This slideshow focuses on development of strong interviewing techniques by journalists. Find more journalism tips and tricks at http://www.virtualjournalism.net.

1. Interviewing
Presented by
Brett Atwood
Washington State University
More at:
VirtualJournalism.net

2. Interviewing
• Your goal is to get accurate and interesting
information for your story
• There are several strategies available to get
your subject to talk

3. Building Trust
• A source that trusts you will be more likely to
open up
• To establish trust, you may need to spend
some time with the subjects
• If you are on a “beat,” then you may want to
socially network with your most important
recurring sources

4. Building Trust
• Remember that your sources are human
beings
• They will respond better to you if you have a
good track record with them
• Honesty and empathy always work!

5. Funnel Interview
• Save your toughest
questions for last
• This enables time to build
trust with your interview
subject

6. Trustbusters
• “Burning” a source with bad ink
• Misquoting a source
• Identifying an anonymous source
• Misrepresenting your intentions
• Failure to answer any concerns/questions that
the source may have before the interview

7. Trustbusters
• Your first encounter with the source is critical
since the first impression is made
• In most cases, you will want to put the source
at ease
• However, in some serious interviews, you will
deliberately want to use the tension to your
advantage

8. Tension Strategy
• When you know a subject
is being deceitful, it might
be good to keep the
tension so that the
subject’s true motives are
more transparent

9. Inverted Funnel
• Tough, specific
questions first
– Use if you have little
time
– Use if you need to
nail down an answer

10. Preparing for the Interview
• Preparation strategies for the interview will
vary
• What kind of interview are you doing?
– News
– Profile/Feature
– Investigative
– Broadcast TV/radio

11. The News Story
• Use all available resources to research the
history of the subject covered
• Go direct to the source – but don’t expect
them to tell you the “whole story”
• An “off the record” insider may help you get a
fresh perspective

12. “Off the Record”
• Hotly debated topic
• Is it ethical to gather info “off the record”?
• Should everything be fair game?
• Can you use information gained “off the
record” without directly quoting the
information or source?

13. Sources
• Some sources will want to remain
anonymous
• If you agree to keep their identity private, it is
unethical to reveal their names to anyone
– Exceptions:
• Government subpoena
– If it is determined to jeopardize the national
security or is essential is solving a crime
• Publication policy
– Due to some problems with reporter integrity,
some publications are now requiring reporters
to share the identity of the anonymous reporter
with their supervising editor

14. Use Caution
• Be aware of sources that have an axe to grind
• Do they have an agenda?
• Are they telling the truth?
• Are they reliable?
– Substance abuse = suspicion
• Do they really have a direct connection to the
news event?
– Be careful of “hearsay”

15. Off the Record
• If a subject tries to go “off the record,” you
should try to get them to stay “on the record”
• Usually they will still talk
• Tell them you need the attribution for the sake
of credibility
• Or…you can return to the topic in an “on the
record” question later in the interview to get
your quote

16. Common Problems for Beginners
• Beginning reporters often are afraid to ask
probing questions that might anger the
subject
– You are there to get the story right above all else
• They also get manipulated by the subjects
who give a lot of sanitized, “canned”
responses
– Style but no substance

17. Dealing with Jerks
• It will happen…often.
• Don’t take it personally.
• If they question your motives, then let
reassure them that you intend to be fair and
accurate in your reporting
• Keep calm
• Explain why the answer is necessary for the
story

18. Uncomfortable Interviews
• You may encounter an interview that is difficult to conduct
due to the sensitivity of the subject
• While personally uncomfortable, these often make for some
of the best interviews
• Example:
– Interviewing someone who has just been laid off
– Interviewing someone who has just had a death in the family
– Interviewing someone who has been accused of a crime
– Interviewing someone who is defensive or hostile

19. Uncomfortable Interviews
• Remember that they are human, too
• Behave appropriately
• There is a fine line between being aggressive
and obnoxious

20. The Rambling Interview
• Some subjects ramble off subject
• This may be unintentional, but sometimes it is
a deliberate attempt to dodge a difficult
question
• Don’t be afraid to steer them back on track

21. Persistence Pays
• When conducting an interview, make sure that
your key questions are answered
• If the subject does not know an answer, ask
them who in the organization is available to
respond
• Many subjects will try to escape accountability
through “double speak” and “passing the
buck”

22. No Stone Left Unturned
• When you write your story, you should have answers to the
key questions
• If you don’t, then you should include an explanation for the
absence of clear information
– Example: “A spokesperson declined to comment on…”
– Example: “The cause of the fire was still undetermined, according
to…”
– Example: “The company isn’t disclosing the amount paid for the
acquisition. However, the financial terms are expected to be revealed
in tomorrow’s filing with the SEC.”

23. Expert Jargon
• Sometimes you will interview industry
experts that use jargon that is
unfamiliar to the general public
• Try to get the expert to rephrase the
information in clearer terms
• At a minimum, make sure that you
fully understand the jargon so that
you can paraphrase correctly
• Don’t be afraid to admit your
ignorance!

