A Tale of Two Interviews

Written by David Knight

The Dos and Donts of tracking Down the Hotest Story of the Year
Sami A. Slaquer
8:30 a.m., somewhere on the West Coast Sami is assigned the hottest story of
the year an investigative piece on the new speed bumps that are causing
damage to cars in the schools parking lot.
8:31 a.m. Sami plops down in a chair to search last years yearbook for a prom
date. So what if its just August? He needs all the time he can get.
A bad omen
Sami is wasting valuable time. Getting a fast start is very important on
any story assignment. Procrastination now will come back to haunt him
later.
3 p.m. After giving little thought to his story assignment the rest of the day,
Sami goes home. He decides to sit in front of the T.V. and try to think of some
questions. No luck.
6 p.m. Three hours later, after watching a couple of episodes of The Brady
Bunch and some music videos on MTV, Sami still doesnt have a question. What
the heck, he says to himself. Ill do it tomorrow.
Do not procrastinate
You have got to have strategies to help you think of questions quickly.
You cannot afford to put off thinking of questions because you have
writers block.
Two weeks later, 7:50 a.m. Oh, man! Sami thinks, My story is due
tomorrow. He frantically scrawls a note to his best friend Scuz and stuffs it in
Scuzs locker. Dear Scuz, the note says, I need a quote about speed bumps.
Please write a quote and return to me after school.
A cardinal sin
Writing down questions and letting your sources answer on paper is a
cardinal sin of reporting. The whole idea of the interview is to have a
conversation during which the source shares information candidly with
you. Comments sources write down are almost always stilted, and the
quotes will not sound like a person talking, but like a person writing.
8:03 a.m. Samis editor comes by his desk, Hows the story coming, Sami?
Great, man, Sami says, I sent out questions today, and theyll be in this
afternoon. Have it in tomorrow? editor asks. Sure, Sami says, and itll be
great.

Poor leadership
The editor is as much at fault for the shape Samis story is in as Sami.
Editors must make sure reporters know the interviewing process.
Smart editors set deadlines for each step of the writing process,
instead of just one deadline for finishing the story. Smart editors also
assign teams to stories. If the editor had done his job, Sami would not
be about to commit major errors in the interviewing process.
3:05 p.m. Sami finds the note stuffed back in his locker. It reads: I dont do
speed have no idea. Got to go to work. Catch ya later. Great, Sami thinks.
Then he heads to the arcade in the mall to plan his strategy.
Forget friends
You should never interview friends. They will tempt you to make up
quotes for them, and your readers might begin to think they have got
to know someone on the publication to get interviewed.
6 p.m. Sami sees three students playing Mortal Combat they look like good
sources. Sami Hey, dude, can I ask you some questions?
The right place?
Interview your source in his environment, but make sure the
environment fits the story. The arcade is not exactly right for this story.
Dude 1 What are you a physics test?
Dude 2 & 3 Giggle, snarf, snarf- Thats a good one, Dude 1.
Sami No, dude, like I got this story to do for my school newspaper. It wont
take but a minute just give me a quote about the new speed bumps.
Hey, gimme a quote!
Probably the No. 1 cardinal sin of reporting asking for a quote. That
is like sticking a microphone in someones face and asking them to
say something. It puts them on the spot and makes you look lazy and
unprofessional.
Dude 1 Give a what?
Dude 2 Dude 1, you dumb. Like speed, like hes doing a story on teens and
drugs.
One-on-one is best
Get your source alone with just you or the interviewing team. If you try
to interview people in front of their friends or fellow teachers, you will
find they are too conscious of what the other people think about their
answers to respond honestly or thoughtfully.
Dude 3 pushes Dude 2 No way, man, you dumb. Hes reviewing that sequel to
the first Speed movie.

Dude 1 You guys are losers. Anyway, I dont know nothin.

