Interviewing in Broadcast Journalism

Interviewing in Broadcast Journalism

Leading Questions • How do interviewers craft and pose questions? • How can questions open doors to information, shed light on important subjects and invite subjects to open up?

Excerpt from NY Times Article • Arne Duncan- secretary of education • Written after Mr. Duncan was confirmed as education secretary • In regards to: On February 17, President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (known as the Stimulus). Only three Republican senators voted for the bill. It passed the House without any Republican votes. The bill designates a total of $128.2 billion for education and job training. About $91 billion of that amount goes toward K-12 education, including $53.6 billion in aid for K-12 for states that are in a deficit, $13 billion for schools serving low-income children, and $12 billion for special education. Another $2.1 billion goes toward Head Start and Early Head Start, the federal programs for children from birth to age five. • Directions: Read silently to yourself first • Then, we will divide you into groups to engage in a “reverse interview”

Terms to Know • A quote is the transcription of what someone has said. It's usually short (a sentence or a paragraph). Two Types • The direct quote is an exact transcription, word for word, of what a person said. You always put them within quotation marks. • Example: The director Pablo Rodríguez said that he believed that "this work would be beneficial for the whole community." • The indirect quote is faithful to the meaning of what a person said, though the wording is not exactly the same. You don't use quotation marks. • Example: The director Pablo Rodríguez said the work would be positive for this part of the population.

Reverse Interview Instructions • See handout • After responding to questions, share the questions you generated • Were they similar or different to groups around you? • Return to your original group to brainstorm a list of questions you would ask Secretary Duncan if you had the chance

Continued…. • We are going to watch a clip from “Waiting for Superman” and then read this portion and respond….. • In “The School of Hard Drives,” Deborah Solomon talks to Secretary Duncan about the need for computers in the classroom and his views on the state of American education. Ms. Solomon opens her inter this way (see handout)

Waiting for Superman • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTfaro96dg

Basic Principles of Interviewing • Research. Read and obtain background information about the subject, source or topic at hand before interviewing so that you can ask informed questions. • Ask simple questions. Keep your questions short, to the point and focused. Otherwise you risk distracting or confusing your subject, or allowing him or her to answer only part of a complex question. Break down complicated questions into shorter, simpler questions. • Limit closed-ended questions; use mostly open-ended questions.Closed-ended questions are yes-or-no questions or those that invite very basic, one-word answers. Open-ended questions often begin with “Why?” and “How?” or phrases such as “Tell me about … ” or “How does that make you feel?” They invite longer, more insightful responses. • Ask follow-up questions. An inexperienced interviewer asks a question, notes the response then moves on to the next question. Don’t stick to the script — listen to the answers and probe further before moving on to your prepared questions. Often it is during a follow-up question that the right quote falls into your lap. “Following up” can also involve a non-question, like a sympathetic response or a gesture of surprise or admiration. • Take notes. While having an audio recorder is helpful, always keep a notebook handy and use it to jot down quotes, statistics or facts that strike you. You might also want to write down physical details about your environment and your subject’s appearance, facial expressions and voice. But be sure to look up from your notebook and maintain eye contact. • Be conversational without having a conversation. Keep the interview informal and casual, not overly scripted, and go with the flow, allowing your subject to switch directions –- as long as you remain in control of the interview and are prepared to steer it back to your topic as needed.

NPR & Anatomy of a Question • http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5625218 • http://vimeo.com/7726310

Sample Interviews: The Good, Bad and Ugly • Lil Wayne & Katie Couric: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMiO7saCtc • Just bad…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGmz-48IMM

Your Turn! • In your groups, interview each group member in a “news conference” format where students take turns asking questions. Write down your questions first. • After each group member has been interviewed, debrief as a group- how do you think it went? • What questions were open-ended versus close-ended? • Identify moments where the interview flowed smoothly and other times when it got awkward. • Were you able to capture information about the person that was interesting and accurate? • What would you change and why? • Groups take turns introducing each other and sharing reflective process

Buddy bios • Once you have interviewed your partner, write a 500-word biography on the worksheet, attach your partner’s photo, and we will present tomorrow

Interviewing in Broadcast Journalism