This document contains the notes from a class on interviewing for TV and radio reporting. It discusses different types of interviews, including opinion, information, and personality interviews. It provides tips for conducting interviews, such as doing research, crafting an outline of questions, improvising question wording, paying attention to answers to ask follow ups, and using interviews to advance a story. Students are then assigned partner and topic for a recorded Zoom-style interview exercise on issues related to St. John's University and current news topics.

1. JOU 2312
REPORTING AND WRITING
FOR TV AND RADIO
Professor Michael Rizzo
Director, Journalism Program
Division of Mass Communication
Collins College of Professional Studies
Presentation for October 15, 2020

2. LAST CLASS – OCTOBER 12
DOING ZOOM INTERVIEWS
JOU 2312
REPORTING AND WRITING
FOR TV AND RADIO

3. TODAY
INTERVIEWING – CHAPTER 5
JOU 2312
REPORTING AND WRITING
FOR TV AND RADIO

4. RECAP
ZOOM INTERVIEWS REQUIRE MORE
ON YOUR PART THAN JUST
CONNECTING AND ASKING QUESTIONS
MAKE SURE LOOK AND SOUND OF
YOUR INTERVIEWEE IS BEST IT CAN BE
USE TECHNOLOGY TO RECORD CUTAWAYS
THAT ALLOW YOU TO EDIT SOTs
PROPERLY

5. FOR TODAY
CHAPTER 5 OF THE TEXT:
INTERVIEWING

6. THREE TYPES OF INTERVIEWS
• OPINION INTERVIEW
• INFORMATION INTERVIEW
• PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

7. INFORMATION INTERVIEWS DELIVER
WHAT ITS NAME IMPLIES
OPINION AND PERSONALITY INTERVIEWS
SEEK TO FIND AND FOCUS ON THE
BELIEFS, THINKING AND LIFESTYLE OF
THE INTERVIEWEE.

8. IN JOURNALISM, PRE-INTERVIEWING IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE.
YOUR PREPARATION IS VERY ACCEPTABLE!
SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE
INTERVIEWEE BEFOREHAND IS NOT

9. HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR INTERVIEW
SOUND FRESH, CONVERSATIONAL
AND IN THE “MOMENT” DURING
THE INTERVIEW?

10. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
CRAFT AN OUTLINE WITH QUESTIONS
YOU PLAN TO ASK
IMPROVISE THE EXACT WORDING OF
YOUR QUESTIONS AT THE TIME
OF THE INTERVIEW
THAT’S WHY YOU PRACTICE TURNING
YES OR NO QUESTIONS INTO HOW,
WHAT WHY QUESTIONS.

11. PAY ATTENTION DURING THE
INTERVIEW
BE READY TO REACT AND CHANGE
YOUR NEXT QUESTION TO ONE THAT’S
MORE RELEVANT TO THE ANSWER
OR UNEXPECTED ANSWER YOU JUST
HEARD

12. USE AN INTERVIEW TO SHOW
DRAMA IN YOUR STORY
BUILD THE INTERVIEW LIKE A MOVIE
THAT KEEPS UNFOLDING WITH
NEW DEVELOPMENTS SO YOUR
AUDIENCE KEEPS PAYING ATTENTION
AND HAS THEM WANTING TO HEAR
MORE

13. NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK
TO REPORTERS.
HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE TO TALK
TO YOU?

14. TO TELL THEIR SIDE
FOR STATUS
FOR JUSTICE
TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
FOR REVENGE
TO HELP OTHERS
MOTIVATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO
TALK WITH REPORTERS

15. WHAT CURRENT STORY IN THE NEWS
ARE YOU KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT
THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD ONE
TO GET REACTION FROM A ST. JOHN’S
STUDENT ABOUT?

16. WJOU-TV 5 PM NEWS THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 STORY BUDGET
REPORTERS STORY DESCRIPTION
Carson Campbell-Aris Comparing the candidates
Thomas Cavanagh SJU basketball without fans
Nahndi Chiumya Nigerian police controversy
Imani Clarke SJU COVID-19 concerns
Alexandra Crespo SCOTUS hearing
Aileen Crowe SCOTUS hearing
Ian Darville Central Park story update
Francesca Fazio Mail-in ballots
Sophia Finn-McMahon SJU tuition
Sophie Gable Town halls instead of debates
Kennedy Hughes SJU tuition
Jason Lorenzini SJU quarantine
Olivia Meyer Status of NYC
Michael Mohen TO BE ASSIGNED
Jillian Ortiz Prime day concerns
Benedetta Tommaselli Unable to vote
Nicole Uriarte COVID-19 vaccines
Alicia Venter NYC hot spots
Samantha Wanderer October jobs report
Cecilia Whelton COVID-19 impact on Native Americans
Alissa Williams SJU campus life

17. WJOU-TV 5 PM NEWS THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 STORY BUDGET
REPORTERS STORY DESCRIPTION PARTNER
Carson Campbell-Aris Comparing the candidates / Town Halls instead of debates Sophie Gable
Thomas Cavanagh SJU basketball w/o fans / SJU quarantine Jason Lorenzini
Nahndi Chiumya Nigerian police controversy / Central park story update Ian Darville
Imani Clarke SJU COVID-19 concerns / COVID-19 vaccines Nicole Uriarte
Alexandra Crespo SCOTUS hearing Aileen Crowe
Francesca Fazio Mail-in ballots / Unable to vote Benedetta Tommaselli
Sophia Finn-McMahon SJU tuition Kennedy Hughes
Olivia Meyer Status of NYC / NYC hot spots Alicia Venter
Jillian Ortiz Prime day concerns/October Jobs report Samantha Wanderer
Cecilia Whelton COVID-19 & Native Americans/SJU campus life Alissa Williams
Michael Mohen TO BE ASSIGNED

18. CONDUCT A ZOOM/WEBEX STYLE WITH
YOUR PARTNER ON THE TOPICS ASSIGNED.
MAKE SURE YOU RECORD THE INTERVIEW.
EDIT THE INTERVIEW INTO A 1:15
SOT-VO-SOT-VO
FOR THIS EXERCISE YOU CAN USE ANY
VIDEO/VISUALS THAT CONNECT WITH THE
STORY FROM WHEREVER YOU FIND IT.
WRITE A SCRIPT AND PUT YOUR VOICE
TRACK OVER THE VO.

19. ALSO WRITE A :15 ANCHOR INTRO
TO THE STORY
YOU DO NOT NEED TO RECORD A VOICE
TRACK OF THE ANCHOR INTRODUCTION
SUBMIT THE FULL PRODUCED VIDEO WITH
YOUR VOICE TRACK ON IT AND THE SOTs
INCLUDED TO BLACKBOARD AS AN MP4
OR MPEG VIDEO ONLY

20. IF YOUR VIDEO FILE IS TOO LARGE FOR
BLACKBOARD, YOU CAN USE THIS FREE
WEBSITE TO COMPRESS YOUR VIDEO TO A
SMALLER SIZE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO
UPLOAD IT:
www.onlineconverter.com/compress-video
AFTER THE COMPRESSION IS COMPLETED,
CHECK THE VIDEO TO BE SURE ANYONE
WATCHING/LISTENING SEES A QUALITY
VIDEO AND CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
SAID.

21. STAY WELL
AND
STAY SAFE