"Gotcha journalism" is a negative term used by people who criticize the media. It describes a type of interviewing where the interviewer tries to trick the person being interviewed into saying something that harms their reputation or support for their cause. This method is based on the idea that the interviewer might have a secret goal. The interviewer may record the conversation, then choose parts of it to edit, combine, and share in a way that makes the person being interviewed look bad. The term "gotcha" comes from the phrase "got you," and it became common in political reporting during the 1980s and 1990s.

Techniques

Gotcha journalism is a method used to force someone with something bad to hide to admit wrongdoing. There is a clear difference between fair journalism and gotcha journalism. Some tactics described as gotcha journalism include changing the topic of an interview away from what was agreed upon, focusing instead on an embarrassing subject that was supposed to be avoided. Interviewers may guide the person to talk about it and agree to a specific answer, then present prepared information meant to contradict or harm that answer.

Gotcha journalism often keeps the interviewee on the defensive by making them explain their own statements taken out of context, which prevents them from clearly sharing their position. The goal of gotcha journalism is always planned and aims to harm the interviewee’s reputation by making them seem dishonest, harmful, unqualified, or immoral.

Gotcha journalism is sometimes used to avoid answering a question when the interviewee does not know the answer, as their lack of knowledge could make them look uninformed. It is also used when their current beliefs conflict with past statements. A 2020 survey by YouGov in the United Kingdom found that the public felt frustrated by the repeated use of gotcha-style questions during press briefings about the COVID-19 pandemic.