鈥檇 like to tell us, Sir?鈥 style of interview. I was asked for a list of the sort of access I鈥檇 like. What the hell, I thought, and put together what I thought was an absurd wishlist 鈥 the Prince driving me around the farm, feeding the pigs, looking at the cattle, etc. Fine, they said.
We鈥檇 been talking seriously now since May, and got to a stage where we would fix a date. October seemed likely, before the Royal visit to the United States.
The week before was endless preparation. I got together a team of the people I wanted to work with most, and while Kevin Bishop, the senior producer, spent what seemed like days on the 鈥榩hone finalising the contract details, Abi Simmons, the radio producer, and I rehearsed the interview and questions again and again 鈥 to the extent that at one point during the real thing I almost started giggling 鈥 Abi had become so adept at her role that her answers were in some cases word for word what the Prince himself said鈥
You can usually tell in the first few minutes how an interview is going to go. I had expected the Prince to be relaxed 鈥 he was, after all, on home ground 鈥 but the thing I had not for a moment expected was his humour. Whether brandishing large carrots as if they were guns or telling stories of a disastrous attempt to mate his pigs with his sister鈥檚 boar: I ended up roaring with genuine laughter 鈥 and trying not to end up sounding too sycophantic.
Was I too deferential? Some people thought I was, but I have never found the aggressive style of interviewing favoured by some colleagues to work. Looking back (and believe me, I鈥檝e heard that interview many, many times now), I really don鈥檛 think I gave the Prince an easier 鈥 or harder 鈥 time than I would give anyone with a knowledge of the subject and with opinions to express.
A genuine exclusive? You bet. Will I get one like that again? You must be joking.
You can listen again to the FULL INTERVIEW and see the pictures.
Sarah
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