Interviewing  Interviewing isn’t just asking questions,  Make it conversational  Don’t threaten people  Don’t be confrontational  Don’t argue  Prepare well for the interview  Interviewing isn’t just asking questions,  Make it conversational  Don’t threaten people  Don’t be confrontational  Don’t argue  Prepare well for the interview

Interviewing  Preparing for the interview  Find out as much as you can before the interview  Use the Internet, past articles, talk to other reporters, etc.  Write your questions out ahead of time  Preparing for the interview  Find out as much as you can before the interview  Use the Internet, past articles, talk to other reporters, etc.  Write your questions out ahead of time

Interviewing  Preparing for a news story  Look at clips, facts, etc.  Preparing for a profile  Look for personality quirks, the person’s interests, family, friends, habits  Preparing for an investigative piece,  You want to know both your subject matter and the person you are interviewing  Preparing for a news story  Look at clips, facts, etc.  Preparing for a profile  Look for personality quirks, the person’s interests, family, friends, habits  Preparing for an investigative piece,  You want to know both your subject matter and the person you are interviewing

Interviewing  After doing research, write out some main questions you need to cover.  Don’t ask a bunch of yes or no questions  If you need to ask Y or N questions, ask follow up questions  Don’t ask obvious questions  (How do you feel?)  After doing research, write out some main questions you need to cover.  Don’t ask a bunch of yes or no questions  If you need to ask Y or N questions, ask follow up questions  Don’t ask obvious questions  (How do you feel?)

Interviewing  Ask good questions.  Be logical.  Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. Ask yourself what readers would want to know.  Ask open ended questions and close-ended questions, which are more specific.  Ask good questions.  Be logical.  Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. Ask yourself what readers would want to know.  Ask open ended questions and close-ended questions, which are more specific.

Interviewing  Take a notepad, pencil, pens  Consider using a tape recorder depending on the circumstances  If you use a tape recorder, get permission first.  Keep in mind that tape recorders intimidate many people and you’re not likely to get as good of an interview.  Take a notepad, pencil, pens  Consider using a tape recorder depending on the circumstances  If you use a tape recorder, get permission first.  Keep in mind that tape recorders intimidate many people and you’re not likely to get as good of an interview.

Interviewing  Set up an appointment if possible  Be on time  Dress appropriately  Introduce yourself.  State your name and publication you work for. Identify yourself as a reporter.  Shake hands if appropriate.  Set up an appointment if possible  Be on time  Dress appropriately  Introduce yourself.  State your name and publication you work for. Identify yourself as a reporter.  Shake hands if appropriate.

Interviewing  Make people feel comfortable  Be conversational  LISTEN to what people are telling you  Look at reactions  OBSERVE your surroundings  Make people feel comfortable  Be conversational  LISTEN to what people are telling you  Look at reactions  OBSERVE your surroundings

Interviewing  Start with an OPENER QUESTION.  Ask a FIRST STEP QUESTION  Ask a QUALIFIER QUESTION  Ask ROUTINE FACTUAL QUESTIONS  Ask NUMERICAL QUESTIONS  Start with an OPENER QUESTION.  Ask a FIRST STEP QUESTION  Ask a QUALIFIER QUESTION  Ask ROUTINE FACTUAL QUESTIONS  Ask NUMERICAL QUESTIONS

Interviewing  Asking deeper questions: G-O-S-S-E-Y:  G-Goals. Why does your school have a trivia team.  O-Obstacles- Who is the teams greatest rival?  S-Solutions-What are you doing from keeping beaten  Asking deeper questions: G-O-S-S-E-Y:  G-Goals. Why does your school have a trivia team.  O-Obstacles- Who is the teams greatest rival?  S-Solutions-What are you doing from keeping beaten

Interviewing  S-Start-How did your team get started? When did you first win?  E-Evaluation – Is this a worthwhile activity. What does it contribute to our school.  Y-Why-Why are schools all over the country doing this? Why do students want to be on the trivia team.  S-Start-How did your team get started? When did you first win?  E-Evaluation – Is this a worthwhile activity. What does it contribute to our school.  Y-Why-Why are schools all over the country doing this? Why do students want to be on the trivia team.

Interviewing  LISTENING is very important during interviews because it may lead you to a story that you did not know was there. So if you have a list of questions, don’t be afraid to vear away from them.  ASK ABOUT ANECTODES- These are often the most interesting parts of stories. Anecdotes are little stories that people have gone through.  LISTENING is very important during interviews because it may lead you to a story that you did not know was there. So if you have a list of questions, don’t be afraid to vear away from them.  ASK ABOUT ANECTODES- These are often the most interesting parts of stories. Anecdotes are little stories that people have gone through.

Interviewing  If you have a hard question or controversial question, SAVE IT FOR THE END.  Look for a main idea or interesting angle during your interview.  If you have a hard question or controversial question, SAVE IT FOR THE END.  Look for a main idea or interesting angle during your interview.

Interviewing  Taking notes  Write down key points  Listen closely  Look for direct quotes (verbatim comments you will use in your story).  Don’t use ordinary sentences in quotes. (Ex: sports coaches)  Use quotes that are interesting  You may also indirectly quote someone  Taking notes  Write down key points  Listen closely  Look for direct quotes (verbatim comments you will use in your story).  Don’t use ordinary sentences in quotes. (Ex: sports coaches)  Use quotes that are interesting  You may also indirectly quote someone

Interviewing  Take good notes  If you are not sure of something or didn’t get everything down, repeat it back to the source.  If you need to review the basics of your notes with the source  Take good notes  If you are not sure of something or didn’t get everything down, repeat it back to the source.  If you need to review the basics of your notes with the source

Interviewing  Off the record You both agree to speak candidly without any note-taking. Trust is crucial. Info given should not be tied to this source at all. Everyone you were told is CONFIDENTIAL.  Honor off the record You are NOT allowed to identify the source of your confidential info. No one should be told the name of this source.  Off the record You both agree to speak candidly without any note-taking. Trust is crucial. Info given should not be tied to this source at all. Everyone you were told is CONFIDENTIAL.  Honor off the record You are NOT allowed to identify the source of your confidential info. No one should be told the name of this source.