Initial Interviews:
Goal: Students will discuss how to conduct an interview
Discuss the difference between open and close ended questions and how open are better.
Students will conduct an interview
Conducting an interview can be very nerve wrecking. The interviewer may be nervous about asking the right questions, the location, dress etc. Phone interviews can be just as tricky, since there is no face-to-face communication or body language to rely on. So if you're pursuing a career in journalism here are tips for journalism students on conducting a successful interview.
TIPS:
The best thing to do when interviewing a source is to act naturally. An interview does not have to happen in a formal, suited atmosphere. An interview is just a talk with someone about a specific topic. But instead of merely hearing, the reporter is listening and writing down the pertinent details. Reporters must keep their opinions to themselves.
Preparing for the interview
Don't go to an interview unprepared. Check newspaper files and the library for information on your subject or the topic. Have some information in your head before you start. For example, if you are interviewing a person who sells furs and is annoyed by animal rights pickets, it might be interesting to know if this person has a dog or a cat.
Have your questions ready. Don't expect your news source to tell you voluntarily what you want to know. Your questions, although you may stray from them, help you organize your thoughts. They also will remind you to get all the answers you want.
Make an appointment. You can't go into a busy office and get 30 minutes of his or her time unless you first set up an appointment. Then make sure you arrive on time.
Dress properly. Be prepared and show respect for the source.
Take three things with you on every assignment: a pencil, a piece of paper; and a grain of salt. Be a bit skeptical, don't believe everything you're told.
Conducting the interview
Introduce yourself and the publication for which you are writing.
Look your subject in the eye. Don't be so busy taking notes that all the source sees are your flying fingers and the top of your head. It makes some people nervous to see every word being written down.
Often, the first question to ask is how to spell the individual's name. Don't rely on the spelling you've seen somewhere else because it could be wrong. A misspelled name is definitely the first way to lose credibility.
Pronounce the name of the respondent correctly and use it from time to time during the interview.
Double-check the dates and the spelling of names. Even a name like Smith can be spelled differently. Don't ever be afraid to ask what you might fear is a silly question.
Start with easy, sociable questions to relax the person you're interviewing. Save the tough questions for later. Avoid questions that appear to have predetermined answers. Don't let your opinions determine the focus of your questioning.
Ask open-ended questions that invite a lengthy answer and can bring out anecdotes and opinions: ``How did you react?'' or ''Why do you think that happened?'' Try to take down as many direct quotes as possible.
Don't ask questions that let your source give one-word answers.
Don't ask negative questions. That is, don't say,''No news, yet?'' Don't make it easy for your subject to say ''no.''
Let the interviewee know you know something about him or her. This is called priming the interviewee. It goes like this: Mr. Jones, I understand you appeared in a movie about the takeover by people under 30. Do you believe this could actually happen?
Accept all facts and other data professionally. Do not argue or show undue shock or surprise.
Have a note-taking system. For example, write ''rr'' for railroad.
Avoid promising to print remarks a certain way.
Do not promise to let the interviewee read the story before it is published.
Leave the door open for another talk. Ask the subject if he or she would mind if you made contact later personally or by phone for a follow-up. Get a phone number where the source can be reached later. End the interview by making sure you have a phone number to contact the source later for further facts or clarification. If you use a tape recorder; don't depend on it. Batteries run down and tape recorders can malfunction. Take notes, even if you're using a tape recorder.
Taking notes
Some kind of shorthand is a must. Most reporters use some form of shortened writing, such as ''w/o'' for without or ''inc'' for incomplete. Initials can stand for titles and symbols can be used to refer to organizations.
Set apart direct quotes with circles, quotation marks, stars or underlining. Taking notes on one side of the paper or pad makes their rearrangement to fit story structure easier.
Listen carefully. Don't note unimportant details.
Ask for the spellings on all names and titles. It is better to ask now than to have to call back to get them. Or worse, to get them wrong in the story.
Get direct quotations, especially on the main points.
Observe details about your source and surroundings, and write down your impressions.
Concentrate on what you are seeing and hearing. Immediately after an interview, review and supplement your notes. Arrange your notes in order of importance.
It is unnecessary to write complete sentences unless you wish to get a direct quote in its entirety.
Write down specific information you cannot trust to memory: ages, names, addresses, statistics, sums of money. Try to get biographical information where needed and look for newspaper clips and other material which may be used for background information.
Do not be afraid to double-check unclear information even if you must make a follow-up call to do so.
Exciting writing is built on exciting anecdotes, so the interviewer is always listening for them. A really sharp interviewer also listens for clues to experiences that could make lively anecdotes. Then the interviewer directs the subject to ''give me an example'' or ''tell me about a time when that actually happened.''
Finding anecdotes
An anecdote is a small story. So, anecdotes can become stories within your larger story. Often, an anecdote will illustrate something about the interviewee such as his or her loyalty, bravery, persistence or a quality which a ''title story'' can illustrate. These must be carefully ''mined.''
Watch your subject
Observe non-verbals -- body gestures, facial expressions, paralanguage (the way something is said), artifacts (what the person is wearing), movement -- of the interviewee. About 70 percent of total communication is non-verbal. Thus, if you are to tell the complete story, you must provide the reader with the complete story.
Study the environment
Bulletin boards, desk tops, pictures on the wall, file cabinets, etc. How does the sunlight stream into the room? And how does all this relate to the interviewee? Avoid using description just for the sake of description.
Post-interview interview
Some interviewees are masters at ''pulling the wool'' over reporters' eyes. So, be ready to check statements or figures with other sources. You should not take everything at face value. You should be a bit skeptical. Remember: ''If your mother says she loves you, check it out!''
ASSIGNMENT: You are going to interview me:
1. Create a list of 10 questions per person
2. Try to implement the tips mentioned above
3. Get to know your subject
4. Enjoy! (Remember to smile!)
1.2.11.B-Use and understand a variety of media and evaluate the quality of material produced1.5.11.B- Write using well-developed content appropriate for the topic1.5.11.C- Write with controlled and/ or subtle organization
