Interviewing is an essential skill for every journalist. It's at the heart of original journalism and daily newsgathering, and is the means by which a journalist’s research is brought alive. How do you learn to maximise your interview practice so that your recorded and published interviews are insightful and fresh? Sarah Drummond leads this masterclass, focusing particularly on video and audio interviewing. Sarah has been managing editor at both BBC Radio Newcastle and BBC Radio York.

1. Interviewing - an online #masterclass
Human to Human interviews
in audio and video newsgathering and reporting
In 10 steps
Sarah Drummond
18 March 2020

2. Interviewing - an online #masterclass
Me: Journalist since 1989
Newspapers
BBC Radio
BBC TV
BBC Online
England and Wales: Culture sector
Journalism is nothing
without interviews 🤔

3. Interviewing - online #masterclass
Human to Human
Why interview?
• Interviewing is at the heart of original journalism and daily newsgathering
• It brings your research alive, it gives you clarity as a journalist
• Your role as the journalist is to capture interviews which are insightful and fresh
• Even data journalism or desk journalism needs you to verify and check your
understanding - through questioning and interviews.

4. Interviewing - online #masterclass
Human to Human
Today we’ll look at the 10 steps to great interviewing
1. Purpose
2. Preparation
3. Research & approaching people
4. Questions
5. Sitting in their shoes
6. Story-board considerations
7. Your rehearsal
8. Performance - yours and your interviewee’s
9. Listening and questioning
10. Editing

5. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human - Preparation and execution

6. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
This image was originally posted to Flickr by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria at https://www.flickr.com/photos/59233287@N04/8153560004.
It was reviewed on 13 December 2013 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

7. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
BBC Newsnight: Emily Maitlis interviews Prince Andrew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKQi3wzNFGQ

8. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
BBC News - China Editor, Carrie Gracie interviews Carrie Lam, the incoming leader of Hong Kong, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srp_UPG5VAA

9. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
David Letterman Show - Beyonce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqrfxthhV6E

10. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

11. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

12. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

13. BBC News - China Editor, Carrie Gracie interviews Carrie Lam, the incoming leader of Hong Kong, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srp_UPG5VAA
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
At 0.40: Probing questions prepared - with statistics

14. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

15. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

16. Emily Maitlis interviews Prince Andrew - BBC Newsnight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKQi3wzNFGQ
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Reporter Interviewee
Opening: "We’ve come to Buckingham Palace in highly unusual circumstances…"

17. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

18. Emily Maitlis interviews Prince Andrew - BBC Newsnight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKQi3wzNFGQ
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Killer facts: From 6.04: " …. So just to be clear, you were ….

19. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

20. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

21. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

22. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
BBC News - China Editor, Carrie Gracie interviews Carrie Lam, the incoming leader of Hong Kong, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srp_UPG5VAA
At 0.19: Choreographed greeting

23. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

24. David Letterman Show - Beyonce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqrfxthhV6E
Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Fact finding - eg coronavirus
Accountability - eg Prince Andrew
Intention - eg Carrie Lam
Profile - eg Beyonce
Interview - at 2.24 : Recently you were in Africa?

25. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human

26. My research: how does role place practice help teach interviewing skill?
Research using roleplay actors to help you practice
preparing and conducting an interview
Self-assess your confidence and skill before practice
Self-assess your confidence and skill after practice
Receive feedback from trained role-player about your efficiency and rapport
Applications sought for 20 places in the research in Semester 3
Involves face-to-face work - so the logistics are not yet sorted out….
Not part of your module, not assessed for your MA.

27. Interviewing - online #masterclass - Human to Human
Watch & listen to lots of:
TV interviews
Radio interviews
Video/audio interviews on social media
Podcasts
Chat shows
Breaking news interviews
Reporters at press conferences - eg football post-match; press conference scrum
Other reporters doing their background research by interview - eg newspapers, magazines, text
Film: Frost Nixon - the perils of poor preparation for your interviews….
Interviews in today’s masterclass:
• Carrie Gracie interviews Carrie Lam - 2019
• Emily Maitlis interviews Prince Andrew - 2019
• David Letterman interviews Beyonce - 201
Interviewing:
• Brings your research alive, it gives you clarity as a journalist
• Your role as the journalist is to capture interviews which are insightful and fresh
• Even data journalism or desk journalism needs you to verify and check your
understanding - through questioning and interviews.