Interviews
Interviews in journalism are focused conversations between a journalist (Interviewer)
and the source (interviewee). They are designed to extract valuable information, insights,
or opinions. This vital practice helps journalists gather content for various media
platforms, including print, online, and broadcast journalism. The process enables a
deeper exploration of topics and provides perspectives that may not be captured through
standard reporting. Interviews, simply put, are a conversation between a journalist and
a source to gather information for a story.
There are two principal actors in an interview: The interviewer and the interviewee.
An interviewer is a person who asks questions in an interview, while an interviewee is
the person who answers the questions.
Types of Interviews
Interview types are categorised into two: interviews by purpose and interviews by format
Interviews by Purpose
This refers to the reason for conducting an interview
News Interviews: They are conducted to gather information and facts about a current
event, issue, or story. Typically, such interviews are short, focused, and aim to provide the
audience with the most important details of an event, issue or story. They often involve
direct, specific questions like (Who, what, when, where, why). News interviews require
the interviewer to be well-prepared and knowledgeable about the topic. For example,
interviewing a witness to a crime, a politician about a new policy, or an expert about a
breaking news event.
Profile Interviews
Profile interviews focus on a specific person, often a public figure or someone with an
interesting story. The goal of a profile interview is to provide an in-depth look at the
subject's life, experiences, and perspectives. Profile interviews often involve a mix of
prepared and spontaneous questions, which require the interviewer (journalist) to
establish a rapport with the subject (Interviewee). Examples of profile interviews include:
Interviewing a celebrity about their career, a survivor of a traumatic event, or a
community leader about their work
Feature Interviews
They are the most extensive types of interviews that explore a particular topic, trend, or
issue in greater depth. Feature interviews often involve multiple sources and aim to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. They require the
interviewer to have a deep understanding of the subject and ask probing, open-ended
questions. Feature interviews often require additional research and fact-checking to
ensure accuracy and context. Examples: Interviewing multiple experts about a complex
social issue, exploring a cultural trend through various perspectives, or investigating a
historical event
Opinion Interviews
Open interviews seek to gather the subject's thoughts, beliefs, and views on a specific
topic. They are often used in opinion pieces, editorials, or to provide commentary on
current events. Opinion interviews require the interviewer to ask questions that
encourage the subject to express their opinions. Before conducting such interviews, the
interviewer must be prepared to challenge or follow up on the subject's responses. For
example, interviewing a political pundit about an election, an activist about a
controversial issue, or a thought leader about a societal trend.
Investigative Interviews
Conducted as part of an in-depth investigation into a particular issue or story,
investigative interviews are aimed at uncovering new information, exposing wrongdoing,
or shedding light on a complex topic. They require the interviewer to be persistent,
skeptical, and prepared to ask tough, probing questions. Investigative interviews may
involve confidential sources, leaked documents, or other sensitive information. Examples
include: Interviewing whistleblowers about corporate misconduct, investigating
government corruption, or exposing human rights abuses
Characteristics of Interview
Interview By format
This explains the nature of the interview
In-person or One-on-one or face-to-face interviews: This is a type of interview where
a single journalist interviews a single subject or source. One-on-one interview allows for
a deeper connection and more time for explanation on an issue, event or a story.
Telephone /Zoom interviews: These interviews are common in gathering quotes or
information when an in-person or face-to-face interview meeting is not possible.
Broadcast interviews: This type of an interview can be live or taped for radio or
television.
Email interviews: Email interviews are used when it is absolutely not possible for a real-
time conversation to take place between the interviewer and the interviewee. In this type
of interviews, questions are sent via email, allowing interviewees time to think through
their responses before responding to the questions.
Group/Panel interviews: This occurs when a group of journalists interviews a single
subject. It is mostly used in discussions, debates, panels, or workshops.
Preparing for an Interview
Journalists do not conduct interview by chance. They prepare for it. The most engaging
interviews require adequate and thorough preparations. Before setting out for an
interview, a journalist must do the following:
Research the Interviewee: Researching the interviewee to understand their
background, expertise, and any relevant issues they might be connected to, can render an
interviewing informative and educative. Proper research would enable the interviewer
ask relevant and incisive questions.
Develop Questions: Create a list of clear and concise questions tailored to the
interviewee, keeping the primary purpose of the interview in mind.
Understand the Topic: Have a solid grasp of the subject matter for informed follow-up
questions and to guide the conversation effectively.
Prepare Logistical Details: Confirm the time, location, and format of the interview so
thing everything would run smoothly.
Test Equipment: If recording, ensure that your recording devices are functioning
properly, whether you’re using audio recorders or cameras.
