Isabelle Pollock

Media Interview Techniques

Isabelle Pollock

Section 1: Investigating and Understanding interview purposes

and techniques

TELEVISIONIn television purposes, they’re various types of

interview styles used. For example, entertainment interviews are used for chat shows such as Alan

Carr: Chatty Man, where variety of guests such as music artists, actors, comedians etc discuss their

latest work. Also emotional interviews are used on programmes such as Piers Morgan: Life Stories,

which allows the audience an insight into a situation, which in this case, would be the

interviewee’s life.

RADIORadio stations use variety of interviews, e.g. Entertainment interviews are used for Radio 1, which helps them to attract their younger target audience of 15-29. Documentary interviews are used on Radio 4. Often the interviews are recorded in the studio, over the phone or online. Although you can’t see the interviewer and interviewee, it is important they still have good body language when communicating together, as one of the only differences is that because the listeners can’t see the interview taking place, the interviewer has to smile and nod, instead of saying “yes” or “no” , as it could interrupt the interviewee when they’re speaking.

Importance of InterviewingInterviewing is a useful way of gathering large amounts of information, which can then be turned into a great story content for various media convergence. Interviewing is used through diverse journalistic contexts such as: print media (newspapers, magazines), television, radio, online, news, sport, feature-writers and editorials.

Types of interviews used in these journalistic contexts:

PRINT MEDIA In print media such as

newspapers and magazines, the questions are written with the

answers underneath. It is often displayed with various sized text

in bold and different colours to help attract the reader.

NEWSOn the news, interviews are often used for various

purposes like when police are being interviewed about a recent investigation, when speaking to eye witnesses about a situation, members of the public

and often politicians. These interviews are usually formal as they’re informing people with large amount

of information include facts, figures, and often personal opinions.

ONLINEInterviews are also posted online. Often a lot of print media is printed online now and is free and easily accessible. Radio interviews are also posted on the website of the radio station, in case the listeners had missed an interview or wanted to re-listen to it. Television interviews can now be accessed on catch up websites such as BBC Iplayer and often include interviews based on variety of subjects such as actors talking about films they have recently stared in or political based interviews.

SPORTSports interviews are often used before a game and after a match for e.g. In a horse race, before hand, they might interview a jockey and ask them how they are feeling before an event, predictions and any background information like what the atmosphere is like.

Different Question Types

Open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, detailed answer allowing a person to give their own views and opinions on the subject. They often start with the following words: what, why, when, where,who and how.

• Example:What did you think about the managers substitute choices during the football match?

Closed-ended question help reassure smaller or single-word answers.

• Example:Which team do you think will win the football match?

Leading Question is designed to make the interviewee think in a certain way. They often include part of the answer or point the listener in the right direction to send them to the right answer.

• Example: You were at Tony’s Bar on 25th September, weren’t you?

Communication skills needed

--Communication skills are the fundamental skills in which help to create a good interview. These skills include:

• Building rapport- When you get on well with another person or a group of people because you have similar things in common. Also by nodding and using direct eye contact helps the communication process flow and helps engage you within the interview.

• Active listening – Being an active listener is important because if the interviewee brings up a key point within the interview, then the interviewer can ask them to expand on their answer to help gather more information and then continue with the rest of the interview.

Body Language – Non-verbal communication is also important when interviewing a person

or being interviewed yourself. Using open language such as talking with hands, helps to suggest non-defensive movement. If closed

language is used like crossing your arms, it can give off a defensive movement and create a

barrier between you and the interviewer/interviewee as it will seem like

you’re not interested and not engaging fully in the interview.

They’re 3 main reasons for purpose of interviews:

Emotional – To allow the audience an insight into a situation.

Interpretive – Expressing or explaining an opinion on a particular subject.

Informational – Presenting large amounts of information within a interview.

The interviewer begins asking the interviewee a strong open-ended question. “Russell Brand, who are you to edit a political magazine?” This is an effective opening

question to an interview as the interviewer immediately directs the interviewee to provoke them and stir discussion.

The interviewer then continues with a leading question “But is it true you don’t even vote?” Allows the interviewee to confirm the statement and that combats with

another open-ended question “Well, how do you have any authority to talk about politics then?” This is an effective question because the interviewer is trying to

confront the interviewee to make them discuss and then justify their opinions on the subjects addressed.

Analysis of an Interpretive interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk

The interviewee is a member of the 2013/14 Minnesota House of Representatives. The interview begins with the interviewer saying “Representative Dean, thank you for joining us” in which the interviewee responds “Thanks for having me”. This is a strong opening to an interview because we see that a building rapport is being used to

make the interview more welcoming and addressing the interview in a comfortable manner. Also with the use of

direct eye contact throughout the interview, helps suggest that they’re actively listening to each other and

giving their full attention and engaging within the interview.

The interview then continues with a strong open-ended question. “What do you do for a professional career

and can you share a little bit about your life outside the Captial?” This type of question helps fulfil why this is an

effective informative interview because she asks two short questions together, which overall helps to gather

more information from the interviewee about more than one subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJKz0iBZHM8

Analysis of an Informational interview

Throughout all the interviews, a regular pattern is appearing in which make the interviews successful. Each start with a strong opening question to instantly get a direct opinion from the interviewee. After watching a short clip in this interview, the interviewer Piers Morgan asks the interviewee Lorraine Kelly, “Why do you think that Pam Ross felt that connection with you that she clearly to do this day has?” This use of an open ended question is effective because the audience are allowed an insight into the interviewee life, and will allow the interviewee to discuss their opinions on the personal subject that is being addressed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPuH0KMowk

Analysis of an Emotional Interview

The interview is generally successful to begin with. The interviewer introduces who the interviewees are and mention the main subject of the interview - about a recent new film the interviewees

are starring in ‘The Theory of Everything.’ The interviewer begins with asking one of the interviewees “What was the most intimidating thing for you?” The interviewer then asks open ended phrase to the other interviewee “This movie for me is really a love story” in which she

responds “It’s an emotional story you’re telling...” The use of an open ended question and phrase is important as it allows the interviewee/s to express their own views and opinions on a

particular subject. Unfortunately, the interview becomes disinteresting and less successful because the interviewer goes off topic and talks about world crazes such as the Ice Bucket

Challenge and iconic “selfie”. I think the interviewer decided to talk about these subjects to give more variety to the interview and ask interviewees opinions on various other topics as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDrf7zUGYzI

Isabelle Pollock

Section 2: Conducting research in preparation for an interview

Isabelle Pollock

Section 3: Planning, structuring & recording interviews for identified purposes