Interview Techniques For Creative Media Products.

1. Isabelle Pollock

2. Section 1: Investigating and
Understanding interview purposes
and techniques
Isabelle Pollock

3. TELEVISION
In television purposes, they’re various types of
interview styles used. For example, entertainment
interviews are used for chat shows such as Alan
Carr: Chatty Man, where variety of guests such as
music artists, actors, comedians etc discuss their
latest work. Also emotional interviews are used on
programmes such as Piers Morgan: Life Stories,
which allows the audience an insight into a
situation, which in this case, would be the
interviewee’s life.
RADIO
Radio stations use variety of interviews, e.g.
Entertainment interviews are used for Radio 1,
which helps them to attract their younger target
audience of 15-29. Documentary interviews are
used on Radio 4. Often the interviews are recorded
in the studio, over the phone or online. Although
you can’t see the interviewer and interviewee, it is
important they still have good body language when
communicating together, as one of the only
differences is that because the listeners can’t see
the interview taking place, the interviewer has to
smile and nod, instead of saying “yes” or “no” , as it
could interrupt the interviewee when they’re
speaking.
Importance of Interviewing
Interviewing is a useful way of gathering large amounts of information, which can
then be turned into a great story content for various media convergence.
Interviewing is used through diverse journalistic contexts such as: print media
(newspapers, magazines), television, radio, online, news, sport, feature-writers and
editorials.
Types of interviews used in these journalistic contexts: PRINT MEDIA
In print media such as
newspapers and magazines, the
questions are written with the
answers underneath. It is often
displayed with various sized text
in bold and different colours to
help attract the reader.

4. NEWS
On the news, interviews are often used for various
purposes like when police are being interviewed
about a recent investigation, when speaking to eye
witnesses about a situation, members of the public
and often politicians. These interviews are usually
formal as they’re informing people with large
amount of information include facts, figures, and
often personal opinions.
ONLINE
Interviews are also posted online. Often a lot of print media
is printed online now and is free and easily accessible. Radio
interviews are also posted on the website of the radio
station, in case the listeners had missed an interview or
wanted to re-listen to it. Television interviews can now be
accessed on catch up websites such as BBC Iplayer and
often include interviews based on variety of subjects such
as actors talking about films they have recently stared in or
political based interviews.
SPORT
Sports interviews are often used before a game and
after a match for e.g. In a horse race, before hand, they
might interview a jockey and ask them how they are
feeling before an event, predictions and any background
information like what the atmosphere is like.

5. Different Question Types
 Open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, detailed answer
allowing a person to give their own views and opinions on the subject.
They often start with the following words: what, why, when, where,who
and how.
• Example:
What did you think about the managers substitute choices during the
football match?
 Closed-ended question help reassure smaller or single-word answers.
• Example:
Which team do you think will win the football match?

6.  Leading Question is designed to make the
interviewee think in a certain way. They often
include part of the answer or point the listener
in the right direction to send them to the right
answer.
• Example:
You were at Tony’s Bar on
25th September, weren’t you?

7. Communication skills
needed
--Communication skills are the
fundamental skills in which help to
create a good interview. These skills
include:
• Building rapport- When you get
on well with another person or a
group of people because you have
similar things in common. Also by
nodding and using direct eye
contact helps the communication
process flow and helps engage you
within the interview.
• Active listening – Being an active
listener is important because if the
interviewee brings up a key point
within the interview, then the
interviewer can ask them to
expand on their answer to help
gather more information and then
continue with the rest of the
interview.
Body Language – Non-verbal communication
is also important when interviewing a person
or being interviewed yourself. Using open
language such as talking with hands, helps to
suggest non-defensive movement. If closed
language is used like crossing your arms, it can
give off a defensive movement and create a
barrier between you and the
interviewer/interviewee as it will seem like
you’re not interested and not engaging fully in
the interview.

8. They’re 3 main
reasons for
purpose of
interviews:
Emotional – To allow the audience
an insight into a situation.
Interpretive – Expressing or explaining an
opinion on a particular subject.
Informational – Presenting large amounts
of information within a interview.

9. The interviewer begins asking the interviewee a strong open-ended question. “Russell
Brand, who are you to edit a political magazine?” This is an effective opening
question to an interview as the interviewer immediately directs the interviewee to
provoke them and stir discussion.
The interviewer then continues with a leading question “But is it true you don’t even
vote?” Allows the interviewee to confirm the statement and that combats with
another open-ended question “Well, how do you have any authority to talk about
politics then?” This is an effective question because the interviewer is trying to
confront the interviewee to make them discuss and then justify their opinions on the
subjects addressed.
Analysis of an
Interpretive interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk

10. The interviewee is a member of the 2013/14 Minnesota
House of Representatives. The interview begins with the
interviewer saying “Representative Dean, thank you for
joining us” in which the interviewee responds “Thanks
for having me”. This is a strong opening to an interview
because we see that a building rapport is being used to
make the interview more welcoming and addressing the
interview in a comfortable manner. Also with the use of
direct eye contact throughout the interview, helps
suggest that they’re actively listening to each other and
giving their full attention and engaging within the
interview.
The interview then continues with a strong open-ended
question. “What do you do for a professional career
and can you share a little bit about your life outside the
Captial?” This type of question helps fulfil why this is an
effective informative interview because she asks two
short questions together, which overall helps to gather
more information from the interviewee about more
than one subject.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJKz0iBZHM8
Analysis of an
Informational interview

11. Throughout all the interviews, a regular pattern is appearing in which make
the interviews successful. Each start with a strong opening question to
instantly get a direct opinion from the interviewee. After watching a short clip
in this interview, the interviewer Piers Morgan asks the interviewee Lorraine
Kelly, “Why do you think that Pam Ross felt that connection with you that
she clearly to do this day has?” This use of an open ended question is
effective because the audience are allowed an insight into the interviewee
life, and will allow the interviewee to discuss their opinions on the personal
subject that is being addressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPuH0KMowk
Analysis of an
Emotional Interview

12. The interview is generally successful to begin with. The interviewer introduces who the interviewees
are and mention the main subject of the interview - about a recent new film the interviewees
are starring in ‘The Theory of Everything.’ The interviewer begins with asking one of the
interviewees “What was the most intimidating thing for you?” The interviewer then asks open
ended phrase to the other interviewee “This movie for me is really a love story” in which she
responds “It’s an emotional story you’re telling...” The use of an open ended question and
phrase is important as it allows the interviewee/s to express their own views and opinions on a
particular subject. Unfortunately, the interview becomes disinteresting and less successful
because the interviewer goes off topic and talks about world crazes such as the Ice Bucket
Challenge and iconic “selfie”. I think the interviewer decided to talk about these subjects to give
more variety to the interview and ask interviewees opinions on various other topics as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDrf7zUGYzI

13. Section 2: Conducting research in
preparation for an interview
Isabelle Pollock

14. Section 3: Planning, structuring &
recording interviews for identified
purposes
Isabelle Pollock