November 19, 2008 – 3:45 pm
Throughout my years as a journalist, I've realized that many readers don't understand what we do or why we do it.
When I meet people, they often ask me questions about the media and why we do things certain ways. I always try to answer as honestly and clearly as possible because, believe it or not, we have reasons for just about everything we do.
That photo on page 1A was put in that particular place for a reason. That headline font was also chosen for a reason, and that quote in the story, it too, was chosen to serve a specific purpose.
Tonight, I'm speaking to a class at Florida A&M University about interviewing techniques, an art that good journalists master.
Below is an interviewing guide I wrote for the students, and I share it with you, dear reader, so that you may understand what we do and how.
(Also, I spent some time on this guide, so I figured I should turn it into a blog).
Here goes ...
Before the interview
Building rapport and establishing mutual respect is part of a good interview. If you don’t prepare, the person you’re interviewing will notice and think you didn’t care enough to do the background work. They’ll question your competence and may be less likely to talk freely.
- Find out what has already been written. Start with a general Web search.
- Search the archives of local news organizations.
- Talk to colleagues and other people in the community who may know the person or topic you’re covering.
- If you’re researching something complex, for example science or technology, make sure you’re familiar with the lingo.
- Once you know what has been written, look for new ways of advancing the story.
- Write a list of questions to get the interview going, and tailor your questions to what your audience will want.
During the interview
A good interview is a conversation; it involves give-and-take-between the interviewer and the interviewee.
- Being interviewed will make most people nervous, so put them at ease. If you act awkward, your subject will do the same. Smile, project confidence and be friendly.
- Look for a conversation starter – a family photo, a book that you’ve read, a painting on the wall. Try giving a compliment, but make sure it’s genuine.
- Know what you need to get out of the interview, but don’t be afraid to let the person take you off track. (You may get some good information you weren’t expecting.) If you get too far off track, take control of the interview and get back on topic.
- Be observant. Get details that would make a story come alive. What’s in this person’s office? What is he/she wearing? How does he/she interact with others?
- Start with easier questions to break the ice. If you’ve got a difficult question, save it for later in the interview.
- Be polite and courteous, even if your source becomes defensive. Be honest. You might say, “Police Chief Smith, I understand that this is a difficult situation facing your department, but I want to give you an opportunity to tell your side of the story.”
- If you don’t understand something, say so. DO NOT try to write an article from an interview you didn’t fully understand. Stop and politely say, “I’m sorry, could we back up,” or “Would you mind explaining that again? I want to make sure I get it right.” If the interview is over, call the person back to clarify.
- Take good notes. Even if you use a recorder, it will be easier and faster to write an article from your notes. Develop your own shorthand. (Think text messaging here).
- Circle good quotes or information as you’re taking notes so that when you go back and read the notes, those topics will jump out.
- At the end, ask the person if there’s anything you left out or anything that he or she wants to add.
After the interview
Now that you’ve got all this information, what the heck do you do with it? You have to organize it.
- Read your notes, organize them into categories and mark each category. For example, put a star beside information you definitely want to use or highlight it in a particular color. Put an X beside information you don’t think you’ll need.
- Completely rewriting your notes is usually a waste of time. I would only recommend this if there’s going to be a long period of time between the interview and when you actually write the story.
- If you think of something you left out or something you don’t understand, call the person back.
- If you’re still not clear, it’s OK to write the article and read to the person over the phone any information you want to double check. But be careful with this: the goal isn’t to get the person’s permission to publish, and don’t allow someone to think you’ll change a story just because he or she doesn’t like it.
Other topics
- Going off the record – Make sure you define what it means because it can mean different things to different people. Is it OK for you to use the information as long as you don’t connect it to the person? Or, is he or she asking you not to use the information at all? Also, know your company’s ethics policy. Gannett, for example, rarely uses unnamed sources and only with the permission of the executive editor or publisher.
- Evasive sources – If a person refuses to be interviewed, give him or her every opportunity to return your call. In your phone messages, state plainly, but courteously, “Mr. Jones, I have a 4:30 p.m. deadline today. If I don’t hear back from you by then, I will have to write that you were unavailable for comment or didn’t return repeated phone messages.”
- Paraphrasing – Paraphrasing is a useful tool, but be careful. Don’t overreach. Don’t take information out of context. Don’t make paraphrases more dramatic than what the person actually said. Stick to the person’s original intent.
- Somebody says you misquoted them – Keep your notes. They are your legal record of the interview, and notes could be entered as evidence in a lawsuit to protect you. Listen carefully to what the person says is wrong in the article. Recheck your notes. If you messed up, apologize and correct the error as soon as you find out about it.
Rebeccah Cantley is local desk editor for the Tallahassee Democrat, where she is in charge of daily local news for print and online. She has 10 years experience in journalism including various reporting and editing positions. Her experience includes covering local and state government, police and public safety, and higher education. In 2005, she was selected as a World Affairs Journalism Fellow by the International Center for Journalists and completed a reporting project on the recovery of South Sudan after decades of civil war. Her multimedia coverage of the December 2004 tsunami in Indonesia won a Well Done award from Gannett Co. Inc.
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