Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - tips on writing news cues/questions for interviews.

flamingdog · 03-29-2005, 11:57 AM

While doing exhaustive research on a story is a sound idea, don't be afraid of asking your source for the basics. I always swear by getting a version of 'the basics' from everyone i interview. Nuance can lend a different slant to events, and getting all the different versions allows you to highlight where the truth lies.

You don't lose credibility by asking basic questions, you lose credibility by getting the basics wrong through arrogance. Check. Make sure you have it right.

Don't over-plan your interview. I guess this depends on the medium you work in, but if you go in with a rigid interview plan, you'll get a rigid interview that no-one wants to read/hear. Make your interview like a conversation. You'll earn their trust, you'll feel more comfortable, and you won't be constricted by your list of questions. I never, ever went into an interview with a list of questions prepared beforehand, for exactly that reason. Just be aware that you need to cover your basics. As above, the five Ws, and one or two choice quotes.

Avoid closed questions, questions that will result in a yes or no answer. Consider 'How did you feel about X?' rather than 'Were you upset by X?'

Check, check and check again. Make sure that what you've got is what your subject intended to say... although be careful of giving them the opportunity to twist out of a self-tied noose.

Close the interview by asking 'is there anything you wanted to add?' This can often point up things you may have forgotten, or give you a killer quote when they sum everything up.

The best overall advice I can give you is to begin at the beginning, and go forward chronologically. Don't skip around in time, you'll just confuse yourself. If they give you another avenue of inquiry, note it down and exhaust your current line before you go off on a tangent. Then go back to the other lines you uncovered.

Take some time before you leave to check what you've got. Make sure it's what you want, that you have everything you need. Make sure you get contact details before you leave, in case something occurs to you when you're done.

03-29-2005, 11:57 AM	#3 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	While doing exhaustive research on a story is a sound idea, don't be afraid of asking your source for the basics. I always swear by getting a version of 'the basics' from everyone i interview. Nuance can lend a different slant to events, and getting all the different versions allows you to highlight where the truth lies. You don't lose credibility by asking basic questions, you lose credibility by getting the basics wrong through arrogance. Check. Make sure you have it right. Don't over-plan your interview. I guess this depends on the medium you work in, but if you go in with a rigid interview plan, you'll get a rigid interview that no-one wants to read/hear. Make your interview like a conversation. You'll earn their trust, you'll feel more comfortable, and you won't be constricted by your list of questions. I never, ever went into an interview with a list of questions prepared beforehand, for exactly that reason. Just be aware that you need to cover your basics. As above, the five Ws, and one or two choice quotes. Avoid closed questions, questions that will result in a yes or no answer. Consider 'How did you feel about X?' rather than 'Were you upset by X?' Check, check and check again. Make sure that what you've got is what your subject intended to say... although be careful of giving them the opportunity to twist out of a self-tied noose. Close the interview by asking 'is there anything you wanted to add?' This can often point up things you may have forgotten, or give you a killer quote when they sum everything up. The best overall advice I can give you is to begin at the beginning, and go forward chronologically. Don't skip around in time, you'll just confuse yourself. If they give you another avenue of inquiry, note it down and exhaust your current line before you go off on a tangent. Then go back to the other lines you uncovered. Take some time before you leave to check what you've got. Make sure it's what you want, that you have everything you need. Make sure you get contact details before you leave, in case something occurs to you when you're done.