Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work

The oldest most common technique journalists use to get information is the interview

Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Interviewers need to be courteous and well mannered.

Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Pushing for an answer is appropriate behavior for a journalist if a question is appropriate and it is in the public’s interest to know.

The first step in getting ready for an interview is knowing what you want to know. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

The person whose business it is to have the best and most reliable information about a topic is called the primary source. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques Examples: 1. A primary source for an article about a speech contest is the student who won first place or the speech coach. 2. A primary source for the FCCLA district rally is the adviser of FCCLA or students who attended it.

Before conducting an interview, a reporter should research the topic to become knowledgeable and prepare the questions he or she will ask. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques

To get a “quotable response” – instead of a one- word or yes-or-no answer – from the subject, a reporter will ask an open-ended question. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques Examples: Don’t ask – Do you think the team will win? Ask -- What are the strengths of the team?

Don’t use est-questions. Est-questions can distort people’s views and cut off conversation, and that is not what a reporter wants to do during an interview. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques Examples: Don’t ask – Who is the best? Worst? Strongest? Ask -- What are the strengths of the team?

“All purpose” questions (those a reporter can ask of almost any situation) are called stock questions. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques Examples of stock questions: What is the correct spelling of your name? What is your job title or team position? What is your competitive event? How many years have you been at this position or played on the varsity team, etc.

When listening to a subject’s response, reporters should observe the subject’s body language and leave time for the source to volunteer information. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work General Interviewing Techniques

Interviews that are planned and set-up in advance are called formal interviews. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview What time can we meet to discuss your plan for Saturday’s game? When would you have time to address concerns about the length of lunch? When would you have time to explain the new registration policies?

Basic data includes the subject’s exact name, family status, job title, or years in current position. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview What is the correct job title of your position at Hardware Industries, Inc.? How many years have you been the head coach of the varsity tennis team?

Two very different, but basic ways to remember what was said in the interview is to take notes (a.) or use a tape recorder (b.). Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Good things (pro) about taking notes (a.) - It makes some people more relaxed than a tape recorder, - - It doesn’t pick up any unwanted background noise. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview Bad things (cons) about taking notes (b.) - People talk faster than a reporter can write. - - It is hard to record inflections in a voice – emotion.

Good things (pro) about using a tape recorder (a.) - Exact quotations that sound precisely like the source, - - Some find a tape recorder reassuring because it is accurate. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview Bad things (cons) about using a tape recorder(b.) - People freeze up when confronted by a tape recorder. - - A tape recorder captures every background noise. - - People talk funny. They use poor grammar.

Internet Interviews: One advantage of an Internet interview is that the reporter can interview numerous individuals in far away places in his/her own time and in the subject’s own time…convenience. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Internet Interviews: One disadvantage of an Internet interview is that the reporter can’t see body language or her tones/attitudes in voices. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

A high school journalist will get the best/most accurate information from a face-to-face interview, but always use the preferred method of your source. Some sources prefer a face-to-face interview. Some sources prefer an interview. Some sources prefer to answer questions in their own writing. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

“Off the record” is when the interviewee and the reporter both agree before the interview begins that the reporter will not print the information obtained in the interview. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

When writing the interview story, journalists should use many direct quotations to bring the person or topic to life. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

The Q-and-A technique is when the journalist’s questions and the interviewees answers are printed word-for-word and published in a question-answer format. Pro: This technique allows the reader to determine the importance of items. Con: A journalist has no way of signaling the reader as to what is important. (This method of reporting is used sparingly.) Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Examples of the Q-and-A technique: The Miner Incidents: What is your defensive strategy for the game against New Beldone? NHS head coach Bob Jones: We will focus on running a man-to-man defense because our players are so well conditioned that they never seem to tire. We have a deep bench of experienced players, so we can run man-to-man all night. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Prepublication checking is when the journalist reads back his/her written article to the person interviewed and quoted. The following are three reasons why it might be in the journalist’s best interest to use this technique: 1. Prepublication checking creates good human relations. 2. Prepublication checking eliminates (or helps eliminate) mistakes. 3. Prepublication checking makes it difficult for a source to sue the paper/reporter for libel to prove actual malice. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Prepublication checking is NOT prior review. Prior review is when an administrator reads articles before publication and decides what will and will not be printed. Prior review is NOT acceptable. Prior review borders on censorship! Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Libel: written defamation; damaging false statements against another person/institution that appear in writing or that are spoken from a written script. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Malice: the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress. There must be “intent” to hurt. If the pain or distress is caused “accidentally,” then there is no malice. Libel must include malice. Malice is difficult to prove. Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

Examples used by high school journalists: a.) Stock questions: What is your grade? Age? Position? b.) –est questions: What is your worst fear? Who is the fastest member of your relay? c.) open-ended question (elicits more than a yes/no answer: What factors contributed to your success in the race? Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

After reading the professional profile of Mary Kim Titla on page 111, you should have written a paragraph (three or more complete sentences) following the directions in assignment number seven on page 115. Discuss your response! Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Conducting the Interview

The interviewopen-ended questionclosed-end question stock questionprepublication checkingprior review Off-the-recordprimary source--est question Formal interviewQ-and-A techniquelibelmalice Chapter 5: Making the Interview Work Chapter 5: Terms