Interviewing

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Interviewing

• Chapter 11

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Interviewing an underappreciated skill!

• Why am I interviewing?
• Whom should I interview?
• When and where should I interview?
• What questions should I ask?
• How should I conduct the interview?
• How many interviews should I do?
• Writing the interview story

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A Journalists Basic Tool

• Successful interviews do not just happen
• They are the product of thought and planning by
  reporters
• Reporters planning to interview a source should
  ask themselves Why am I conducting this
  interview? What kind of story will I write from
  this information?
• The answers will determine what kinds of
  questions will be asked, what kind of sources
  will be sought and how reporters conduct
  themselves during interviews

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Details Sought in Types of Stories

• News Story (crime or city council action)
• Facts and details such as dates, names, locations
  and costs
• A chronology showing the unfolding events
• Context and perspective, including the
  significance of events or issues and their
  relationships to other issues
• Anecdotes to illuminate events of issues and make
  them more dramatic and understandable for readers

• Feature Story (personality profile for example)
• Need everything needed to write a news story plus
  descriptions of the following
• The environment in which the subject lives or
  works
• How the subject appears and dresses
• The subjects mannerisms
• Smells, sounds and textures associated with the
  subjects home or work, using every sense to
  create an image of the interview subject

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Investigative Story Questions

• The purpose of such a story is to expose
  wrongdoing, and sources may fear losing their
  jobs and reputations.
• Atmosphere can be tense
• Need to get basic news information, plus
• The subjects versions of events, which may
  differ from that of other sources and records
• Explanations of contradictions if subject of a
  story tells a version of events that differs
  markedly from that of other sources
• Replies to charges and allegationsduring an
  investigation, reporters may gather
  charges/allegations against a story subject.
  These should be presented to the subject, who
  should have the opportunity to reply

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Steps in Preparing for an Interview

• Define the purpose is this a news, feature or
  investigative interview? What information is
  necessary for the story?
• Decide whom to interview obvious in many cases,
  but in others research needed to decide the best
  sources
• Assess the character of the interviewee is it in
  this persons best interest to talk to you? What
  will he or she get out of the interview, the
  article?
• Identify the areas of inquiry what topics will
  the interview focus on? What questions will
  enable the reporter to gather the needed info to
  write on the topic?
• Anticipate possible answers to questions advance
  research can help reporters anticipate responses
  and thus prepare possible follow-up questions

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Selecting Sources

• Personality profile- the subject, his/her
  friends, enemies, co-workers
• Issue story- who has the info necessary to write
  the story?
• Reporters on a deadline must be selective
• The basic principle is to seek the best available
  source
• Sources should possess relevant knowledge,
  expertise or insight

• They should be articulate
• And be able to make complicated matters clear and
  interesting
• Sometimes the best source is a document or record
  rather than a person (for needed factual
  background information)
• Seek out useful directories, publications
• Local college faculties can be excellent sources

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The Advantages of Research

• Reporter wont waste time by asking about issues
  that have already been widely publicized
• Research can lead to more interesting questions
• You will not embarrass yourself by appearing
  ignorant
• Sources are more likely to trust reporters who
  seem knowledgeable

• With research you are more likely to recognize
  newsworthy statements and ask intelligent
  follow-up questions about them
• You are more likely to spot inconsistencies and
  evasions
• Research helps identify secondary sources, other
  people who may have insights into a topic

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Conducting the Interview--Telephone

• Many interviews are conducted by phone
• When they do, reporters always identify
  themselves and their news organizations at the
  start of the conversation
• If you are recording, ask permission first
• Experience reporters wear phone headsets, keeping
  hands free to type notes into a computer during
  the interview
• Advantages of phone interviews are that they can
  save time
• Disadvantage are that you cannot see how someone
  reacts to the questions, tend to be brief and
  superficial
• Better to conduct in-depth interviews in person

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E-mail Interviews

• Good for hard-to-reach or reluctant sources
• Sources who dodge phone calls or hesitate to
  return them may answer a reporters e-mail
• Sources can provide more in-depth, thorough and
  thoughtful e-mailed answers
• Disadvantage The response may not be from the
  intended source no voice, facial expressions to
  gauge comfort with questions less spontaneous
  possibility of deception greater

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Taking Notes

• Try to record longer interviews
• In writing notes, reporters develop shorthand and
  shortcuts may leave out some words, abbreviate
  others, and only jot down names, numbers, good
  quotations and key ideas
• OK to ask someone to speak more slowly and to
  repeat statements
• Review notes immediately while still fresh in the
  mind the longer you wait, more likely to forget
  some key facts or distort others
  

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Writing the Interview Story

• Most reporters begin interview stories with a
  summary lead that presents the storys central
  point
• Reporters then present the highlights in the
  following paragraphs
• You can also use an alternative lead, such as an
  anecdote or description that introduces a nut
  paragraph containing the central point

• Information in the body of the story is usually
  organized by topic, and facts and quotes are
  organized in the order of their importance, not
  in the order in which the source provided them
• Be sure to keep every direct and indirect
  quotation in proper context