Tips on what to avoid when carrying out an interview. Written for journalism students preparing for a career in broadcasting. Based on a training module on Media Helping Media that you are free to download, translate, adapt and reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/training-resources/journalism-basics/644-interviewing-tips-for-journalists

1. Image courtesy of The Internews Network
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
THE INTERVIEW
How to conduct an interiew

2. The Interview
1: Always be polite They are giving you their time
 When you request an interview
you are asking someone to give
their time so that you can gather
information for a news story
 You must remain polite
throughout the interview
 Members of the public are under
no obligation to agree, but public
figures have a duty and are
expected to be accountable -
your interview is a way for their
actions to be scrutinised
 However, even they are under no
obligation to agree Image courtesy of The Internews Network
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
 They may have reasons for
avoiding you and your questions
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3. The Interview
2: Don’t show your emotions You can feel, but don’t show it
 Whatever you feel about what
the interviewee says, avoid
agreeing or disagreeing
 Your job is to report on the
topic you are covering
objectively, not get involved
emotionally
 It is natural to be affected by
news, but a professional
journalist will stick to their job
of uncovering and producing
facts
Image courtesy of The Internews Network
 You must remain objective at via Flickr released under Creative Commons
all times.
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4. The Interview
3: Be clear on what you want Be honest about the context
 Tell the interviewee what you
want to talk about and why
 Be honest about the context
at the outset
 You should not - other than in
exceptional cases where you
feel information cannot be
obtained any other way –
interview on false pretences
 If you feel this is needed to
get to the truth of the matter
you must consult a senior
Image courtesy of Barbara Dieu
editor before going ahead via Flickr released under Creative Commons
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5. The Interview
4: Don’t provide a script It’s not a PR exercise
 Although it’s important to give
an interviewee fair warning of
the areas you want to cover,
you must never set out the
questions as a list and hand
them over
 To do so would be turning the
interview into a public
relations exercise
 If you give the interviewee
enough time to prepare you
may produce a better, more
informative interview. Image courtesy of The Internews Network
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
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6. The Interview
5: Respond to news angles Be alert for news angles
 Make it clear that, although
the interview is for a particular
purpose, you may ask
supplementary questions if
anything unexpected arises
 If during an interview, a new
piece of information is
revealed that is of interest
you need to be able to follow
it up
 That’s why it’s important to
give the interview an outline
only rather than limiting Image courtesy of Halans
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
yourself to set questions
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7. The Interview
6: Do your research Don’t be caught out
 Make sure you know your facts
before you carry out the interview
 You owe it to the person you have
arrange to talk to, and to your
audience, to be as informed as you
possibly can – you must not waste
the time of the interviewee – or your
audience
 There is nothing more embarrassing
than making a silly mistake or being
corrected by the interviewee
 You should also spend enough time
researching the background of the
interviewee, as well as the topic
being covered
Image courtesy of The Internews Network
 It may help you understand why they via Flickr released under Creative Commons
say what they do.
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8. The Interview
7: Don’t be judgemental You are paid to report facts
 Even if you think the
interviewee is in the wrong,
you have to treat the person
with respect
 A reporter should not be
swayed by their gut feelings
 You should always remain
objective, fair and impartial,
whatever the topic and no
matter how you feel about
what is being said
 What you feel doesn’t matter,
Image courtesy of The Internews Network
you are paid to report. via Flickr released under Creative Commons
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9. The Interview
8: Don’t try to look smart And don’t try to be clever
 An interview is about
uncovering facts that, had it
not been for your interview,
may never have surfaced
 It is not about making you
look and sound great
 If you try to be smart,
members of the audience
may sense this and you may
lose their respect
 It could also lead to tension in
your interview that could
Image courtesy of The Internews Network
distract. via Flickr released under Creative Commons
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10. The Interview
9: Pay attention Listen to the interviewee
 Never be so engrossed in
thinking about your next question
that you fail to hear the previous
answer
 It is extremely annoying for a
journalist to ask a question that
has just been answered
 Equally, it is embarrassing for a
journalist to fail to pick up on a
line given in the previous answer
 Your audience will know you are
not listening, and, if it is an
important point you missed they
will feel let down by you Image courtesy of Tracy Apps
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
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11. The Interview
10 Don’t fidget and fiddle Remove distractions
 Try to avoid anything that could
distract from what is being said
 Move papers, pens, cups etc out
of reach of both the interviewee
and you
 Also, try to avoid sitting on chairs
with wheels or chairs that rock -
this can also be distracting
 Avoid obstacles between you
and the interviewee, such as a
large desk; it creates barriers
 Ask the interviewee to sit in a
comfortable relaxed position so
Image courtesy of Modul
that they can concentrate on via Flickr released under Creative Commons
your questions and giving their
answers.
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12. The Interview
11: Check for outside noises Don’t spoil the interview
 Check for external
sounds that could
disrupt the flow
 The exception is where
the noise is part of the
story
 The last thing you want
to do is return to the
studio with a great
interview in terms of the Images courtesy of The Internews Network
content but which is & Robert Simmons
via Flickr released under Creative Commons
unfit for broadcast
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13. The Interview
12: Summing up Recap the main points
 Try to sum up the main
points of the interview
at the end
 It’s a way of confirming
any news angles that
were raised during the
interview and also a
nice way to end the
interview
 The last words should Image courtesy of Geek Calendar
always be thanks via Flickr released under Creative Commons
@helpingmedia

14. The Interview
Using
material
taken from
Media
Helping
Media and
released
under
Creative
Commons
BY-NC-SA
@helpingmedia

15. The interview
Creative Commons Attribution
 Images taken from  The Internews
Flickr under Network
Creative Commons  Tracy Apps
 Robert Simmons
 On the right are the
Flickr user names of  Modul
those attributed on  Barbara Dieu
the slides featuring  Geek Calendar
their work  Halans
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