A journalistic interview is built on an agreement between partners who have established rules for the exchange. Special conditions which are agreed to before the interview must be made public (example, an agreement that the interviewer will not ask certain questions. Without the expressed permission of those interviewed, journalists are not permitted to reconstruct an interview out of a previous discussion.

On the other hand, the person interviewed cannot make modifications extensive enough to distort what is said during the meeting (examples, change of meaning, suppression or addition of questions). However, the interviewed clearly have the right to correct mistakes. Even by extensive cutting of the interview, the interviewed should be able to recognise statements in the text. On the other hand, if no agreement is possible between the interview partners, the journalist has the right to renounce publication or to cite post-interview interference by its subject. When both sides reach an agreement on what is to be published, earlier versions of the interview cannot be referred to again.