“The Things People Say”

Interviewingto Develop the Story

ASNE-Kent State UniversityJuly 2013

Interviewing

“ A good interview feels like a conversation but moves relentlessly toward the relevant truth.”

--Eric Nadler,SJMN

-- Interview may affect the outcome, tone of the story-- Make it a conversation, but never forget it’s an interview

Interviewing

Most students are uncomfortable talking to strangers

(Adults are, too!)-- Stranger danger-- Intimidation-- Unprepared **

Interviewing

Think of a four-letter word that describes you today

-- No obscenities -- No foreign words -- Can be any part of speech

N – ball, full ADJ – blue, warm V – know, jump ADV – still, just

PRN – mine, what PREP – with, over INTER – Ouch! Yeah!

Interviewing

My word is …

happy

Interviewing

Ready?

Set?

Go!Interview someone you don’t know.First question about his/her four-letter word.

Interviewing

The Basics(Being Prepared)

Finding People to InterviewPreparing for the InterviewQuestions: Tools of the Trade

Preparing for the lnterviewDo your homeworkRemember your mannersTake the right “equipment”Pick the right placeDress appropriatelyExplain the purpose of the interviewUnderstand limitations

Interviewing

Questions (Don’t leave home without them!)

Write them down in advance, in orderAsk open-ended questionsGet background first

Ask…Stop…Listen

Don’t apologize, ask again if necessaryOne at a time please and no speeches

Interviewing

QuestionsLet the questions do the workResist temptation to editorializeTape record your next interview and

transcribe your questions-- How many double-barreled?-- How many closed-ended?-- How many argumentative?-- How many statements of fact?

Become a student of the good interview

Interviewing

Questions (The Best)

How do you know that?What makes you say that?What happened next?What does that mean?Can you give me an example?Has that ever happened before? How often

does that happen?

Interviewing

Questions (The Worst)

Two-part questionsWhether or not questionsQuestions more than three sentencesUnfocused questionsQuestion that begin with an apologyCliché questionsLeading questions

Interviewing

Questions (Evergreen)

What was the best day of your life?What did you dislike?Who most influenced you? How?Tell me a story from your childhood? (High

school? First job?) If you weren’t doing this, what would you be

doing?Where do you see yourself in _____ years?

Interviewing

Questions (Follow-Up)

Ask for an exampleAsk for a chronologyReflect the person’s answer or feelingsDisplay your ignoranceRepeat the question*Maintain skepticism*Show a reaction (but be careful)

Interviewing

Questions (Throw-Away)

Ask these when you need a break Ask these when you need to write or catch upKeep listening; there’s often buried treasure

in the cast-off answer

Interviewing

Questions (Beware the No-Answer Answer)

Answering a question you didn’t askAsking you a questionGiving a vague responseFaking itTelling a joke, anecdote or storyTelling you to check back laterQuestioning your competenceRejecting the questionUsing “no comment”

Interviewing

Questions (Closers)

Who else should I be talking to?Is there anything else?Do you have anything you’d like to add to

what you’ve told me?

Don’t forget to say “Thank you”

Interviewing

Questions (One Last Thing)

When afraid to ask a question, just go ahead and ask. Be gentle, but ask.

You’re always better asking one question too many than one question too few.

-- Terry PlutoThe Plain Dealer

Interviewing

“A reporter's job is to get the newsworthy truth…. Towards that end, the journalist not only brings a pad and paper to each interview, but an arsenal of techniques designed to get even the most reluctant interviewee to spill the beans.”

--Bill Stoller,The Publicity Insider

Getting It DownListeningTaking NotesObserving

Interviewing

ListeningShut up and listen (the “hear” and now)

Watch the head-bobbing

Tape record one interview and listen to yourself

Be patient. Get comfortable with long silences

Interviewing

ListeningBe curious.

Pay attention

Watch your attitude. If you seem bored, your subject will notice

Listen with all your senses

Interviewing

“Somebody once wrote that there’s no more seductive sentence in the English language than, ‘I want to hear your story.’ Often you don’t have to do any more than just say that.”

--Mitch Albom,Detroit Free Press

Tuesdays With Morrie

Taking NotesTake copious notes (Practice Makes Perfect)

Develop your own shorthand

Recognize good quotes-- Take them down verbatim

Detailed quotes usually yield vivid stories.

Interviewing

Taking NotesAsk your subject to repeat important info or

quotes

Always take notes even if using an audio recorder or videotaping

Bring pens and pencils, batteries, chargers

Interviewing

“While writing the book, In Cold Blood, author Truman Capote was afraid that a tape recorder would inhibit the people he wanted to interview. So Capote trained himself to remember everything they said. Capote did this by talking to a friend or reading for a while, then writing down everything he heard or read. Later, he would compare his record (with the actual material). Capote said, ‘Finally, when I got to be about 97 percent accurate, I felt ready to take on this book.’ ”

ObservingWatch, record non-verbal actions, behaviors

-- coughs, grins, raised eyebrows

-- rapid speech, sudden stutter-- repeated words, unfinished sentences-- gesticulations

Record when in the interview these happenLook for patterns

Interviewing

After … LaterAfterward

-- Review your notes ASAP-- Number or order or color code important points-- Mark areas to verify or double-check-- Ask yourself, “What’s my lede?”

-- Outline your story

The “Notebook Dump” is a No-No

Interviewing

After … LaterAccuracy and Credibility

-- Set ground rules on anonymity, off-the-record and background-only information-- Do not allow , agree to pre-publication review -- Seek and listen to all sides

-- Get the little things right (or readers won’t believe what you report about the big things)-- Check the details-- Does your source have a bias, agenda, ax to grind?

Be sensitive to the consequences stories will have on people

Interviewing

“I don’t mind being interviewed any more than I mind Viennese waltzing…My response will depend on the agility and grace and attitude and intelligence of the other person. Some do it well, some clumsily, some step on your toes by accident, and some aim for them.”

--Margaret AtwoodNovelist

References

Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press Truman Capote Wendell Cochran, American University Fred Fedler, Reporting for the Print Media Google and YouTube Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Eric Nadler, San Jose Mercury News Terry Pluto, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Chip Scanlon, The Poynter Institute Bill Stoller, The Publicity Insider