"This paper explores how Malawian media utilise question time during press briefings to fulfil its watchdog role. Using the concept of ‘journalistic interview’, which treats interviews between journalists and politicians as an encounter of two institutions, each making a claim on its legitimacy, this study employed qualitative content analysis of 10 recorded political press briefings held between April 2019 and April 2020, a period dominated by many political press briefings. Malawi conducted tripartite elections in May 2019 and the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in February 2020 on grounds of serious irregularities. The analysis is complemented by interviews with 15 Malawian journalists and two major issues emerged. Question time gives Malawian journalists an opportunity to exercise their watchdog role although the occasion is sometimes abused by both parties involved in the interlocution. Secondly, political interests and power disparity between press briefing organisers and journalists compromise the independence of the press and its watchdog role." (Abstract)