Making The Interview WorkChapter 5 (85-96)

The Interview – An Essential Journalistic Skill

• An interview takes place any time a reporter asks a question

• This may be a quick phone call or a two-hour chat• The type of interview will be determined by what the

reporter wants to know: information, facts, opinions, or personal details.

• Be quiet and listen! Don’t argue – listen!

Preparing for the Interview

• Know what you want to find out• Decide who to ask – know who can be

expected to know what• Go to the primary source of info• Ask only what this person is likely to know• Decide what kind of interview you need

Preparing for the Interview – cont.

• If you want to know about the district’s referendum, schedule an appointment with superintendent or board

• If you want 15 opinions on a featured athlete from the school, ask 15 students, coaches, teachers, teammates

• Always identify yourself as a reporter before asking questions!

Asking Questions

• You must prepare your questions BEFORE the interview• Make questions simple and straightforward• Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes

or no • Ask a question that will get a quotable response – “What

do you think of butterflies and rainbows?” is a much better question than “Do you dig butterflies and rainbows the most?”

Asking Questions – cont.• Ask good questions!• What is your dog’s name?• Why do you think the citizens of

Plymouth don’t support the new referendum?

• Do you like liverwurst?• If funding was available, what

would you as an administrator do to upgrade the school?

• Did you ever see that movie “Harry Potter and the Interview Gone Wrong?” It was awesome. (Think Chris Farley)

Asking Questions – cont.

• Good questions are the key to any successful interview• Always keep good taste in mind• Don’t pry or snoop• Don’t be rude or hostile• Always seek the truth

Asking Questions – cont.

• Pay attention to how the question is answered• Calmly? Nervously? Hesitantly? • Does the interviewee say “That’s a good question . . .”?• “No comment.” – can be very revealing• If you don’t understand, you must ask for clarification.• Before leaving, ask interviewee if he or she has anything

else to add; this can turn a good story into a great one.

The Formal Interview

• In a formal interview . . . • Reporter tries to paint an accurate portrait of a

human being

The Formal Interview – cont.

• Do your research, and then make an appointment• Start these interviews with basic info (age, family status,

etc.)• When the tension fades, you can get to the real meat

and potatoes

Observing actions

• In formal interview stories, readers should “see” the subject

• Do this by describing the subject actions and listening for revealing quotes

• Does subject sit on edge of seat? Rub hands together? Dart eyes around? Pound table for emphasis?

Being Friendly

• Smile, laugh at jokes, maintain eye contact, express interest

• This helps you get personal details from the subject; remember, nobody likes a grouch!

Taking Notes

• You must take notes or use a voice recorder – no exceptions!

• Develop your own system of note taking – you must write quickly or use shorthand . . . something that you can translate later.

Writing the Interview Story

• Avoid general descriptions of subject – don’t say he’s tall; tell the reader he’s 9’11”.

• Don’t say Spongebob is Lively; say Spongebob laughs as he skips about the room.

• Don’t say “Coach Smith is athletic”; say “Coach Smith has won four championships and has a plethora of trophies in her office.”

• Specific details, specific details, specific details!

“Using Quotes”

• Use as many direct quotes as possible.• Through quotes, readers come to know the

subject, especially if you’ve asked the right questions.

• Who, what, when, where, why, how?• Complete sentence quotes more powerful• Leave yourself out of the story – no “I

asked . . .”

Yeah, that’s right . . .

direct quotes are

pretty sweet

Q and A Technique

• An effective story technique• Reporter’s exact questions are reproduced followed by

the sources exact answers – a verbatim transcript of the interview

• Technique allows the reader to determine what’s most important

• Don’t try it without a voice recorder!

An Ethical Question . . .

• What if your subject wants to read the story before you publish it?

Ethical Question

• The answer always used to be no; invasion of journalist’s right to print what he/she wanted

• Now, this happens more and more, but you must keep control of the story

• If you do let subject read, let him/her know that you don’t have to do it or listen to his/her suggestions

Ethical Question• Benefits?• Good human relations – it shows that you care about

accuracy• Eliminates mistakes (quotes, figures, statistics, etc.)• Difficult to press libel charges if subject has read story

prior to printing

Format your story

• Use size 10 times new roman font, single spaced• Justify your work• Indent three spaces for a new paragraph• Use your subject’s full name and title the first time you

reference him/her (Mr. Scooby Doo, PHS Principal Mr. Dan Mella)

• Use subject’s last name for subsequent references (Doo, Mella)

Personality Profile Story Assessment

• Interesting beginning• Short paragraphs (1-3 sent.)• Logical organization• Use of direct quotes• Overall content• Conventions

The End!

• Now, read the Interviewing guidelines on page 93!