Interviewing is an art that is perfected over time through practice and by using the right tools. This sheet provides some of the tools but you will have to practice to develop your skills. Those skills include controlling body language, tone of voice, questions and responses, and the ability to adapt different styles to different interviewees. The goal is to get someone to give your readers information.
1) Know your subject. Be familiar with the person you are talking to. Know what they do, their agenda, what they know and what they probably won’t know.
2) Write down your questions. Jot the questions down on a separate piece of paper or on your notebook flap so you don’t have to flip pages of your notebook between looking at the questions and writing down the answers.
3) Dress appropriately. If you are going to interview the provost, don’t wear a Big Johnson T-shirt and sweats. Dress for the occasion.
4) Backup pens. Bring two writing utensils in case one breaks or runs out of ink. Mechanical pencils work best on spot-news assignments outside in the cold because you can write upside down and they don’t have ink that can freeze up.
5) Tape recorder? It’s up to you if you want to use a tape recorder. Generally it’s more time-consuming to retrieve the information from a recorder than a notebook, but it can be handy for when you need to be absolutely sure that every word is exact. If you use a recorder, use a counter and bring extra batteries and tape. Also, take written notes in case the recorder doesn’t end up working.
6) Avoid group interviews. Groups are hard to interview because people interrupt each other and it’s hard to keep control of the line of questioning.
7) Go into their habitat. Interview people in their own environment (offices, home, barn, etc.). Interviews over lunch usually don’t work well. It’s hard to write with a fork in your hand and a chicken wing in your mouth.
8) Be on time. Show up 10 minutes early. Never show up late.
1) Relax. Some of the people you will interview are older than you, but don’t allow yourself to be intimidated. You have a job to do. Begin with small talk to put you and them at ease. Look for a picture of their kids or pets on their desk and ask about them. Look around and take notes. The person’s environment can be revealing and useful for the story.
2) Get spelling, title, phone number. Always ask the person to spell his or her name and title as they would like them in print. Also, get a home phone number, including cell phones and pagers. They might not give you them, but tell them it’s useful if you have a question about what they said and need to reach them. Asking this at the beginning of the interview is good in case the interview goes south.
3) Stay on the record. Avoid going off the record. If you think the information is crucial to a story and can be verified elsewhere, then you might be able to get away with it. But it’s a bad habit to get into. If you do go off the record, make sure it’s crystal clear when you come back on the record. Leave no confusion. And if a person says something and then says that was off the record, it’s up to you if you want to grant that request. Generally, there are no take-backsies. If they said it on the record then you can use it.
4) Anonymity. Never promise anonymity without approval of your editor (and editors shouldn’t approve it). If in the rare case you plan to use what the person says in a story and attribute it to an unnamed source and promise anonymity then you have to stick to that bargain. Be warned, you might find yourself in jail for contempt of court for not revealing your source. Also, never allow a source to read over your story before publication.
5) Know your time constraints. If you are on deadline and have 30 minutes to get the story in, know exactly what you need to ask, get in and then get out. You won’t have time to walk through all the questions and you’ll have to do the best you can given the time you have. You can always follow it up the next day.
1. Open-ended questions. Avoid questions that ask for a “yes” or “no” response. You want them to provide you good information and good quotes.
2. Listen. Don’t hear what you want to hear. Train yourself to listen to what they are saying. Let them talk. Be alert to other points that might lead the interview (and story) in a new, better direction.
3. Keep quiet. Train yourself to keep quiet and talk only to keep the interview moving along. This isn’t about you. Don’t show off and insert your opinions.
4. Keep cool. Don’t get angry or defensive.
5. Take good notes. Take pages and pages of detailed, accurate notes. If the interviewee says something great, focus on getting that quote right while they are moving onto something else. Also, don’t feel bad about asking them to repeat what they said or repeat what you have written down.
6. Clarify, clarify, clarify. If you aren’t absolutely sure you understand something, ask them to explain it. Leave no ambiguity. You won’t look dumb asking simple questions. You will look thorough, and that is a good trait in a reporter.
7. Be professional. Respectful, courteous behavior will always get you better results. Ask, the hard questions you need to ask, but ask them nicely and with respect. The image of the rude, tough reporter just doesn’t work in real life. There may be a few instances where that technique works, but it must be used with a planned out purpose and with control. Most of the time that technique backfires.
8. Review. Before leaving, go over your list of questions to make sure you covered everything.
9. Hurry back. Write up your notes or story as soon after the interview as possible when you remember the nuances and important points.
