Ask & Ye shall receive Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview Discussion: What points did Couric emphasize? What must be considered when conducting a live one-on- one type of interview? Adapted from JEA curriculum, Walsworth Publishing and “What Questions Do We Ask” by Carol Hallenbeck,Practical Ideas For Teaching Journalism Adapted from JEA curriculum, Walsworth Publishing and “What Questions Do We Ask” by Carol Hallenbeck, Practical Ideas For Teaching Journalism

Common interview methods Telephone Actual source, live one-on-one Skype Live Chat Texting Discussion: What are the pros and cons of each?

Other interview opportunities - Press conference - Panel discussion - Q and A format Discussion: What are some other ways to perform interviews? Consider how you plan to package a story before deciding how to perform the interview.

Journalists Ask Questions  What is the team going to do to get ready for the big game, Coach?  Why did the school board make that decision, Sir?  How do you think this new program will benefit the French Department, Mrs. Trager?

Four Types of Questions You Should Never Ask  YES/NO QUESTIONS Avoid them, even if you follow up with "why?" They give you weak quotes that force you to use awkward transitions.  Check your questions and rewrite them to eliminate yes/no questions. A questions is yes/no if it begins with any of these words: do, does, did, have, has, had, can, could, should, will, would, was, were, might, must.

Four Types of Questions You Should Never Ask  THINK/FEEL QUESTIONS Don't ask, "How did it feel when the car ran over your mother?" or "What did you think when you found out you were growing a tail?“ What are they going to say- "It felt bad?/I worried about sitting down?"  Ask what the first thing they did was or the first thing they said. Ask questions get specific, detailed descriptions of how they reacted.

Four Types of Questions You Should Never Ask  GENERAL QUESTIONS Great reporters know that general questions get general answers.  Avoid broad, general questions that will get broad, general answers, such as "How did the team play Friday night?"  Be specific- "Which play did you think was the turning point Friday night?"

Four Types of Questions You Should Never Ask  LEADING QUESTIONS The person you're interviewing is afraid you're going to make him/her look dumb in your article, and (s)he's listening intently for hints on the direction you want the interview to take.  If you ask questions that lead your source, you may end up keeping him/her from giving you an honest answer.

Planning the interview John Cusack An Interview That Gets off to a Horrible Start Discussion: What should be done prior to an interview?

Tips & Tricks This YouTube video from BBC Blast focuses on three tips for interviewing. How to Interview- Part 3: Tips and Tricks

Before the Interview  Make an appointment in advance  Introduce yourself…Thank you  Shake hands  Look him/her in the eye  Begin the interview

The Opener  A beginning question or remark to start the interview in a non-threatening manner  Comment on the weather  Comment on something in the office  Comment on something of interest to the interviewee

First Step Question  Address the topic of the interview Reporter: “When I made the appointment, I said I wanted to ask you about the preparations the Quiz Bowl team is making for Saturday’s competition. Would you tell me exactly what your are doing?”

Qualifier Question  How qualified is the source? Reporter: “How many years have you been the adviser?”

Routine Factual Questions Ask the basics… The Who, What, Why, When, Where, and How information (i.e. What is Quiz Bowl, who are the members, etc.)

Numerical Questions  Numerical questions provide statistical information  How many years has the school competed?  How many times has the school won?

Goals Questions  Why do we have a quiz bowl team?  What are the goals of the club?  How does this year compare to last?

Obstacle Questions What stands in the way?  Who are your greatest rivals?  Who has a good chance to beat you?  Why is this so?

Solution Questions  What are you doing during practice to keep from getting beaten during a game?  If literature is a category which gives your team trouble, what is the team doing about that?

Background Questions  How did Quiz Bowl start?  When did you win the first championship?  When did you start the sophomore team?

Evaluation Questions  Has this proved to be a worthwhile activity for the students?  What exactly does it contribute to our school and the students who participate?

Don’t forget the Why  Why does our school support student travel to Quiz Bowl competition?  Why does Kiwanis sponsor the club?  Why do students want to be in the club?

Most Critical: Listen  Good interviews are good __________  Listen for the pearls and diamonds  Ask a “responder” to find out more  Oh?  Really?  Would you explain what you mean?  Can you give me an example?

Solicit a Quote  Return from the interview with quotes you can use for your story  Would you tell me exactly how you would sum up your years as Trivia Team adviser?  What do you tell your team members at the start of a typical practice?

Quote Accurately  Don’t be afraid to ask, “Do I have this down right?”  Never promise to let anyone review your whole story in advance

Solicit Anecdotes Get stories that show the source and cohorts in action  Ask directly: “What is the most exciting moment your remember in a Quiz Bowl match?”  Did any of your players do anything dumb?  Was there a time when you substituted a player whose substitution won or lost the game?

Follow-up Questions Listen carefully throughout the interview and ask questions you think of on the spur of the moment based on what the interviewee said.

Drop the Grenade Sometimes hard questions must be asked  Establish a rapport with the interviewee to make him/her more willing to respond to the grenade  Approach it carefully “Some people have said that you have favorite players who get to play all the time even though they are not as good as other players. How would you comment on this?”

Recovering from the Grenade Reestablish the friendly relationship by asking neutral questions “Are you going to have breakfast together before the match?”

Conclude the Interview  Thank you  Good luck wishes  “May I come back to ask follow-up questions?”

Just before the interview...  Whatever equipment you use, make sure that batteries are charged, environment is conducive, pens have ink, and reporter’s notebook is at hand with prepared questions.  Visualize your interview. Practice asking your questions and anticipate types of responses you might receive.

Transcribe the interview Do this as soon as possible.  Some may want to transcribe the complete interview; others may transcribe essential responses to use in the story.  Whatever you do, transcribe accurately and prepare copy-ready quotes.

Final discussion points  “Off the record”  “Background”  “Deep background”  No comment (the “real” story) Potential Sources Public Official Public Figure Ordinary Citizen Minor