Interviewing

Conducting the Interview

and Putting It Together

Interview Object Activity

Take out an object and a sheet of paper.Write 5 REALLY GOOD interview

questions you could ask your object. DO NOT answer the questions (that would

be weird)…just write themAs we discuss Interviewing, you will be

checking these questions to determine if they are good interview questions

Interview

Formal conversation between a reporter and a source

Human Element

quotations and personal interpretations gathered in an interview that make stories interesting to readers and viewers

Quotation

the exact words spoken by a source and cited as such in a media story

Use open-ended questions

Primary Sources

Person or document essential to the meaning of a story

Every story has at least 1 primary sourceSome stories will have several

Primary Source

So, you’re writing a story about your “object” (not really, but pretend you are)

What would your PRIMARY source for the story be?

Your OBJECTOn your paper, write “Primary: (Object)”

Example: Primary: iPhone 5

Secondary Sources

Person or doc that adds info and interest to a story but is not essential to it

Sources can be people or physical sources like books, surveys, budgets, etc.

Secondary Source

Now that your primary source (your object) has spent some time in your bookbag or purse today, what is a secondary source you could use to find out more information about your object? (Source could also be at home)

On your paper, write “Secondary: (Object)”Example: Secondary: earbuds

Researching

1st: Find out who/what are primary sources2nd: Make a list of sources3rd: Do as much research online, in library,

etc. as possible to prepare for interviewYou never want to ask questions in an

interview that you could answer with research

Research

Gather enough background info in your research to write questions that will add valuable info to your story

You’ll get better quotes this way too

Could you have researched?

Look over your list of questionsAre any of your questions something that

you could have answered if you had done a little research?

Put a star by any question you could have answered with research

Preparing Questions

Use the 5Ws and H to organize your questions

Generate a list of as many questions as you can possibly think of

Multiple Who? and What?

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions ask for an opinion or interpretation from your source.

They require your source to expand on basic info.

“It’s all in the follow through”: Follow-up with questions like “Why?”

Yes-No Questions

Not good to ask in an interview

Generate only “yes-no” answers—this gives you nothing as the reporter

Yes-No Open-Ended

Did you sign the bill? Why did you sign the bill?

Were your questions open or closed?

Look over your questionsUnderline any questions that would have

resulted in a “yes” or “no” answerUnderline any questions that would have

resulted in a ONE WORD answerBelieve it or not, those are also “closed

questions”

Interviewing 101

Before: good research, prepare good questions

During: use a tape recorder (w/permission), but do not rely on it—TAKE GOOD NOTES (abbreviate)

End: confirm spelling of name, title….

Interviewing 101

End: confirm where you can reach them and when if you have ??? Who else can I talk to about this?Why is that person a good source?

After: write up your notes ASAPBe thorough and date themKeep them on file

Interviewing 101

Be a good observer: record details aboutsurroundings (clean desk, travel pictures)mannerisms (talk w/hands, smiling, frowning)

1) Review and Modify Questions

Look over questionsQuestions marked with a *(star) are those

that could have been answered with researchNext to the question write where you could

have found this info AVOID search engines (No Google, Bing, etc)

2) Review and Modify Questions

Underlined questions indicated those that were “closed questions”

Rewrite those into OPEN-ENDED questionsExample: Do you like sitting on my desk?Rewritten: How do enjoy spending your time?

3) Review and Modify Questions

Choose one question that you believe would have generated a FOLLOW-UP question

Write a follow-up questionExample: How do enjoy spending your time?Follow-up: What is it about surfing the internet

that you enjoyHint: This question will require you to think a bit

about what the answer would be to the first question

Supporting Info

Write one question you could ask of your SECONDARY SOURCEExample: (Earbuds) What is your favorite song

to listen to?

Don’t forget the rules of questionsOpen-endedShould draw an opinion of some sort

HOMEWORK

On a separate sheet of paper, write the following:Your nameGradeAgeScheduleExtra Curricular Activities

Tomorrow we conduct classmate interviews, you will be partnered with someone