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SPRING 2011
Page 4A
Adviser Update
Interviews: Before the questions begin
By RICH HOLDEN
’ve been interviewed many
Isional
times on many topics, by profesjournalists as well as college and high school students.
While most of the journalists
were pretty well prepared, that
wasn’t always the case. Since the
interview is often at the heart of
an article, whether a news story, a
column or an editorial, I thought
this would be a good time to
review some of the basics.
Interviews build a reporter’s
confidence and help develop interpersonal skills that will be valuable regardless of what profession
the high school or college student
may eventually enter. The good
reporter takes nothing for granted and should be constantly asking why something happened the
way it did. The interview makes
this possible.
The key is to be prepared. If
the reporter hasn’t created a good
outline and done background
research, the interview will
reflect this. While the reporter
usually doesn’t have as much
knowledge of a specific topic as
the person being interviewed, it
doesn’t mean the questions need
to be simplistic or vague.
Imagine the reaction of a per-
Director’s chair
son being interviewed when the
reporter says, “I was assigned
to write this article, but I don’t
know anything about the subject.
I thought you could help me out.”
That is not the way to begin.
It’s important to get background information on the person
you’re interviewing. Has she
written books or articles on the
subject you want to discuss? Has
he been interviewed by others on
this particular topic? These and
other pieces of useful information
are readily available. Contrast
the quote in the paragraph above
with: “I read your very interesting article on the editorial page
of The Daily Banner last week,
and I’d like you to elaborate on a
couple of the points you raised.”
Guess which approach is more
effective.
I’ve also been confronted with
the dreaded “one-word answer” on
a number of occasions.
Interviewer: “Do you think
Adviser Update is the best source
of information on subjects that
are most relevant to high school
journalism advisers and teachers?” Me: “Yes.” Then, a moment
of silence.
But what if the question were
phrased a different way. Interviewer: “Adviser Update provides
an excellent source of information
for teachers and advisers. What
are some topics that could be
addressed that would give readers
even more useful information?”
That question, preceded by a
statement of fact, would generate
a much more thorough, and beneficial, comment.
Few people ask what I consider
the most important — and final
— question.
“Is there anything else you’d
like to discuss, or have I overlooked anything you think is
important?”
This flips the burden onto the
person who is being interviewed.
No matter how much research a
reporter has done before an interview, there’s always the possibility that a significant point has
been overlooked. By raising this
question, the interviewer gives
the interviewee the last word, and
avoids the awkward comment:
“Don’t you want to ask me about
this?”
A final point about interviewing. How does the reporter
describe the circumstances under
which the interview was conducted? I think this is an important piece of information for the
reader — even more so these days
when there are so many paths
available.
If I read the phrase “said in an
interview,” I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly) the interview
was done in person, face-to-face.
While this might not seem significant, it could be if the person
being interviewed was hesitant
in answering a question, if the
answer was filled with “ums,
ums, ums,” or if the person had
to check his or her notes before
responding; that would be good
information for the article.
If I read “said in a telephone
interview,” that would eliminate
the personal contact as well as
any observations the reporter
might be able to make.
The third circumstance,
and one that is becoming more
and more prevalent, is “said in
response to questions submitted
by email.” When this phrase is
included, it sends an immediate signal to the reader that the
responses weren’t spontaneous.
The person being “interviewed”
had time to think about his or her
responses, and, as a result, they
RICH HOLDEN
is executive director of the Dow
Jones News Fund. Before he was
named to that position in 1992,
he was an editor for 19 years at
The Wall Street Journal and The
Asian Wall Street Journal. He was
also a lecturer in residence for two
years at the Chinese University of
Hong Kong. He can be reached at
The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund
at (609) 452-2820. E-mail: rich.
[email protected].
should be much more polished
and free of any errors. It also
can raise the possibility that the
person responding might not be
the one to whom the questions
were directed. After receiving
the responses, it’s always best to
verify the identity of the sender.
The human experience: Change and choice
By NORMA SUMARNAP
KNEESE
f my 24 years in education,
O
this year has probably been
the most difficult and challeng-
ing in many respects. It does not
take into account outside forces of
state and national governments
and their impending legislation.
But just from a personal perspective, I can see that many changes
are occurring. Change is inevitable in all walks of life. Sometimes
it is difficult to accept changes.
Sometimes we grind our heels in
not wanting change to occur. But
without a doubt, change comes
and takes over.
Because we know change will
be occurring, maybe it is our attitude we must change to meet the
times. In addressing my students,
I try to emphasize the fact that
their attitude makes or breaks
diversity
their grade. If they look at their
studies as a challenge, an adventure rather than a hindrance,
they will go farther and do better
than their counterparts. “If you
don’t like something change it; if
you can’t change it, change the
way you think about it.” ~Mary
Engelbreit
However, there are some values that do not change, no matter
what happens. One of these is
honesty. The Hipp