Interviewing

By Michelle Steel

Interviewing principles, techniques and practices differ between varying mediums however print media, internet, radio and television share a few fundamental rules of interviewing that include; being prepared for the interview, making the interviewee feel comfortable, staying neutral, avoiding jargon and making sure to pronounce or spell the interviewee’s name correctly.

Interviewers use different principles, techniques and practices with the purpose of obtaining quick, relevant information that provides an unbiased understanding of a current issue to present to an appropriate audience. The audience is important in defining how the media is presented and will influence how an interview is conducted.

Print Media

Print media can present a more in depth article with more perspective then radio and television because print media is less immediate and may not be published right away. Be friendly, using first names and showing a charming personality can make the interview a lot more relaxing.

To begin an interview get the interviewee warmed up and comfortable by starting with simple questions and leading into more difficult ones. A typical newspaper article follows an inverse pyramid with the most important information with the who, when, what, where, why and how at the top and the whole article presented in short paragraphs so it can be easily cut to fit on the page.

Remember the editor is in control of what is going to make it to printing stage so don’t take on the responsibility of promising the interviewee of what is going to appear in an article.

It is always useful to carry around a notebook because a story could be anywhere. A recording device may also be useful to capture quotes that can be reviewed later.

Radio

The biggest difference between interviewing for the radio is the limited time frame in which media is presented. The radio is mainly concerned with presenting short, immediate information. A sound bite is a shortened piece of audio from an interview that is continually used on radio and means that context or complex idea may be lost. Therefore it is beneficial to keep interview answers and news reports short to avoid loosing meaning in broadcast. Similarly it is also important to avoid long questions because the interviewee is the person the audience wants to listen to. Another interview technique is to avoid dominating the interviewee or interrupting their answer; it makes them feel uncomfortable and makes the interviewer look unprofessional.

Regarding news media the radio is a very important journalistic tool as is presents immediate information that can be repeated and updated several times a day.

If an interviewee is going to be heard on air it is important to consider the eloquence and clarity of the speaker and whether they will be effectively received.

Radio interviews are conducted in the studio or over the phone. Wherever the interview is being conducted it is important that there is no noticeable background noise that may be disrupting to the audience, the studio should be relatively quite but over the phone it’s important to be in the quietest possible place and to have a good phone connection. The interviewer should make sure if using a microphone to hold it close to them and the subject so you are both heard.

In radio it is also necessary to have a practical practice towards interviewing in knowing the technology and equipment that you will be working with.

Television

Television is a very different medium to print, radio and internet media because it portrays images you want to present as well as the subject you’re interviewing. Visuals are important to convey intended meaning to the audience. Try to use the background to emphasise the context or subject of the interview. Interviewing for television and radio also means that the interviewee’s opinion, tone and personality can come through, use this to your advantage. If the interviewer is going to be shown on television look at the interviewee, look interested, perhaps nod occasionally, use body language to make the interviewee feel comfortable and pay attention. It is also a good idea to memorize or at least be familiar with the questions to make the interview smoother and avoid looking at your notes too often.

Similarly to radio television uses soundbites so depending on the time frame it is critical to get meaning across in a short amount of time. It may be necessary to interrupt rambling with an easy question before asking a more substantial question. News media on television may also be repeated and updated throughout the day.

Assume the camera is always on. Don’t end up looking like a fool.

Internet

The internet is the most recent and possibly the most unique form of journalism. Journalism on the internet can be easily view by anyone and posted by anyone most commonly in blogs in the form of citizen journalism. It’s important then to decide who the audience of the news is going to be and cater towards that audience. Internet journalism is also unique as reader can provided comments or feedback on the article or their personal opinion.

In interview for the internet avoid copying other news articles from the internet or newspapers and bring something new and fresh. Depending on the intended audience written can be more colloquial, relaxed and informal. Interviewing techniques can still follow the basic guidelines of print, radio and television media.



Bibliography

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:s5lXtM-XFj4J:www.ots.ca.gov/grants/files/pdf/Interview%2520Techniques%25203-08.pdf+print+media+interview+techniques&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=

http://home.comcast.net/~cmeyerson/InterviewTechniques.html

http://www.acep.org/advocacy.aspx?id=21778

http://journalism.about.com/od/reportingfundamentals/ht/interview.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_bite

Interview Techniques

Interview Techniques
By Michelle Steel

The main purpose of interviewing is to collect information, while paying attention to detail, through a number of interviewing techniques. The first challenge to interviewing is getting a subject to agree to an interview and keeping them in the right frame of mind. ‘Interview’ carries many negative connotations and tends to make people feel very nervous and therefore reluctant to talk so don’t call it an interview.

Establishing a first name basis creates a connection between the interviewer and interviewee and makes the whole process less intimidating. Be funny, open, interested and generally likable because people are much more likely to interact with you. It may be a challenge to get past ‘gate keepers’ people, such as secretaries, who control access to the people you want to talk to so try to establish a friendly connection and avoid seeming like a forceful reporter.

Be prepared for unexpected answers, do your research and be a good listener. Before you start and during the interview be aware of you story and what you want to achieve. Get a step by step account, that covers the who, what, when, where, why and how, by starting at the beginning when things were still normal and going slowly through the events as the interviewee saw it. Simple questions produce much better results then trick or clever questions.

And don’t forget to carry around a notebook to record important information or questions you might forget.


Don’t let them Bullshit you

Make sure the interviewee explains jargon but also be aware of euphemisms that are used most commonly to camouflage reality. Read between the lines and ask what they really mean.

Listen to the Answers

Rather then concentrating on your next question, appreciate the significance of what’s being said. Don’t be distracted, listen.

To ask the cheeky Question

Lead up to a blunt of personal question in and open and spontaneous way that often results in a telling answer, outburst or good quote.

Stop Rambling

An interviewee may often drone on providing little useful information. An effective technique to stop this is to interrupt with something trivial and then ask the question you intended to ask.

Review Answers

Before concluding the interview double check everything, by doing this you may discover holes in the information or squeeze more info out of a subject.

Never Make Promises

Subjects will often want to know what if going to appear in an article. Only the editor is in control of what is being published. If a subject asks you don’t answer but give them your editor’s name and number.