Dude 3 You can say that again. (Dude 1 glares at Dude 3.)
Sami, astute reporter that he is, senses trouble and interrupts Just chill out,
guys. Its about the new SPEED BUMPS in the SCHOOL PARKING LOT, see. The
things cars run over. Do you think theyre good?
What a disaster
Not introducing yourself and not explaining the reason for the
interview is unprofessional, as well as disrespectful. Also, remember, it
is important to break the ice and to have a planned approach to your
questions. When you do not do these things, you are not likely to
succeed in the interview.
Dude 1 Oh, yeah, I seen those. Good? Yeah, deyre nice. Hows that for a
quote?
No leading questions
See what a leading question will do? Dude 1 heard the word good in
Samis question, so he guesses thats what Sami wants to hear and
answers accordingly.
Dude 2- Rockin. (to Sami) Hes good with words, aint he?
Dude 3 (slouching against the wall with his arms across his chest) Sounds
stupid to me
Dude 1 -Who are you calling stupid?
Sami-Whoa, now, chill out, just let me ask you a couple more questions. Are
they causing problems?
Dude 1 Uh, yeah.
Avoid yes and no
See what a yes or no question will do. One-word quotes do not make
for engaging copy.
Dude 3 How dey causing you problems? You aint got no car. Dey hurt your
feet when you walk across dem?
Dude 1 edges toward Dude 3 Hey, man, what you know? You go around them
on your bike, I guess.
The right source
Research before beginning the interviewing process helps you find
sources who have a connection to your story. It also increases your
chances of getting a great story.

Dude 2 I agree.
Dude 1 and 3 glare at him.
Sami Okay, cool down, just a couple more questions. Have you talked to
anybody who has a car that is ticked off about them?
Ask clear questions
A ticked-off car? Sounds like a better story than the speed bumps. Be
careful how you word questions.
Dude 1 Uh, yeah.
Dude 3 mutters under his breath Thats a lie. Aint nobody with a car talkin to
him.
Dude 1 goes after Dude 3 Whatd you say, man? And the fight begins. Sami
runs.
Five minutes later Sami stops near the food court to compose himself and sees
his principal, Mr. Bigum Knurd, with a heaping tray full of greasy goodies. Hey,
Mr. Knurd, can I ask you some questions?
Timing is everything
Do not interview sources when they are busy or involved with
something else. Catching a source on the run usually yields terrible
quotes.
Mr. Knurd Uh, look, forget you saw me, and Ill give you a get-out-ofdetention-free pass.
Sami What? Okay, but I still need to ask you some questions. Im doing a
story on the new speed bumps.
Be clear
Make sure you prepare questions that are clearly worded. You lose the
confidence of your source when you make him feel dumb because he
misunderstood you and responded incorrectly.
Mr. Knurd Look, you know speed kills. You have so much to look forward to.
Dont throw it all away with some stupid mistake. Stay off speed.
Sami No, man, SPEED BUMPS in the school parking lot. The new ones. Whyd
the district put the stupid things in? They tear up cars.
Do not attack
Do not begin with a tough question that frightens or threatens your
source. Remember, start with easy questions, which help your source
build trust and confidence in you. And, do not word your questions in a
way that intimidates or makes your source feel stupid.

Mr. Knurd Young man, you will not talk to me in that manner. Youre just like
every other journalist always looking for the negative trying to stir up
controversy. Well, I wont have it in my school.
Sami turns away in disgust and sees his last hope, Mrs. Knota Kloo, his English
teacher, Uh, Mrs. Kloo, can I ask you some questions?
Mrs. Kloo turns from the Elvis throw rugs in the middle of the mall to see whos
speaking to her Uh, yes, certainly. Sami sees a dazed look in her eyes.
Make introductions
Do not let a source spend the whole interview trying to remember who
you are instead of concentrating on your questions. Always begin by
introducing yourself, even if you think the source should know your
name.
Sami Do you think the school needs those new speed bumps?
Mrs. Kloo, still dazed Well, of course.
Sami You do? Why?
Mrs. Kloo, now gazing somewhere above his head To keep students from
running in the halls, of course. Young man, how are you going to quote me?
Youre not writing anything down.
At least scribble
Nothing makes a source feel more confident that you will be accurate
than his seeing you take notes, and nothing is better for keeping a
source talking. Take notes, and practice so you will be good at it.
Sami shrugs and walks off I think I got enough. I didnt want to do this stupid
story anyway. Its boring.
10 p.m., that night Sami sits down to write. He sits and sits and sits and finally
writes a five-paragraph story with no direct quotes and a great deal of his
opinion.
A waste of time
Without good interviews, even the greatest writers cannot turn out
good copy. Being a great reporter is sometimes better than being a
great writer. All great writers, from novelists to journalists, are great
because they are experts at gathering information.
8 a.m., the next morning Sami turns in his story. When his editor asks him
what happened, Sami says, Nobody wouldnt say nothin.
Rock N. Wreporter
1:30 p.m., somewhere on the East Coast Rock is assigned the hottest story of

