How to be a good Journalist - STEP 1. Interview Techniques

No train, No gain

One of the most interesting shows that I like to watch is “Pepper & Friends” on KOMU.  It is the longest running local variety and talk show that is hosted by KOMU Paul Pepper and co-hosted by ‘Uncle” James Mouser with the show in its 27^th year as a mid –Missouri staple.

“Pepper & Friends” is based on people. Most of the time, the show is about people, for the people and by the people.  A typical day’s show might have interviews about health, style, relationships, home, food, car, money, cooking, and weather. Basically, “Pepper & Friends” covers everything that happens around us in our daily life.

One thing that I always amazed by the show is when Paul and James ask interviewee’s cooperation and participation. They ask perfect questions without makin

g the interviewee feel uncomfortable and always get the answers they want. Their questions come out very naturally and it flows very well with story.

Last week, I reported about the water issues in Columbia with residents of Columbia having a new chemical added to their water: ammonia. During this new process, ammonia mixes with chlorine to create chloramines and chloramines keeps trihalomethanes out of the water.  Even after 20 times of reading, I did not fully understand what trihalomethanes is and the steps of the new process. When I met my interviewee, I ask several stupid questions and I could not even say the word, trihalomethanes, correctly. I basically did not do my homework. So I had to go back there again for another interview because the answers I got were very basics about the topic and I realized that everyone can get that answer without seeing the news. It was an insult and a timewaster to ask information that I could have gotten in advance by doing my homework.

Here are the interview technique tips that I learn from my experience.

1. Plan Ahead: Plan ahead so that you can have enough knowledge about the topic and use the interviewee’s time wisely. Know as much as possible about the topic before you sit down for the interview. Make sure you have an idea of the key points that you want to address.

2. Be a good listener: Listen to what your interviewee is saying about your questions. Let them talk about their thoughts and feeling, maintain eye contact and showing that you’re interested in what they have to say.

3. Follow the style of a reporter that you admire: Look over a show or news that you particularly admire. As I said at the beginning, I personally admire “Pepper and Friends” because of the thoughtful questions that they ask. Think of the specific and the general questions that the journalists had to ask in order to get that information.