Bulletin Boarders on Interviewing
I brought it up on the mediabistro bulletin boards: what failsafe questions do writers have for turning a boring interview into a brilliant one? Here’s what they advised:
One writer uses his or her own experiences to form templates according to what works. “I do a lot of pieces that quote maybe ten different people, so I do a lot of interviews. My questions are usually tailored for each piece. However, whenever somebody says, ”That’s a very good question” and then proceeds to give me an insightful quote, the question becomes of template for others. For example, in a recent piece, let’s say one of the ten interviewees had a business in a downtrodden section of town. The other nine were in thriving areas. Of course, all had something else in common, that’s why they were in the article. So I asked the one guy what the others could learn from his situation. Quite a lot, it turned out. I guess you could say the q & a turned a negative stereotype into a positive. He was surprised by question and I think the reader will be surprised by what he said.”
Another recommends turning interviewing itself into a question. “I once had to interview a guy who spoke almost exclusively from the PR document, word for word. If I strayed from the ”script,” he gave one-word answers. I knew he had done other interviews, and was sick to death of the process. I was about to hang up when I tried one last question: What’s the one question all your interviewers missed…what do you wish you could have a chance to explain? I got a 30-minute detailed explanation of the news topic. I’ve tried this a couple other times since then, and it has only failed once.”
More after the break.
Or, you can leave it quite open and let the interviewee fill in any blanks: “I sometimes find asking the real broad, open-ended ”anything else you want to talk about/add?” and, yes, ”anything I didn’t think to ask that I should have?” can actually be really fruitful. It can often elicit something that wasn’t in the press release, hasn’t been reported on yet, something that’s fresh on their mind. Doesn’t always work, but sometimes it really does, and it certainly can’t hurt.”
Caitlin Kelly recommends using your good old-fashioned curiosity. “Surprising someone (but not necessarily in attack mode) with a detail or two about them (having done a lot of research on them before you speak), that they probably assume you couldn’t or didn’t bother to dig up can be helpful. I was interviewing someone today, on something totally unrelated, but was so intrigued by something he’d done about a decade earlier I just said ”OK, way off topic, but tell me about X” and he happily did. I didn’t need the data but was curious. I think sometimes the fact you’re truly curious about them — not just doing the bare minimum and sticking to obvious questions — can help. No matter how crude a technique, even going 20 or 30 pages deep into Google can bring up some interesting details on someone to spark a few questions.”
She also recommends just being a relatable human being in addition to being a good interviewer: “If it’s right, and your instincts (and research) can tell you, I’ll share a personal story or use humor. It’s interesting how much you could have in common with the least likely person — a hometown, a pet, an alma mater, a hobby, an interest in politics or travel or…If someone realizes, through a little warmth or compassion, you’re human, not just drilling for data, they can open up much more than you’d think. Some people are very shy. Some are terrified of reporters. Helps to find out why, if possible, they’re being so monosyllabic. But this has happened to me in maybe 2% of all my interviews over 30 years.”
In addition, Caitlin recommends maximum exposure, if possible. “I also like, when possible for a long profile, multiple visits with the person, even if only one long in-person chat then email or phone follow-ups. I’ve found that email can work well as it allows people to chat with you when they are ready to and therefore, I think, more likely to be relaxed and open. Having seen and enjoyed (mixed feelings) the recent film ”Capote”, it was instructive, if creepy at times, to see how much time and energy Capote lavished on his subject and the effect that had.”
Another says it’s not so much the question, or even the preparation of questions, but the preparation for the interview itself. “In TV, where I do most of my work, the pre-interview is very important, and helps establish the rapport, as well as gives me more reference points for the real interview. For print, I’ve try to do a quick phone chat before showing up in person or doing the real phoner. I don’t really like phone interviews, and so I do a great deal of research in advance.”
It’s also recommended that you prove you’re not just some dumb writer. “First, when interviewing experts in technical fields, throw in something in the first question or two that indicates you know something about the field. A bit of jargon, a reference to an obscure but important paper in the field, anything. I’ve gotten medical researchers, statisticians and others to go from the very patronizing I’m-talking-to-a-dumb-reporter tone to an in depth discussion of the issue quickly that way. Second, when doing profiles, try to get a few good pivotal scenes. Then keep asking about those scenes. Every time you go back to it — ”now when you and your father went to Beijing, where exactly did you live? What did your house look like?” — you get better details. The frustrating thing is that most of the best details come at the end of the interview. Don’t quit unless you’re forced to, or you have what you need.”
But, honesty can’t harm you either. Don’t try to fake it. “I believe in being completely honest with a subject. If I’m honest in admitting that I’m not understanding something the subject says, it usually gets that person to not only explain that particular thing, but also go into more detail throughout the rest of the interview. If they have time to explain everything to me, I’ll make time to listen. And as a bonus, that honesty upfront builds up the trust that the subject places in me and my publication.”
And some other randoms that writers have found that worked:
“How would you explain that to someone who knew nothing about the field.”
”What aspect of the project are you most proud of?”
And one stolen from NPR: “I don’t know if this story is true, but I read an article about interviewing techniques once, where someone (I think Terry Gross from NPR, the best interviewer on the planet) asked Richard Nixon what he would have done if he had to choose another career.”
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