Plan for the Unexpected: Be ready to think on your feet and adjust your line of
questioning based on the interviewee's responses.
The Dos and Don'ts of Interviews for Journalists
research Beforehand: Understand the topic and the interviewee's background to
ask informed questions.
Be punctual: Arrive on time, especially for scheduled studio or virtual interviews.
Check equipment: Make sure all recording and other equipment is working and
fully charged before leaving.
Ask open-ended questions: Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple
"yes" or "no" Ask open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses.
Listen attentively: Maintain eye contact and listen more than you speak. Avoid
interrupting the interviewee and let them tell their story.
Treat the interviewee with respect: Regardless of their status, treat the subject
with respect and create a comfortable atmosphere for them.
Take control of the location: Ensure the interview setting is conducive to a good
interview. Remove distractions and place yourself and the interviewee in a
comfortable, relaxed position.
Ask for clarification: If you need more information or don't understand
something, ask the interviewee to clarify it.
Thank the interviewee: At the end of the interview, always say thank you, no
matter the circumstances.
The Don'ts
Don't give questions in advance: This is a violation of journalistic ethics. When the
interviewee requests your questions, rather brief him or her on the subjects of
discussion
Don't fidget or fiddle: Avoid distracting movements, such as rocking chairs or playing
with pens, or fidgeting with your laptop or ruffling your interview guide.
Don't be the centre of attention: The interview is about the interviewee, not you.
Don't make assumptions: Avoid making assumptions about your subject. Get
clarifications from the subject when in doubt.
Don't say "no comment" or "off the record": These phrases can make you look like
you're hiding something. If you can't comment, explain why instead.
Don't ask yes or no questions: Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes
or no.
Don't repeat negativity: Don't repeat a negative question or word asked by the
reporter. Instead, reframe the answer positively.
Don't have a confrontation with your interviewee: The interview is a conversation,
not a fight.
Don't make excessive verbal confirmations: Avoid using "aha," "yeah," or "okay" too much,
as it can be distracting.
Interview Guidelines for Journalists
1: Never give an interviewee questions in advance. It’s fine to give a general idea about
the interview themes, but being too specific may limit what you can ask in the interview.
It also risks being overtaken by events and allows the interviewee to rehearse answers.
2: Be on time. There’s nothing worse than keeping someone waiting.
3: Always check that your equipment is working and fully charged before you leave the
office.
4: Treat the interviewee with respect, whether they are a president or a man or a woman
in the street. A warm but not over-enthusiastic greeting is a good start.
5: Take control of the location. It’s your interview. You need to choose a place that isn’t
too noisy and where there are not too many distractions.
6: You are not meant to be the centre of attention. The interview is not about you. You are
there to get the perspective of the interviewee, not give your own.
7: Do the research you need to, but don’t try to cram it all into your questions. Put yourself
in the shoes of a member of your audience before you start the interview. If they were
here, what would they ask?
8: Ask the most important question first. The more pressed the interviewee is, the less
time they will have, and the more likely that they will cut the interview short.
9: The interview is a conversation; it’s not a confrontation. You are not there to make the
interviewee look stupid.
10: Try to avoid looking at notes. If you look at your notes, the interviewee may be
distracted. And it’s difficult for you to read and listen at the same time.
11: Maintain eye contact at all times. Keep your body language in check. If you nod your
head, your subject may take this to mean that you agree with them and assume that there
is no need to explain further. You may miss the chance to discover more. If you shake your
head or recoil with a shocked facial expression, you risk making your subject clam up. You
will have shown them that you find their views offensive, and so they are likely to stop
short of saying even more in the same vein.
12: Try to ask a maximum of three or four questions. An interview is not a fishing
expedition. If you can’t get to the essence of what you want the interviewee to say in three
or four questions, change the questions.
13: There are six basic questions: what, why, when, how, where and who.
14: Shorter questions are better than longer ones. Never ask more than one question at a
time. Combining questions makes it easy for the interviewee to avoid answering one
altogether. Be as direct as you can without being rude.
15: Be sure of your facts. There’s nothing worse than being told you are wrong by an
interviewee – especially when it’s live.
16: Listen to what the interviewee is saying. They might want to use your interview to
announce something important that you were not expecting.
17: If the interviewee is not happy with the way they answered a particular question,
don’t give in to appeals for them to do it again – unless there is a factual error in the
answer or there is a risk of serious confusion.
18: At the end of the interview, no matter how difficult the interviewee has been, always
say thank you
19: Always check that the interview has been recorded before the interviewee leaves.
20: When you’re editing, don’t take answers out of context. That is being dishonest.