“the things people say” interviewing to develop the story
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“The Things People Say” Interviewing to Develop the Story. ASNE-Kent State University July 2013. Interviewing. “ A good interview feels like a conversation but moves relentlessly toward the relevant truth.” --Eric Nadler, SJMN -- Interview may affect the outcome, tone of the story - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
“The Things People Say”
Interviewingto Develop the Story
ASNE-Kent State UniversityJuly 2013
Interviewing
“ A good interview feels like a conversation but moves relentlessly toward the relevant truth.”
--Eric Nadler,SJMN
-- Interview may affect the outcome, tone of the story-- Make it a conversation, but never forget it’s an interview
Interviewing
Most students are uncomfortable talking to strangers
(Adults are, too!)-- Stranger danger-- Intimidation-- Unprepared **
Interviewing
Think of a four-letter word that describes you today
-- No obscenities -- No foreign words -- Can be any part of speech
N – ball, full ADJ – blue, warm V – know, jump ADV – still, just
PRN – mine, what PREP – with, over INTER – Ouch! Yeah!
Interviewing
My word is …
happy
Interviewing
Ready?
Set?
Go!Interview someone you don’t know.First question about his/her four-letter word.
Interviewing
The Basics(Being Prepared)
Finding People to InterviewPreparing for the InterviewQuestions: Tools of the Trade
Preparing for the lnterviewDo your homeworkRemember your mannersTake the right “equipment”Pick the right placeDress appropriatelyExplain the purpose of the interviewUnderstand limitations
Interviewing
Questions (Don’t leave home without them!)
Write them down in advance, in orderAsk open-ended questionsGet background first
Ask…Stop…Listen
Don’t apologize, ask again if necessaryOne at a time please and no speeches
Interviewing
QuestionsLet the questions do the workResist temptation to editorializeTape record your next interview and
transcribe your questions-- How many double-barreled?-- How many closed-ended?-- How many argumentative?-- How many statements of fact?
Become a student of the good interview
Interviewing
Questions (The Best)
How do you know that?What makes you say that?What happened next?What does that mean?Can you give me an example?Has that ever happened before? How often
does that happen?
Interviewing
Questions (The Worst)
Two-part questionsWhether or not questionsQuestions more than three sentencesUnfocused questionsQuestion that begin with an apologyCliché questionsLeading questions
Interviewing
Questions (Evergreen)
What was the best day of your life?What did you dislike?Who most influenced you? How?Tell me a story from your childhood? (High
school? First job?) If you weren’t doing this, what would you be
doing?Where do you see yourself in _____ years?
Interviewing
Questions (Follow-Up)
Ask for an exampleAsk for a chronologyReflect the person’s answer or feelingsDisplay your ignoranceRepeat the question*Maintain skepticism*Show a reaction (but be careful)
Interviewing
Questions (Throw-Away)
Ask these when you need a break Ask these when you need to write or catch upKeep listening; there’s often buried treasure
in the cast-off answer
Interviewing
Questions (Beware the No-Answer Answer)
Answering a question you didn’t askAsking you a questionGiving a vague responseFaking itTelling a joke, anecdote or storyTelling you to check back laterQuestioning your competenceRejecting the questionUsing “no comment”
Interviewing
Questions (Closers)
Who else should I be talking to?Is there anything else?Do you have anything you’d like to add to
what you’ve told me?
Don’t forget to say “Thank you”
Interviewing
Questions (One Last Thing)
When afraid to ask a question, just go ahead and ask. Be gentle, but ask.
You’re always better asking one question too many than one question too few.
-- Terry PlutoThe Plain Dealer
Interviewing
“A reporter's job is to get the newsworthy truth…. Towards that end, the journalist not only brings a pad and paper to each interview, but an arsenal of techniques designed to get even the most reluctant interviewee to spill the beans.”
--Bill Stoller,The Publicity Insider
Getting It DownListeningTaking NotesObserving
Interviewing
ListeningShut up and listen (the “hear” and now)
Watch the head-bobbing
Tape record one interview and listen to yourself
Be patient. Get comfortable with long silences
Interviewing
ListeningBe curious.
Pay attention
Watch your attitude. If you seem bored, your subject will notice
Listen with all your senses
Interviewing
“Somebody once wrote that there’s no more seductive sentence in the English language than, ‘I want to hear your story.’ Often you don’t have to do any more than just say that.”
--Mitch Albom,Detroit Free Press
Tuesdays With Morrie
Taking NotesTake copious notes (Practice Makes Perfect)
Develop your own shorthand
Recognize good quotes-- Take them down verbatim
Detailed quotes usually yield vivid stories.
Interviewing
Taking NotesAsk your subject to repeat important info or
quotes
Always take notes even if using an audio recorder or videotaping
Bring pens and pencils, batteries, chargers
Interviewing
“While writing the book, In Cold Blood, author Truman Capote was afraid that a tape recorder would inhibit the people he wanted to interview. So Capote trained himself to remember everything they said. Capote did this by talking to a friend or reading for a while, then writing down everything he heard or read. Later, he would compare his record (with the actual material). Capote said, ‘Finally, when I got to be about 97 percent accurate, I felt ready to take on this book.’ ”
ObservingWatch, record non-verbal actions, behaviors
-- coughs, grins, raised eyebrows
-- rapid speech, sudden stutter-- repeated words, unfinished sentences-- gesticulations
Record when in the interview these happenLook for patterns
Interviewing
After … LaterAfterward
-- Review your notes ASAP-- Number or order or color code important points-- Mark areas to verify or double-check-- Ask yourself, “What’s my lede?”
-- Outline your story
The “Notebook Dump” is a No-No
Interviewing
After … LaterAccuracy and Credibility
-- Set ground rules on anonymity, off-the-record and background-only information-- Do not allow , agree to pre-publication review -- Seek and listen to all sides
-- Get the little things right (or readers won’t believe what you report about the big things)-- Check the details-- Does your source have a bias, agenda, ax to grind?
Be sensitive to the consequences stories will have on people
Interviewing
“I don’t mind being interviewed any more than I mind Viennese waltzing…My response will depend on the agility and grace and attitude and intelligence of the other person. Some do it well, some clumsily, some step on your toes by accident, and some aim for them.”
--Margaret AtwoodNovelist
References
Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press Truman Capote Wendell Cochran, American University Fred Fedler, Reporting for the Print Media Google and YouTube Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Eric Nadler, San Jose Mercury News Terry Pluto, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Chip Scanlon, The Poynter Institute Bill Stoller, The Publicity Insider