Interviewing Principles, Practices and Techniques

Print Media

• The most important principle is to tell the truth. Never over-exaggerate or alter facts and statements given to you by an interview subject.



• Your first loyalty is not to yourself, your paper, or your career advances, but rather to your citizens who have a right to be informed.



• Always be kind, polite and respectful. Never force information out of a subject. or ask rude and evasive questions with the intention to offend.



• Don't try and impress the subject with your outstanding knowledge on the subject; remember you are the one who needs to learn more. Having the subject think that they are informing or teaching you about something important will make them tell you more.



• Remember to always be confident, courteous and kind. If a subject senses that you are rude or unkind, they may not open up to you as much as you would like. Treat them like a friend, and you are guaranteed results.



• The information they tell you could make up the bulk of your story, so listen carefully and always ask follow up questions. Sometimes too much concentration on the set questions can lead you astray from interesting facts and figures, and important aspects of the story.



• Plan the structure of your story before you begin writing the questions. That way you know exactly what information you need to sustain your points.



• Using a microphone to interview people is also a better method than writing, because not passing to write things down leaves room for more questions, and keeps the subject talking. If this is the case, make sure your microphone is recording, and you a situated in an adequate position for good sound quality.

Internet

• If you are not bound by a company or writing firm, then a good site to establish your work is required. Try a blog, such as http://www.blogger.com/, or http://www.myspace.com/



• Internet blog sites are often more open to opinions and social and political commentary, so first of all an angle is needed. Be careful not to make misjudgements, daring claims or offensive statements. Publishing wrong or hurtful articles can land you in a lot of trouble, so don't forget your journalism ethics.



• The same as with Print Media, tell the truth, and collect as much information as possible from your subject. Don't criticise what they tell you during the interview, but rather wait until you write the article to express your opinions.



• If your article illustrates your own views, remember to post a link to your subject's contact information, in case the reader would like to research their side of the story.

Radio

• If you are conducting a live to air interview, make sure you prepare your subject beforehand. Let them know what, or what kind of, questions you are going to ask. There is nothing worse than a silent subject, or one that never shuts up.



• Never be afraid to cut into the answer. If the subject has been talking to long, or they are heading in a bad direction, the best way to prevent disaster is by simply cutting in with the next question. If this doesn't work, you can always resort to playing a song, advertisement, or simply turning off their microphone.



• If the interview is for use in an on-air story, make sure your recording equipment is adequate. The sound quality must be good enough for use over the radio; this means that it is clear, loud, and free from background distractions.



• Prepare your subject before the recording, and make sure they know that they must speak in a clear, confident voice. If a quotation is to be used on air, then it has to be easily heard and understood.

Television

• The first step to television interviewing is making sure that you have adequate equipment. This means a good quality camera, a computer, and, if possible, a microphone.

• Your subject should be located within close proximity to you, the camera and microphone, so that all picture and sound is transferred to the screen.

• Always remember to take note of the background, so that it doesn't distract too much from your interviewee. Also be sure that you are filming in a quiet location, so that the subject can be heard clearly

• Always prepare the subject, as to avoid on air stuff ups. Brief them on the questions, or hand them a written copy, and let them know to look straight at you or the camera and speak in a clear voice.

• Sometimes it is advisable to film your subject from the shoulders up, in case they are playing with their hands. Always take note of what you want your audience to see.

• Ask the questions while you are filming, so that you will know what the responses are to later on. Your voice can always be edited out later.

• Also pay attention to what the subject is wearing. Most would like to wear presentable clothing for an interview, but sometimes an outfit can reveal a lot about their character. It is also good for them to wear a certain uniform, for example if you are interviewing a police officer or school student

• Make sure the subject is seated, so that they don't fell compelled to move while standing up. Make them sit about 2 to 3 metres from the camera.