GENERATING GOOD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Kelsey Whipple
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Do your homework.• Always research the source, their
experience, and their expertise.
• Make sure this potential source is the right person to interview for your story.
• Prepare yourself for interviewing them.
• This research will also help you to use your interview time more strategically.
• Your source will notice and appreciate that you did your homework.
Ask clear questions.• Ask yourself: Is this question
easy to understand? Could I answer it?
• The strongest interview questions have a clear focus and simple language.
• Questions should be short and direct.
• Don’t ask compound questions.
Ask open-ended questions.• Open-ended questions ask an
interviewee to provide a detailed response.
• They generate more complete and more thoughtful responses.
• Avoid close-ended questions, like yes-or-no questions, short answer questions and leading questions.
Put your questions in order.• Start with some simple,
introductory questions to ease the interviewee into the interview and make them comfortable.
• Group all questions that pertain to a specific topic together.
• Put difficult or divisive questions further down on your list.
Be flexible.• Follow-up questions will arise
during your interview. Don’t panic!
• Listen carefully, and write them down.
• Take strategic notes as you go.
• Don’t hesitate to re-ask unanswered questions in a new way.
• Don’t ask questions your source has already answered.
Ask for clarity.• If you find yourself confused or unsure
about a key fact, clarify that information with your source during the interview.
• Try summarizing a key point and asking your source if you got it correct.
• Not fully understanding something is normal for journalists, especially when they're tackling new topics.
• It is better to look ‘dumb’ in front of one source than in front of your audience.
Ask a concluding question.• End with a final open-ended question
that allows your source to share anything else they think is important for you to know.
• Is there anything you’d like to add?”
• "Is there anything else I didn't ask you about that is important for me to know?”
• Some of the best scoops and story ideas sometimes come from giving sources a chance to tell me information I didn't even think to ask about.
Thank your source.• They just gave you a chunk of
their time. Thank them for it!
• This is also a good chance to ask for additional contact information or schedule a follow-up interview.
• Consider sending them a link to your story when it is published.
Key Takeaways:• The best interview questions are simple, clear, and focused on one specific topic.
Use open-ended questions to encourage your interviewee to respond completely to your questions and perhaps to even go beyond your preconceptions.
• Follow-up and clarifying questions will arise during the course of your interview. Good follow-up questions usually request additional context or explanation and begin with "why" or "how." Be flexible in order to catch and write down potential follow-up questions as you listen to your interviewee's responses.
• Be polite yet persistent. If an interviewee is not fully answering your question, ask that question again in a different way. Sometimes, they simply didn't get the gist of the question the first time around.
• End your interview with an open-ended concluding question. This gives your interviewee an opportunity to share additional information about that you might not have cued with your interview questions.