FINDING THINGS OUT

Assignment

The assignment is designed to get you out and about, interviewing real people and

constructing a real story.

Do the following

Find some news, and break it to the world. Conduct at least one interview, and write a

500 word news story. State which publication you think your story could appear in.

The rules

All interviews must be genuine. You must not interview your friends or relations. With your story, submit the full name and contact details (phone number and email if available) of your interview subjects. Go for authenticity.

Assessment criteria

• Demonstrated news sense.• Demonstrated ability to gain information and

quotes from interviews.• Demonstrated news writing ability.

What do journalists do?

Journalists describe society to itself.Media Alliance Code of Ethics.

Journalists Find Things Out

“How do reporters find news? Mostly people tell them. It is as simple – and as complicated – as that.”

- Sally White Reporting in Australia Chapter 3.

The Power of a Pointy Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc5ljcri6Nk&feature=related

The psychological barrier

• Ringing people up or approaching them “cold”.• Persuading them to talk to you.• Taking down what they say.• Sometimes, asking them questions that make

them angry.• Publishing the results.ALL THIS EQUALS ...

TERROR!

Interviewing is confronting

• Sometimes you have to forget about being nice.

• Sometimes you must be rude.• Often, you must ask questions that are not

polite.• Sometimes, you ask questions you would not

ask your best friend.

The Purpose of an Interview is….

The Purpose of an Interview is….

TO GET INFORMATION

The Purpose of an Interview is….

TO GET INFORMATION

• FACTS• INSIGHTS• QUOTES

The Purpose of an Interview is….

TO GET INFORMATION

• FACTS• INSIGHTS• QUOTES

To Build Relationships(so you can get more information in the future).

The Ethical Parameters

• Identify yourself and the media outlet you are working for.

• Respect private grief and personal privacy.

• Use fair, responsible and honest means.

• Do not exploit a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice.

• Do not interview children without the permission of their parents or guardians.

• On and off the record

The Measure of Success

• What you carry away in the way of usable material

• What you find out.

Things that are not a measure of success

• Whether they like you

• Whether you feel like a fool

• Whether you are terrified

Different Kinds of Questions

• Open questionsExample: “How are you finding your studies?”

How to conduct an interview

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NG-XCwuWfk

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_an_eC37eU

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eOynrI2eTM

Different Kinds of Questions

• Open questionsExample: “How are you finding your studies?”

• Closed questionsExample: “Do you like your studies?”

Different Kinds of Questions

• Open questionsExample: “How are you finding your studies?”

• Closed questionsExample: “Do you like your studies?”

• No questionExample: “VU must be awesome!” or“I can’t imagine what it must be like to study at VU.”

OPEN QUESTIONS

ADVANTAGES:• Force the interview subject to think and talk.• Gives the interview subject more power.• Can result in you finding out stuff you didn’t know or

suspectDISADVANTAGES:• Allows the interview subject to direct the encounter.• Can lead to rambling and getting off the point.• Can mean important questions aren’t asked or answered.

CLOSED QUESTIONS

ADVANTAGES• Mean that you are in control.• Can force the interviewer to answer.• Can focus the interview.• Bring the interview to a point.DISADVANTAGES• Can intimidate and put people on the defensive.• Limit what you will hear.• Do not allow the subject to take control.

NO QUESTION

• Silence• Remarks or comments• Exclamations• Repeating back the substance of what the person

said

Can build empathy, provoke things the subject did not intend to say. Can be the most powerful question of all…

PREPARE

• Brief yourself- Read clippings- Google- Think

• Plan- What questions must be

answered?- How will you present?

Make Sure You Get Basic Facts

• Age• Location• Time• Names• What happened?• Why?• Who was involved?• Aim for precision.

Use Your Personality

Over time, you will develop an interview style. It will reflect your personality. Interviewing is very personal.

BUT

Just as a trained singer has a greater range than an amateur, a professional interviewer is able to use their natural personality with more precision and range.

Be Self Aware

• Do not put unnecessary barriers between you and the interview subject. Think about:

• Dress• Manner• Body Language• Speech – speed, words and volume.

Be Aware of the Interview Subject

• How are they feeling?• What is their motivation?• What are their hopes and fears?

Most of all…

LISTEN

THINK

Listen to broadcast interviews. • What kinds of question are being asked?

• What works and why?

• Is it “nice”?

Capturing the Word

• Notes- time consuming- quick to use

• Recordings- can intimidate- improved accuracy- time consuming to transcribe

What is a Contact?

• An interview subject or source you deal with repeatedly.

• Someone with whom you have a relationship of trust.

» You trust them to tell you the truth» They trust you to do a good job

• Often, someone who talks to you in confidence or on the understanding you will not reveal their identity.