24. Be Provocative
• Aim for a provocative interview without being
confrontational
• You are there to get the story – not start a
fight!

25. Feature/Profile Story
• Go beyond the main subject interview to get
the “full story”
• Talk to friends and family members to help get
a diverse perspective on the subject
interviewed
• Your writing style will likely include
observations and details that would not be
appropriate in a “news” report/article

26. Investigative Reporting
• Be prepared to spend a longer amount of time
preparing this piece
• You must strategize in how you ask your
questions, as well as WHO to ask questions
and WHEN to ask them
• Example: At a certain point, your inquiries can
result in actions that impede or prevent
further investigation

27. Broadcast Interviews
• When you conduct an interview for TV or
radio, the goal is to get a sound bite that can
be extracted and edited into a larger news
piece

28. Types of Broadcast Interviews
• News Interviews
– Gather info on a news event
– Usually quick and to-the-point
• Feature Interviews
– Designed to entertain
– May be more in-depth

29. Interview Editing
• While some interviews are done live, many
are pre-recorded and edited
• In the editing room, the actual interview may
be chopped down considerably to include only
significant soundbites

30. Sound Bite
– Sometimes unintentional but often strategized
– Memorable and catchy quote
– Quick, focused
– Captures the essence of your point
– May be funny “one liner”

31. Infamous Sound Bites
• “I never had sex with that woman”
• “Can’t we all just get along?”
• “Read my lips: no new taxes!”

32. Pre-Interview
• Not all announcers use the pre-interview
• It can serve as a good rehearsal for both host
and guest
• Can help to focus topic of discussion
• Danger of losing spontaneity

33. Altered States
• There are some things that will alter the
“mood” of the interview subject
• Example:
– The physical presence of a camera or tape
recorder may cause the subject to “perform” or be
more careful in considering what they reveal

34. Your Secret Weapon
• Here is one of the best kept secrets for
interviewing:
– Some of the best information comes in the casual
conversation that follows the “interview”
– After the camera or tape has stopped and the pen
is put away, the subject may begin to converse
casually and reveal better information than given
previously

35. Interview Skills
• Don’t talk too much if the interview is for
broadcast media
• Keep the guest and topic on focus
• Don’t ask overly complex questions
– If necessary, then make sure that you explain
complexities in easy to understand language
• Listen!
– Adjust questions when necessary

36. Interview Skills
• Ask Follow-up Questions
• Offer non-verbal feedback to responses
• Ask for clarification, if necessary

37. Types of Questions
• Closed ended questions
– Answered with simple “yes” or “no”
– Example: “Do you like your job?”
– Generally makes a bad interview
• Open ended questions
– Provides opportunity for broad answers
– Example: “What do you like about your job?”

38. Interview Tips
• Avoid leading questions
– “You don’t like George Bush, do you?”
• Avoid obvious questions
– “Were you unhappy when your movie
flopped?”
• If the interview is being broadcast, plan
your transitions from topic to topic
ahead of time

39. Keep Your Cool
• Maintain control of the interview
• Know when and how to interrupt to keep
guest from rambling
• Maintain a neutral/objective view

40. Build to the Point
• Save your most volatile questions for the end
of the interview
• Begin with easier questions to establish a
connection and trust with your guest

41. Prepare Your Questions
• Troubleshoot your interview before it occurs
• Plan questions ahead of time
• You probably won’t use all of your questions,
but the process is helpful in establishing a
focus to your actual interview

42. Accuracy Check
• Inevitably, you will encounter a need to clarify
a quote or note that you have taken during
the interview
• It is not uncommon to “fact check” with the
subject by following up directly with them
after the conclusion of the interview
• In some cases, a quote is read back to confirm
that it is accurate …or to ask for clarification

43. Fact Checking
• Be cautious when a subject presents a statistic
as if it is fact
• Be prepared to confirm all statistics with an
independent source
• Statistics are often manipulated

44. Using Quotes
• Only use a quote if it conveys something that
can’t be communicated better in your own
words
• Often a better strategy is paraphrasing what
the subject has told you

45. Using Quotes
• Use quote if it is particularly articulate or
powerful in the wording
• Most people do not speak in a way that
translates well into a quote

46. Using Quotes
• The more significant the interviewee is, the
more likely a reader will be interested
• Make sure that the quote is used to add a
unique angle or credibility to the story

47. Quoting Accurately
• If the grammar is poor, then some reporters
will “clean up” the quote
• This practice varies by publication
• HOWEVER, if the interview was witnessed by
multiple media outlets (example: press
conference) then you should leave the quotes
alone

48. (sic)
• If you want to be cautious, then you can use
the “(sic)” notation in your printed quote to
notate a grammatical error made by your
subject

49. Observation
• Sometimes a key part of the story lies in what
is observed, rather than spoken
• Pay attention to the body language or non-verbal
cues from your subject