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shakran · 07-17-2007, 07:50 PM

I have several, and I'm admittedly biased because I either know all these people well, or at the least have met and talked to them.

Helen Thomas. This woman is a legend. She's been putting the screws to the presidents as a member of the white house press corps for longer than most of us have been alive. Presidents fear her because they know she won't back down, and she knows exactly what she's talking about.

Steve Hartman. This is the guy that did "Everybody has a Story" for CBS for many years. The premise was, he'd throw a dart at a map, and go to the town it hit. He'd grab a phonebook, flip through it, and put his finger on a page with his eyes closed. Whoever answered the phone, he had to interview and do a story on. Every single story he came away with was amazing. He could get people to tell him *anything,* even though they'd only known him for a couple hours. Incredible interviewer, incredible storyteller. And a shoutout should go out to the other half of the team, his cameraman Les Rose (we photogs have to stick together

)

Mike Schuh of WJZ Baltimore. He puts a mic on his subject and lets them do what they do while he talks to them. The interviews he gets are natural, and he's sharp enough to be able to get not only the facts, but the feelings, of the subject.

Kathy Wurzer of Minnesota Public Radio (Morning Edition) and TPT (Almanac). She's just plain good. She can interview someone for hours and never run out of questions. She'll get information out of people that no one else even thinks to ask about.

Ray Farkas. He interviews without interviewing. He'll stick a microphone in the middle of a table at a diner or wherever, tell the people there that he's doing a story on such and such, then go *outside* the diner with his camera, point it through the glass, and record their conversation about it (Yes, they know he's still there, no invasion of privacy

). That's a trick I picked up from him and it makes for some freaking incredible stories. He's a living legend amongst TV types.

There are several more, but these guys are the standouts.

07-17-2007, 07:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	I have several, and I'm admittedly biased because I either know all these people well, or at the least have met and talked to them. Helen Thomas. This woman is a legend. She's been putting the screws to the presidents as a member of the white house press corps for longer than most of us have been alive. Presidents fear her because they know she won't back down, and she knows exactly what she's talking about. Steve Hartman. This is the guy that did "Everybody has a Story" for CBS for many years. The premise was, he'd throw a dart at a map, and go to the town it hit. He'd grab a phonebook, flip through it, and put his finger on a page with his eyes closed. Whoever answered the phone, he had to interview and do a story on. Every single story he came away with was amazing. He could get people to tell him anything, even though they'd only known him for a couple hours. Incredible interviewer, incredible storyteller. And a shoutout should go out to the other half of the team, his cameraman Les Rose (we photogs have to stick together ) Mike Schuh of WJZ Baltimore. He puts a mic on his subject and lets them do what they do while he talks to them. The interviews he gets are natural, and he's sharp enough to be able to get not only the facts, but the feelings, of the subject. Kathy Wurzer of Minnesota Public Radio (Morning Edition) and TPT (Almanac). She's just plain good. She can interview someone for hours and never run out of questions. She'll get information out of people that no one else even thinks to ask about. Ray Farkas. He interviews without interviewing. He'll stick a microphone in the middle of a table at a diner or wherever, tell the people there that he's doing a story on such and such, then go outside the diner with his camera, point it through the glass, and record their conversation about it (Yes, they know he's still there, no invasion of privacy ). That's a trick I picked up from him and it makes for some freaking incredible stories. He's a living legend amongst TV types. There are several more, but these guys are the standouts.