2 Interviewing

The interview is one of the key foundations of news gathering. Material gleaned from a conversation between reporter and source can add content, color and creativity to whatever type of journalism you produce.  Quotes can be the icing on your journalistic cake or the sparkle to your firecracker reporting. Either way, don’t take the interview lightly. You are engaging with human beings – some of whom have never been interviewed before. An interview is a conversation—led by the reporter. To be effective, follow these guidelines.

The first and most important step is doing background research and beginning that research as soon as possible. The more time you give yourself, the more specific and nuanced your questions can be. Start by seeking information from multiple sources, including social media sites. Sometimes you’ll see the same name coming up. This could mean that person is knowledgeable on the subject. Universities are also great places to seek unbiased information from experts who conduct research on the topic. Once you have a few sources to contact, keep researching both your source and the topic in general. It will help you once you get to the actual interview.

Contacting sources

Once you have decided with whom to speak, ask for an interview via email or direct message. If you haven’t heard back in 24 hours, reach out again and follow up with a call if you have that person’s phone number. I employ the “three- strikes-and-move-on” rule. If you’ve made three points of contact (email, direct message or call) in any order or any multiple, you should assume the person is not interested in talking.

Whether you are approaching someone in person or on the phone, first say a pleasant “hello” and introduce yourself and the organization with whom you’re affiliated. Then  explain the topic you’re covering. It’s helpful to tell the person whether you’re seeking background information, their opinion or a particular perspective to balance your story. If it turns out your interviewee is not the right person for you, ask if they know anyone who is. If they decline your request for an interview, be polite, thank them for their time and try someone else. 

Being prepared

Your interviewee will know when you haven’t done your homework. So, before you formulate your questions, make sure you have absorbed all that background research you did. Then prepare a list of questions  before the interview. That said, a good interviewer should  be willing to listen more than they talk. Start with a question that supplements and builds upon your research. Be aware that the interview could go in a different direction. Some of the best interviews take place because the reporter listens carefully and asks pertinent follow-up questions. Sometimes you need to listen for what is not said and ask a question. For example: “You didn’t say anything about blah, blah, blah. What are your thoughts on that?”

Deciding what order to ask your questions depends on how much time you have. If there’s a question you really need answered, ask it early in the interview unless it’s a question you think the person will not answer such as: “Did you steal the money?” Otherwise, save the most uncomfortable question for last. If you ask it first, you might shut down your source and the interview will be over.

What to ask

Start by asking for the person’s name, pronouns, age and date of birth. If they are uncomfortable with providing a date of birth, explain that you want to make sure the age is accurate by the time the story runs. It could be that the person has a birthday the day after you interview them, but the story doesn’t run until two days later. Explain that you want to be as accurate as possible.

The most important aspect of interviewing is to be curious, even when the subject matter is not exciting to you. Strive for open-ended questions if you want to elicit more than a yes or no answer. And of course, you should try to get responses to the who, what, when, where, why and how of the topic and know that the “how” and the “why” are often the most difficult to get.

Ask more “what” questions than “why” questions. The interrogative “what” can illicit less defensiveness and sometimes more depth from a respondent. For example: “What made you skip class?” has more empathy than “Why did you skip class?”

Listen to the responses carefully. The most important follow-up question might be: “Can you tell me more about that?” Allow for a pause or silence in between questions and answers. Sometimes your source needs more time to think, and you need more time to think of a great, open-ended question that starts with the interrogative “what.” If you jump in with another question too soon, your interviewee might lose their train of thought and you might miss out on a great sound bite or quote.

Practice the pause. Sources will often add crucial elaboration if it’s their job to fill the silent spaces. It’s uncomfortable at first but gets easier with time.  And the easier it gets, the more you’ll satisfy your genuine curiosity.

Your last two questions should always be “What should I ask you that I didn’t ask?” and “Who else do you recommend I talk to for this story?” Don’t forget to thank your interviewee  for their time and ask how to conveniently contact them for possible follow-up questions. Also, offer to send them your story after it’s published and/or edited by your instructor but delete their comments and the assignment grade before you send it.

Here is an example of the type of email you would write to a possible source for a story. A few Medill faculty, Including Profs. Ceci Rodgers and Melissa Isaacson, use this as an example in their classes. Much like your stories answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why and how, this email template takes a similar approach.