JOUR 1002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: What Where, Dont, The Translator
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Interviewing
If you remember nothing else:
-Who
-What
-Where
-When
-Why
-How
-When you are interviewing, you want to give thought about how to frame a
question as a sentence. If you can start a sentence with any of these words it will
be a better question, because there is no yes or no answer. These words are
designed to draw out a better response.
Interviewing:
-It’s what you do every day
-The direct exchange of information person to person
-Every time you talk to people, it is an interview, you are interviewing the first
person who picks up the phone
-It is way to get information, without just looking at documents- better
information
-Talking to people, is way better than texting, emailing
Interviewing:
-Eric Nalder
-The mind is like a filing cabinet- we have an unbelievable capacity to store
sensory information
-Sometimes we forget what’s in there- use questions to go and consult their
mental filing cabinet and remember things they’ve forgotten
-Flip through
Interviewing:
-Vast literature
-One of the most discussed skills
-Read a book on the subject
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
-The ability to do good interviews, get the most out of people, and find the right
people is what makes a good journalist
The Interviewing Process:
1) Prepare for the interview- who should I talk to, find their contact information
2) Plan the interview- plan the questions you are going to ask
3) Conduct the interview- over the phone, in person. Most people focus on this, but
it will not go well if you don’t do the first steps
4) After the interview
Prepare for the Interview:
-State of mind
-Research (remember people-finding tips, news database check, experts, cohers)
Use every tool available to you. Research the person in the news- talk to people
who know them, watch them in the news. Do enough research that you don’t have
to ask them “Where did you go to school?” but “So what was it like going to this
school?”
-Do enough research to skip basic questions
-Logistics and setting (gear, venue, lunch? Hazel (the mayor of Mississauga. Just
go with it- jump in the car to get what you need.)- Interviewing someone in the
supreme court of Canada, and then in their home will be a very different
interview. Lunch can be a good place to interview someone- takes a while.
However it can be difficult to take notes. If you can get people in their workplace
or at home it will be a better interview- they have a connection to the place.
-Personal connection (aka ice breaker)- learn about this person. It doesn’t matter
to you- but you will have something to talk about with no consequence to talk
about for a bit.
-Being there (polite persistence, just show up)- makes for a better interview.
Interviews in person can last longer. If you have tried everything else- go to their
home.
-Easier to hang up than shut the door
Types of Interviews:
Broadcast Interview Research Interview
Often different level of preparation (a
lot of preparation, pre-interview)
Not a performance, per se
Performance factor You are encouraged to ask stupid
questions, admit ignorance
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Less inclination to ask a stupid
question, sound uninformed
You demeanour, comportment matter
less
Interviewee anxiety Interviewee anxiety
Types of Interview Subjects:
-Many different types of interviews, depending of subject and setting
-Routine, one-time sources- flaks, cops, victims, witnesses
-Experts- who tell you what something means
-Personalities- celebrities, politicians
-Decision makers/accountability
-Adversarial sources- reluctant, nervous, setting conditions, targets
Plan the Interview:
-Figure out what you need to know
-Make a plan (rough order of questions/topics)
-Avoid a script, sound stilted
-Ice-breaker, personal connection, open-ended questions, then more direct
questions, jugular- Don’t start with “so when did you stop beating your wife.”
People are like musical instruments- they are better once they warm up.
-Note things you must ask/structure the interview
-Don’t script
Conduct the Interview:
-Time and place (be on time)
-Talk first, interview later (hold off on notebook and gear)
-Get people comfortable, talking (like a musical instrument)
-Establish tone and ground rules, gear
-On the record/off the record/on background/not for attribution
-Surroundings, not just what they say- if you see a book on the desk ask them
about it
-The value of throwaway questions
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
When you are interviewing, you want to give thought about how to frame a question as a sentence. If you can start a sentence with any of these words it will be a better question, because there is no yes or no answer. These words are designed to draw out a better response. The direct exchange of information person to person. Every time you talk to people, it is an interview, you are interviewing the first person who picks up the phone. It is way to get information, without just looking at documents- better information. Talking to people, is way better than texting, emailing. The mind is like a filing cabinet- we have an unbelievable capacity to store sensory information. Sometimes we forget what"s in there- use questions to go and consult their mental filing cabinet and remember things they"ve forgotten.
