Writing Homework Help

Write out the questions you want to ask and prioritize [rank or put in order of best to least important] the most important ones first. If you are new to interviewing [have never done it before], practice with a friend. Interviews are a mix of Q&A [asking direct questions and expecting direct answers] and regular conversation. Remember that no one likes to be interrogated [talked to like police holding someone in a jail cell] but a completely unstructured [not organized] interview will leave you with nothing of use. So practice is the only way to get better at this balancing act [or way of doing it comfortably and correctly]. Practicing with a peer [a friend your age] can also help you determine if a question is clear and easy to understand or if you need to go back and rework [write it in a better way] the question.

Write open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions are your best bet. They begin with “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.” Open-ended questions allow interviewees to open up [tell the truth comfortably] and give great information. Only use closed-ended questions when you need a direct yes or no answer. Don’t combine questions as most people will forget or purposely skip part of a question. Only ask one question at a time.

During the Interview

Use good body language [your eyes, your arms, the way of sitting] to communicate.

Look the interviewee in the eye and listen carefully to their answers. Be sure to smile. A smile helps both everyone relax.

When the interviewee is speaking, nod [move your head to show you agree] or make some verbal remark to show you are listening and understand. Sit on the edge of your chair and lean forward. This is a posture that projects [shows] an eager, positive attitude.

Allow silences.

Good interviewers know when to accept the awkward silence and take a look around the room. Don’t be afraid of silence or pauses. Ask your question, then wait for the person to answer. If you rush to fill the silence, you’ll miss out [won’t catch] on critical information or a great quote

Look and take notes.

Observe and record the person’s body language, mannerisms, dress, physical features, and interactions with others. These allow you to paint a word picture for your reader and may reveal something that is not being said. Take good notes during the interview in a handwriting you will be able to read later.

Listen carefully.

Focus on what the interviewee is saying, not on what you will ask next. Your next question will be better if you heard the answer to the last one. Listen critically. Do you understand what the interviewee is saying? If not, ask them to repeat or explain. Don’t interrupt, don’t ask long questions, don’t talk too much, and don’t challenge too early in the conversation. You’re there to hear opinions, not offer them.

Record.

Record your interview. While you’ll be taking notes as you talk with your interviewee, you should also record the interview and transcribe it later. Recording your interview can help you become a better interviewer by reviewing the interview. In California, you need consent to record a conversation, so make sure your interviewee agrees to the recording.

After the interview

Use direct quotes and paraphrase.

Direct quotes from your subject are essential [very important] for your story. They allow your reader to “hear” the person you are writing about. They also create the impression of objectivity [total honesty and correctness], that you, the reporter, are simply telling the world about something that happened. But quotes must be 100 percent accurate. If you are not certain of every word of the quote, remove the quote marks, and paraphrase instead. However, it is permissible to “clean up” bad grammar within a quote.

Make sure the quote is revealing of your subject. Avoid direct quotes if the material is boring, if the information is factual and indisputable or if the quote is unclear.

Make accuracy your goal. Be sure your quotes are accurate. If not, paraphrase. Ask for correct spellings. Don’t pretend to know something that you don’t. Summarize for the subject in your own words some of his main points. For example, you might say, “Let’s see if I understand you. You mean…”

Follow up

Conduct a second interview

Call, email or sit down with your interviewee a second time to check your facts and add information you might have missed.

Adapted by Sara Ferguson from “Interview Best Practices” by University of Texas Libraries and “Journalism Crash Course” P2PU

Further edits made by Craig Carroll for Grossmont College ESL students in ESL 105.

Glossary

Prioritize: decide what is most important

Q and A: question and answer

Interrogate: ask questions aggressively or formally

Interviewee: the person being interviewed. The subject of the interview.

Posture: the way someone is sitting or standing.

Awkward: uncomfortable, strange, difficult

Observe: look and listen, notice

Record: set down in writing or in a permanent form (eg digital device)

Mannerisms: way of speaking or behaving

Transcribe: put speech into written form

Consent: agreement

Indisputable: unable to be denied or challenged

Comprehension Questions

1. What are the best kind of questions for an interview according to the authors of this text?
2. What are five tips for an interviewer to use during the interview?
3. Why are quotes important?
4. How can you be sure you get great quotes from an interview?
5. Which tips were most useful for you? List three.
6. Which tips are you not sure you can use? List at least one.

GAP questions

1. This article is adapted from two websites, at University of Texas Libraries and one at Peer to Peer University. Who is the audience for this article? Be specific. This is not for everyone. A seven year old child would not benefit from reading this. Who would, though? Share your ideas in your own words in the space below.

What does the author of the article want the reader to do. In other words, what is the purpose of the article?

The author wants the reader to have some information.

The author wants the reader to conduct good journalistic interviews.

The author wants the reader to listen.

The author wants the reader to buy their journalism course.