Around the Table interviewer

I was having a conversation with some friends on how around the table can sometimes feel scripted and how it could potentially be fixed. If you are not sure what I mean by scripted I can try to be more descriptive. Many times the discussions can feel like everything has been written out the questions, remarks, and answers have all been laid out and prepared beforehand. This is not inherently bad but if the podcast is supposed to be a discussion it can make the whole podcast feel staged. This can make it very difficult to listen to. The people I was talking with came up with a potential solution. The idea was to have one continuous participant to act as a mediator and facilitator. This could be extremely helpful as those being interviewed could still research their topic and come prepared. But they are not just reading what they have found and instead the interviewer is asking questions, pulling on threads of thought, and leading the conversation. This would relax the elders and pastors being questioned and make the conversation feel much more organic. The interviewer would not just have to be one person it could also be a rotation. The mediator would not have to be an elder they simply would have to be able to guide conversation, ask questions, and help relax those being interviewed. In conclusion the discussions from around the table can often feel scripted in order to remedy this issue the implementation of a facilitator could help drive conversation and create organic conversation.