The ability to conduct a compelling interview and get high-quality quotes is a must-have skill in journalism. Sitting down one-on-one with a source allows you to go deeper than surface-level information found from internet research and can uncover unique perspectives that wouldn’t otherwise be heard. Ultimately, your interviews are what’s going to make a story special. This quick guide should help to give you the essential skills and strategies to get the most from them.
Preparation is Key: Research, Questions, and Anticipation
Before you hit record, thorough preparation sets the stage for a successful interview. You need to know everything that you can find online and offline about your source, their history and background, and their previous thoughts on the story’s angle (if they exist). You should be thinking about what they’ll respond to, how they’ll respond to certain questions, and trying to find interesting tidbits that can make questions you ask more impactful.
- Deep dive into your interviewee’s background. Research their professional experience, affiliations, and any relevant publications or public statements. This allows you to tailor your questions and develop a deeper understanding of their perspective.
- Develop a clear list of questions that are open-ended and specific. Open-ended questions encourage elaboration and insightful responses, while specific questions target essential details. Avoid leading questions that suggest a pre-determined answer.
- Prepare potential follow-up questions for each main question. Interesting points your interviewee raises can lead you down unexpected paths. Having additional questions allows you to capitalize on these opportunities and steer the conversation toward uncovering valuable information.
Building a Rapport
The interview environment plays a crucial role in information gathering. Here’s how to create a space where your interviewee feels comfortable and open to sharing:
- The first few minutes before questions get asked are crucial. Introduce yourself warmly, make eye contact, and use respectful language. Find common ground and demonstrate a genuine interest in their expertise or perspective. This fosters trust and encourages them to feel comfortable sharing openly. Remember that you likely requested to talk to them, so the burden is on you to set up the interview and make your interviewee as comfortable as possible.
- The better the relationship you’ve created with a source, the more they’ll want to talk with you and offer deeper-level quotes. For instance, I was a sports journalist and used my experience as a college athlete to learn how to talk to athletes in interviews and get on the same level with them, if you will. You want to have a conversation rather than it be like a Q&A.
- Pay close attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues. Nodding, maintaining eye contact, and offering brief verbal affirmations (“I understand,” “That’s interesting”) demonstrate that you’re actively engaged and listening intently. Don’t overdo it, but show that you’re completely focused on what the interviewee is saying.
Interview Formats
The interview landscape encompasses diverse formats, each requiring a slightly different approach. These are three broad types that should give you an idea of how to approach asking questions with your specific story angle/issue.
- Informational interviews aim to gather factual information from subject matter experts. Focus your questions on gathering specific details, statistics, or insights relevant to your topic.
- Profile interviews dive deeper into an individual’s background, experiences, and motivations. Prepare questions that explore their journey, achievements, and perspectives that contribute to their unique story.
- Investigative interviews require a more probing approach. Your objective may be to uncover hidden truths, potential wrongdoing, or discrepancies in important information.
Technology also offers flexibility in conducting interviews. Phone interviews and video conferencing tools like Zoom can be effective for remote situations. Some journalists might utilize online platforms for written Q&A sessions, allowing the interviewee to respond on their own time. The choice of format often depends on the interviewee’s availability, the nature of the story, and journalist’s preference. I myself would audio-record everything, take notes on the key things that are said with a timestamp, and then transcribe everything afterward.
Regardless of the format, always be transparent with interviewees about how you intend to use their responses. Obtaining informed consent and ensuring quotes are used accurately and within context are fundamental principles of being an ethical journalist that sources feel comfortable with.
Asking Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions are your most powerful tools for eliciting valuable information. You should focus on having a list of them readily available when conducting an interview, or adjust your way of thinking so that you don’t ask any yes/no questions at all. Here are some examples and how they can be used:
- Seeking Specific Details and Facts: “What specific challenges did you encounter while implementing this project?” or “Could you walk me through the process of decision-making in this particular situation?”
- Eliciting Opinions and Perspectives: “What are your thoughts on the potential impact of this new regulation?” or “In your experience, what are the key factors contributing to this trend?”
- Demanding Analysis and Elaboration: “How would you describe the current state of affairs in this industry?” or “Can you elaborate on the main objectives your organization hopes to achieve through this initiative?”
After the Interview: Processing Your Findings
Once you’ve completed your interview, the work doesn’t stop there. Like I said earlier, I had my own process that I knew I could rely on to get transcribed quotes ready efficiently and without error. Play around with a process to see what personally works best to convert a raw interview into proper journalism. Some writers will transcribe word-for-word while an interview is happening, and some others will only have their recorder – so it’s truly up to you and what works best.
- Review Your Recording (if given permission): Take the time to listen back to your recording (with permission) or thoroughly review your notes. Flag key points, interesting quotes, and areas that might require further clarification. ALWAYS ASK your interviewee if it’s okay that they’re recorded. 99% of the time they’ll say yes, and feel an additional level of trust with you because of that interaction.
- Organize Your Notes: Develop a system for organizing your interview notes. Categorize them by topic or question for easy reference while writing your story. This will be important when writing larger stories with a multitude of sources that have given hundreds of quotes.
- Fact-Check and Cross-Reference: Don’t rely solely on one source. You must verify key facts and statistics with additional sources. Look for corroborating evidence or counter-arguments to ensure a well-rounded and balanced perspective in your piece.
Developing Your Interview Skills
Here’s how to refine your skills over time:
- Seek out opportunities to interview a variety of people, even if it’s for practice. Volunteer for local news outlets, conduct informational interviews with people in your field, or participate in online interview workshops. It’s a learned ability that takes repetition to get better at.
- After each interview, reflect on your approach. What worked well? What areas could you improve? Identify areas where you could have asked more probing questions or followed up more effectively.
- Watch interviews conducted by seasoned journalists. Analyze their questioning techniques, active listening skills, and ability to keep the conversation flowing. You’ll notice how natural they make it seem, and they do that by implementing the tactics described in this guide.
Remember that interviewing is a skill that takes time and dedication to master. By following these guidelines, actively engaging in self-improvement, and practicing regularly, you’ll transform yourself into a confident and effective interviewer. This will only strengthen your journalism and storytelling abilities.
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