As some of us get set to graduate in less than a month, I thought this article was a nice read. No matter how many times we've gone out for stories, we can all learn how to become a better interview-er. And although we are all talented writers/photographers/editors, conducting an interview can still be a challenge. Some tips by Beth Winegarner.
http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/170873/5-ways-journalists-can-overcome-shyness-during-interviews/
Do you agree with her tips? Is there anything else to add, especially for those who are still in school and trying to secure an interview for a student publication and not a professional organization?
http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/170873/5-ways-journalists-can-overcome-shyness-during-interviews/
Do you agree with her tips? Is there anything else to add, especially for those who are still in school and trying to secure an interview for a student publication and not a professional organization?
I really enjoyed this article. Interviewing is definitely a tough skill to master, but her tips are some that I've been using already as a journalist. Making interviews like a conversation makes it easier not only for the journalist but also for the interviewee. While interviewing is equally hard for both print and broadcast journalists, I feel as though there's an added difficulty with broadcast because your subjects will have a giant camera in their face. One thing I've found is that with the camera I'll often tell the person I'm interviewing to just have a conversation with me and pretend the camera isn't there. Recently one person I interviewed nearly walked away with the mic attached to him so I saw that as a good sign. But also my method is to have an idea of what I want to ask, but not prepare too much because you also have to see how your subject responds and kind of go with the flow.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, interviewing and talking to people is only uncomfortable for me if I'm doing it in a journalistic setting. Even job and internship interviews don't bother me as much. I think with journalism, there's a greater impetus on both the information that is exchanged during the interview, and also what happens after; it's not just about yourself. Interviews impact how your entire package or story comes together (which sometimes takes weeks). I've definitely experienced a few interviews when it seemed to go swimmingly until I got back, typed out my quotes, and realized I was missing a key element and had to contact that person again to find the information I needed. As Jessie noted above, broadcast students do have the added complication of noticeable and occasionally obtrusive equipment. (Unfortunately, I haven't had anyone get so comfortable that they walked away with a mic, but I have had some awkward encounters where I needed to get right up in their face to make sure it was attached properly). With a busy student schedule, it's not always possible to set up beforehand, and I'm always conscious of how long it takes me to make sure everything is good to go--I don't want to disrespect my interviewee's time. The tips are helpful, definitely, but I don't think my anxiety over journalism interviews will go away anytime soon!
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