Call it BS if you will, this is how the industry works. It has nothing to do with interviewers being scared. They're invited to these events (online now due to Covid) and are allowed to ask questions about the event that just happened, nothing else. It doesn't matter where you go, media event, product release, movie premiere, TV show, you name it. It's all the same. If you go off book, it's the last time you're invited. If you think that's why they're scared or cowards think again, they're making a living out of it. So jeopardizing your own career is not a smart idea.