It can make or break a story if it isn’t done correctly. It can also capture the essence of what you’re trying to convey and draw your audience in like the earth’s gravitational pull. Interviews are the foundation of good reporting. They are the best way of understanding a situation and seeing the story from someone else’s perspective. Most importantly, a successful interview requires strong people skills and technical ability.
As reporters, you’re constantly working under deadline pressure and the first thing you think about is, “Who should I interview for this story.” As you know, finding someone to talk on camera is half the battle. So when you do find them, and get ready to push record, make sure you don’t waste time by asking meaningless questions. Those questions are anything you know you’re not going to use to get your story on air. This is usually the small talk or chit chat that helps warm up your subject. Take it from me; this can really slow down the logging process when you’re under deadline.
Even though you’re getting to the point, don’t forget to be conversational. What I mean by this is, don’t ask one question, and then immediately think about the next question we’re going to ask. At this point you’ve lost. Your subject may say something that could lead to a much better story. Listening closely and intently will help you uncover any possible hidden details of the story you’re trying to cover. My advice is to have just a couple of questions you really need to ask, but “play” off the conversation. I find this will help you write into, out of, and around your sound bites.
Depending on the rapport you’ve established with the person you’re interviewing, many times you can ask your most poignant questions first and get to the heart of the matter. Time is money, (well for you it’s precious seconds so you don’t miss slot.) Remember, it’s most important to ask questions which are relevant and revealing about the participant’s character and opinion.
You never know what you’re going to get when you interview someone. Hopefully, you’re getting raw emotion like anger, sadness, enthusiasm, excitement…etc. Whatever you’re getting, don’t be afraid to let that raw emotion breathe. The toughest thing to do for reporters and anchors is to be silent and let the interviewee say what they have to say. Don’t cut someone off in mid-thought or sentence. Let them stay in the zone until it’s appropriate to ask the next question. This is the hardest to judge and will take time to develop. All I can say here is…it’s about feel.
When you’re done getting that great interview, don’t forget to tell your producers. They can really help setup your story and help you hit the story out of the park.
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Kennan Oliphant is a morning Executive Producer at WMBF News in Myrtle Beach, SC. He started his career as a anchor/reporter. He’s won numerous awards and loves to connect with people over social media. Follow him on Twitter: @TVNewsGuru or facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kennan-Oliphant/313726945344980