the year an investigative piece on the new speed bumps that are causing
damage to cars in the schools parking lot.
1:31 p.m. Rock leaps into action, immediately sitting down with his editor to
discuss the best angle for the story.
A crucial first step
Never begin a story until you are sure you understand the angle.
1:45 p.m.- Rock hits the library to check Time, Newsweek and The Wall Street
Journal for articles about the speed bumps.
Brilliant
Absolutely a must read something that has already been written
about your topic before you do anything else.
3 p.m. No luck in the major magazines, but Rock does find a good story in last
years student newspaper and another item in the local paper on parents who
voiced their concerns to the school board at a recent meeting.
Ah, ha!
Reading background articles helps you develop ideas for angles,
questions and sources. By doing this, Rock got the names of three
good sources to interview and ideas for 10 questions.
3:10 p.m. In the parking lot, Rock observes students upset by the speed
bumps, counts the number of speed bumps and notes how many cars scrape.
He also measures the height of the speed bumps.
Every detail helps
Every little thing you can find out before you begin to interview
increases the chances you will be successful.
1:30 p.m., the next day When Rock returns to journalism class the next day, he
has identified three parents, four students, a teacher, an administrator, and a
police officer he plans to interview.
Get both sides
Great reporters know that you always interview people on both sides of
an issue.
1:35 p.m.- Rock works with the designer and the photographer assigned to the
story to write between 10 and 20 questions for each source. He gives them to
his editor to critique.
Prepare several questions
Write several between 10 and 20 questions for each source. Of
course, some questions you use with one source might (and probably
should) be used with other sources.

3 p.m. Rock goes by the Guidance Office to get background information and
phone numbers for the people he plans to interview so he can call to set up
meetings with them.
Make appointments
When possible, schedule interviews in advance, but always write the
questions before you contact your source for an appointment.
1:30 p.m., the next day The editor returns the questions critiqued and Rock,
the designer and the photographer revise them and put them in order- easiest to
hardest.
Revision is key
Revising questions is just as important as revising copy. And
remember, put your fact questions first they are easier to answer
and get the interview rolling. Save opinion questions until last they
are harder for people to answer.
3 p.m. Rock and his colleagues meet their first source, Otto B. Carr, for an
interview in the parking lot.
Get them at home
Rocks smart he knows that interviewing sources in their environment
gives him more material to use as he paints word pictures for his
readers. He also realizes the value of involving the designer and the
photographer, when possible, in all steps of the interviewing process.
Do this, and you will discover deadlines are met more often and all
elements of the story improve tremendously.
Rock Hi, Im Rock Wreporter. This is Dee Page, our designer, and Flash
Cannon, our photographer.
Otto Good deal. How you wanna do this?
Rock Just like we talked about last night. Wed like to ride out of the parking
lot with you, just to get a feel for how the speed bumps affect your car. Then
well meet you at your fathers auto shop for the interview. Is that okay? Flash
begins snapping shots.
Teamwork
Great photographers what would we do without them? Flash will have
great images because he is already getting Otto used to him being
there.
Otto Sounds good. I just have to take my girlfriend home, but thatll just take
a minute. (They pile into Ottos car. As they cross speed bumps, Rock and Dee
take notes while observing how Otto, his girlfriend and the car react to the
speed bumps.)

