Panel Transcript: Making Them Spill
In May of 2005, mb held a panel discussion on how to get really good interviews. Along for the chat was Charles Duhigg of the LA Times, Kristine McKenna, the author of Book of Changes: A Collection of Interviews, Steve Pond writer for publications like Playboy and Rolling Stone, and David Rensin, contributing editor at Playboy. The whole transcript is for AvantGuild members only but here’s a taste:
Taffy Akner: Let’s talk about ass kissing. You mentioned that that you don’t want people to hear what an ass kisser you are. But is that, do you feel that that is an honest or dishonest approach? Is that one of your methods? Is that your way of getting a more effective interview or a more interesting interview?
Kristine McKenna: Yeah, I try not to interview people I don’t genuinely have some respect or admiration for but, as a working journalist, sometimes you have to interview people that you have contempt for but you still want to say, oh yes, I saw your movie, it was very interesting.
Taffy Akner: Do you?
Kristine McKenna: Does anyone? I mean, did you have to tell Larry Hagman that his…
David Rensin: Charles is absolutely right when you say you create a friendly atmosphere. You go in, I mean, we may have the luxury of interviewing people at this point that we like. Even if someone doesn’t share your values, you go in there not to tell your story, you go in there to tell their story. And so you create a friendly atmosphere and maybe sometimes you’ll share a little anecdote about yourself for two seconds, not to move the thing off of yourself, off of them. And is it ass kissing? A little kissing ass just because we won’t argue with them.
Steve Pond: I think it’s creating a sense that we’re in this together. This isn’t me against you, we’re in this together. You can do it by coming in and clearly being really knowledgeable about everything they’ve done in the past, discussing their work and knowing things that the average person wouldn’t know.
David Rensin: Cause they can tell bullshit.
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