Text 7 how to conduct journalistic interviews

Central to conducting any type of interview is establishing a productive interview climate. It does not happen magically but develops in the interactions between an interviewer and an interviewee.

Interviews have an opening, body and closing. As the interviewer, you want to begin the interview in such a way that facilitates the interview process, ask questions that assist all parties in achieving their goals, and end the interview on a positive note.

1. OPENING – “breaking the ice”. The interview opening usually sets the tone for the remainder of the interview. Your goal is to establish a productive climate, so both you and your interviewee will participate freely and communicate accurately. Climate issues contribute to the mood or tone of the interview; both interviewer and interviewee are responsible for establishing the interview climate.

Formality level reflects differences in status between interview participants; evolves and can change during the interview process.

1. Nonverbal indicators of status include dress, proximity, location of the interview.

2. Verbal indicators of formality level include how participants address each other (titles or first names), how much “small talk” participants engage in, use of slang.

Rapport is the process of creating goodwill and trust between interviewer and interviewee.

1. First impressions greatly influence how rapport is established; avoid jumping to conclusions about others based on little information.

2. When you and the interviewee share a similar frame of reference or worldview, it is easier to establish rapport.

3. The interview’s formality level influences how rapport is established; for example, in more informal interviews, there is more “small talk” at the beginning, while in more formal interviews, the interviewer will tend to take a more direct approach.

1. BODY – asking questions. This is the main part of the interview. Here we'll look at the order or sequences in which you might ask the questions.

1. Funnel. Use this question sequence when the interviewee knows the topic well and feels free to talk about it, or when the person wants to express strong feelings. This is the most common of all question sequences for all types of interviews. In this sequence, the interviewer begins with broad, open-ended questions and moves to narrower, closed-ended questions. The interviewer may also begin with more general questions and gradually ask more specific questions.

2. Inverted Funnel. This question sequence is effective when an interviewee needs help remembering something or to motivate an interviewee to talk. In this sequence, the interviewer begins with narrow, closed-ended questions and moves to broader, open-ended questions. The interviewer may also begin with more specific questions and gradually ask more general questions.

3. Diamond. The Diamond question sequence combines the Funnel and Inverted Funnel sequences. Use this sequence when dealing with topics interviewees may find painful or difficult and therefore are reluctant to discuss. Begin with specific, closed-ended questions about a situation similar to the interviewee’s, then ask general, open-ended questions about the interview, and finally ask specific, closed-ended questions about the interviewee’s particular circumstances.

4. Tunnel. In this sequence, all questions have the same degree of openness. Also called the “string of beads” questions sequence, the Tunnel sequence allows for little probing and variation in question structure. It can be useful for simple, surface information interviews, but not for in-depth interviews.

3. CLOSING – concluding the interview. The closing brings the interview full circle. Your goal is to leave the interviewee feeling positive and satisfied with the interview.

Stages

1. Conclusion preparation: the interviewer is responsible for signaling upcoming conclusion, as with, “My final question. . .”

2. Final summary: is a consolidation of entire interview and provides a test of your listening and note taking skills

3. Post-interview discussion: informal; not part of the formal interview; the interviewer and interviewee engage in “chit-chat”.

In conducting the information interview, you want to be prepared, yet flexible, and create a communication climate in which the interviewee will feel comfortable. Balance note-taking with maintaining eye contact with the interviewee. If you record the interview, be sure to ask the interviewee's permission before the interview. Don't rely solely on the audiotape for recording the interview as tape recorders can fail. Signal your interest, but avoid leading the interviewee to respond in particular ways. Listen carefully, ask secondary / probing questions, and use your Interview Guide to keep you on track.

TASK 7

Study the following interviews with famous actresses (choose any you like). Identify the type of the interview and analyze its structure, questions asked and the atmosphere created. You can find these interviews on the Internet on the following site: movies.about.com/od/interviewswithactors/Interviews_with_Actors_and_

Actresses.html.