Tag Archives: interview

Thoughts

Terry Gross’s ground rules for interviewing

Terry Gross was on the Longform podcast this week, and she discussed the ground rules she lays down for her subjects before their interview:

  • This isn’t live and isn’t airing today, so avoid saying “yesterday”, “today”, “last week”, etc. Go for absolute dates and times if you can.
  • If you get half way through an answer and misspeak or think of a better way to get across what you mean, stop yourself and start the answer again. Just start with a full sentence for the purposes of editing.
  • If I get too personal, stop me and we can move on to something else.
  • If I get a fact wrong, feel free to interrupt and correct me. I can then fix the mistake and it won’t go to air.

She says that these ground rules aid in making the guest comfortable and alleviates some of the pressure they might feel, especially if they’re able to take do-overs.

Equally, it makes clear that the guest has no control over the edit or what happens to the audio after the interview is over.

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Lectorials, Media 1

Fundamentals of interview technique

Louise Turley’s practical introduction to the basics of interview technique was incredibly valuable to me. I’ve done some informal interviews before (mostly with bands and musicians) but never really learned about the techniques themselves and why they are employed.

The most important aspects of interviewing can be summed up in “The 5 Ws”: who, what, where, when and why.

  • Who
    • Does your subject have something to say?
    • Are they credible?
    • Can they deliver on camera?
    • Are they good “talent”?
    • Who is my audience?
  • What
    • What are your questions?
    • Research your subject – read about them, speak to others about them, observe them
    • Write your questions – simple, as short as possible, open ended, check for bias, avoid leading questions
    • Practice the interview ahead of time and try to anticipate if your questions will elicit the types of responses you’re hoping for
  • Where
    • Location – home, work, other? Why? Do you need permission?
    • Light – is there enough? Will it change?
    • Sound – background noise, interruptions?
    • Backgrounds – what does it say? Will it change? Avoid artworks you’ll need clearance for
  • When
    • When conducting your interview, brief your subject
    • Clothing – no black, no white, no small stripes, no checks
    • Maintain eye contact
    • Listen – use nods and facial expressions, not verbal noises
    • Be flexible and adaptable depending on your subject’s answers
    • Be respectful and show empathy
    • Stay focused
    • Be quiet – it’s not about you
  • Why
    • Always have a result in mind

I’m glad I learned of these techniques before conducting my interview for Project Brief 3, because I was able to better prepare for the interview and as a result I think I got much more usable footage than I otherwise may have.

Interviewing technique is also part of Alex Blumberg’s 21-lesson Creative Live course Power Your Podcast With Storytelling, which I’ve been meaning to watch. Maybe now’s the perfect time.

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