Interviewing Techniques Lecture

Refer to the Clemens and Wallace Interview - 60 Minutes (CBS)

Why do people talk with the press?
To raise awareness, ensure accuracy of the story, belief in an issues, defense against allegations.

Interviewing Techniques

• Listen. Ask the questions and let them sit for a little bit.


• Preparation. Must have prepared, written questions. Though, you're not bound to these. The best interviews are conversations. Forces you to be aware of the topic. Ease the interviewee into the conversation. Know the answer before you ask it, or at least expect the answer. Think about the structure of the interview, it's important to know the intended 'flow' of the interview. Save the tough questions for the right moment.


• Face to Face Interviews. Be honest with the purpose of the interview with the individual you're interviewing.


• Interviewing Style. Get away from your desk and get the interviewee away from their desk. You want an interactive interview that allows for more a more comfortable and relaxed interview with will be more beneficial in the end. Make sure that you're observant and respectful of your surroundings and the individual you're interviewing.


• Questioning. Keep questions short. Ask the question and then be quiet and listen for the response. Leave the questions short and open-ended. Make sure that each question only contains one thought. Ask for examples because concrete people need to be involved in the story. Ask the most obvious questions and clarify any thing that does not make sense.


• Quoting. Use past quotes. This is especially true of public figures. Have them explain what they meant in previous statements.


• Documents. Make sure that you have supporting documents in order to deflect fault away from you.


• Keep Control. You need to be respectful but in control. Keep the individual on track and not distracted. Make sure you have individuals show proof of their stances.


• Hostile Sources. Rephrase the question and try again if they dodge a question. No comment sources of off the record sources. How serious are the concerns of your sources? What is the real justification for wanting to remain anonymous?

Types of Sources

1. Professional Sources


2. The Newbies

E-Mail Interviews
This is the least desirable format for a slew of reasons. They can pick the questions they life and it is difficult to ask follow-up questions.

Phone Interviews
Avoid hang ups. Get on a first name basis because then they will be more comfortable to continue the interview. Keep asking questions in order to continue the interview. This is where the prepared questions come in handy.

Note Taking
Double check the spelling of names, dates, ages. Use key words because often times you won't be able to keep up and won't be able to write the quote verbatim. When you hear a good quote, take the time to write in and it's okay to stop the interview. It can be effective to slow the quote down in order to get more information. You should develop your own system of shorthand or abreviations.

Tape Recorders
Sources fear the misquote, but they're even more afraid of having that quote caught on tape. Public figures will expect a tape recorder but the average person is very fearful of tape recorders. Because people freeze up and rephrase what they would normally say.

Ending the Interview
Clarify. If you are uncertain about a point, ask the source to clarify. Ask summary questions because now that we know all the basics of the story, given them a chance to summarize. Make sure you ask a last question like, "Anything else I should know?" or "Anyone else I should interview?" or "Is there anything I didn't ask that I should have?" Make sure that you thank them for the interview. It's perfectly okay to contact the source again, especially since you're already developed a repore.

Definitions

• Off the Record. Information that cannot be used in print but can provide reporters with leads that can be purused from other sources. It has to be agreed upon by the reporter.


• On the Record. Information can be reported and attributed to the source.


• On Background. General information may be reported but without direct quotes or source identification.


• Anonymous. Information may be reported directly (and quoted) but the information cannot be attributed to a source.


• Not for Attribution. Information may be reported without source identification.