Observe and record

Great reporters are great observers and great recorders of detail.
Make sure you look for details that will paint a picture and draw your
reader into the story.
3:30 p.m. At the shop, Otto pulls his car onto a lift and sends it slowly up until
it is above their heads. Flash is firing away.
Rock Do you mind if I tape-record? It helps me make sure I get my facts
straight. (Rock gets out his tape recorder.)
Is it real, or is it
Gotta love tape recorders. But never trust them they will let you
down and they do not record the very important non-verbal
communication. Always take notes, even if you record.
Otto Sounds like a good idea to me. Rock Before we begin, I just want to
let you know that if you want to go off the record, you must tell me first.
Set the ground rules
Always set the ground rules for the interview. Avoid having someone
go off the record with you after the fact. Like the coach who says his
team stinks, but then says, Thats off the record, of course.
Otto No, problem.
Rock Great. So, Otto, youve been driving to school for five years. Is that
right?
Otto Yep, got my first car after I turned 16.
Rock Your car is a 1968 Chevelle Super Sport that you restored yourself. Is
that correct?
Otto Correct. (Rock asks 10 break-the-ice questions, which are all yesanswer questions, following up each one with Is that right? or Is that
correct? Note that Rock already knows the answers to these questions.)
Put them at ease
A guaranteed way to impress your sources. They will be awed that you
have taken the time to do your homework. They will have confidence
you will get the facts right. They will respect you more because you
appear to know something about the subject. Bottom line it makes
them more likely to talk candidly with you.
Otto (After 10th question) Hey, youve really done your homework on me.
Rock Thanks. We just wanted to make sure we had all our facts straight.
Now

Rock and Dee begin asking the questions theyve prepared, taking down Ottos
great quotes.
As they ask each question, they give Otto time to respond, never jumping in just
because he pauses before answering.
Be patient
Give them time to think before they answer, and do not let their silence
intimidate you into answering the question for them. Ask your question
and then be quiet until they answer or they ask you to explain it.
As Otto answers, they take notes, nod and say, Uh-huh, or I understand.
In the margins of their notes, they record what Otto does as he talks, like when
he points to a bent place on his muffler, closes one eye and stares at the ceiling
as he adds up how much hes spent on repairs, polishes a spot on the front
fender as he talks about the hours spent restoring the Chevy.
Observation adds color
Observing and recording what Otto does as he answers their questions
will help them write more colorful and descriptive stories. Great
reporters put you there by letting you hear, see and feel what happens
during the interview or the event you are covering.
Flash captures Ottos expressions on film. He works hard not to interrupt the
interviews flow. He also takes notes, making sure to note the frame hes
shooting and what Otto was asked during the frame, so hell have what he
needs to write cutlines.
What a shutterbug!
Flash will get great candids because he knows how to disappear as he
shoots. He also gathers information for cutlines, information that will
be accurate and add to what his photos show.
Rock and Dee work well together, following up each question with questions
designed to get the little details theyll need to make their story come alive. For
example, after they ask Otto to describe the first time a speed bump damaged
his car, they follow up with: What did you say to your girlfriend when you heard
the oil pan scraping? What did it sound like? What exactly did you do? and
How did your father react when you told him what happened?
Follow up
Beginning reporters miss great quotes and stories because they do not
pursue questions to the max. Follow-up questions help you put flesh on
the answers your original questions get. Ask as many questions as
necessary to get the little details of the story. As your source responds
to a question, listen carefully and ask questions that will expand his
answer.

One hour later Rock, Dee and Flash have asked all their questions, and they
take a minute to flip through their notes, making sure they didnt leave any out.
Very thorough
Always take time to check to see that you have asked all the questions
you prepared.
Rock Thats all our questions. Would you like to add anything?
What a reporter!
A question you always ask. Always put it in your list. Your source will
appreciate it, and sometimes you will get great stuff, as Rock and Dee
did.
Otto As a matter of fact, there is. Ive checked into what most paving guys say
about how high speed bumps should be, and the school speed bumps are at
least six inches higher than normal.
Rock Wow! And Rock and Dee follow up, finding out the names of paving
contractors who can give them more details.
Rock Thanks, Otto, this has been a great interview. Youve been very helpful.
Would you mind if we call if we have other questions?
A genius!
The last question you always ask. That way, when your editor or
adviser asks you to call for more information, you already have
permission from your source to call back.
Otto Oh no, man. Call me anytime.
Ten minutes later Rock is at home, going through his notes to correct words
that arent clear and adding new questions to ask in his other interviews.
Pulling it together
Always end by reviewing and correcting your notes as soon as possible
after you finish the interview. When you get around to writing the
story, you will not find things you cannot decipher.
The next three days Rock, Dee and Flash interview the rest of their sources.
They create a package that wins top honors in state and national award
competitions. But, more importantly, their package convinces the administration
to have the speed bumps re-constructed.
The ultimate honor
The ultimate honor of reporting something you produced helps
change things for the better.