Study smarter with Fiveable
Get study guides, practice questions, and cheatsheets for all your subjects. Join 500,000+ students with a 96% pass rate.
The interview is where journalism actually happens. You can research endlessly and write beautifully, but if you can't extract meaningful information from sources, your stories will fall flat. Strong interviewing skills separate reporters who get surface-level quotes from those who uncover the real story—the kind of reporting that wins awards, holds power accountable, and genuinely informs the public.
You're being tested on more than just "how to ask questions." Newswriting courses evaluate your understanding of source relationships, ethical boundaries, verification practices, and strategic communication. Each technique below demonstrates a core journalistic principle: preparation shows professionalism, active listening builds trust, follow-up questions reveal depth, and verification ensures accuracy. Don't just memorize these techniques—know which principle each one serves and when to deploy it.
Great interviews are won before they begin. The preparation phase establishes your credibility, shapes your question strategy, and prevents you from wasting your source's time on information you could have found yourself.
Compare: Research vs. Question Preparation—both happen before the interview, but research informs what you ask while question prep determines how you ask it. Strong reporters do both; weak ones skip research and wonder why sources don't take them seriously.
How you frame questions directly determines what information you receive. Open-ended questions invite narrative; closed questions confirm facts. Strategic interviewers know when to use each.
Compare: Open-ended questions vs. Follow-ups—open-ended questions launch topics, while follow-ups drill down into them. Think of open-ended questions as casting a wide net and follow-ups as reeling in the catch.
Interviewing isn't just asking questions—it's receiving answers with full attention. Active listening builds rapport, catches inconsistencies, and signals respect, all of which encourage sources to share more.
Compare: Active listening vs. Reading body language—listening captures what sources say, while observation reveals what they don't say. Both skills together give you the complete picture.
Sources share more with reporters they trust. Rapport-building and ethical conduct aren't soft skills—they're strategic tools that determine whether you get surface-level answers or the real story.
Compare: Rapport vs. Objectivity—rapport makes sources comfortable, while objectivity keeps your journalism credible. The tension between "being friendly" and "staying neutral" is real; skilled interviewers balance both without compromising either.
Everything you gather in an interview is useless if you can't prove it's accurate. Documentation creates a record; verification ensures that record reflects truth.
Compare: Documentation vs. Verification—documentation captures what was said, verification confirms it's true. Recording an interview perfectly doesn't matter if the source was lying; verification catches that.
| Concept | Best Techniques |
|---|---|
| Pre-Interview Preparation | Research your subject, Prepare flexible questions |
| Question Strategy | Open-ended questions, Strategic follow-ups |
| Active Engagement | Listen actively, Read non-verbal cues |
| Building Trust | Establish rapport, Maintain objectivity |
| Documentation | Recording devices, Note-taking, Immediate review |
| Ethical Boundaries | Respect time/privacy, Honor confidentiality |
| Accuracy Assurance | Cross-check claims, Verify quotes |
Which two techniques both happen before the interview but serve different purposes? Explain what each accomplishes.
If a source gives you a vague answer about a controversial decision, which technique should you deploy next—and why?
Compare and contrast building rapport with maintaining objectivity. How can a reporter do both in the same interview without compromising either?
A source claims something surprising during your interview. What steps should you take before including this claim in your published story?
You notice a source's body language shifts dramatically when you ask about budget decisions—they cross their arms and break eye contact. What might this indicate, and how should you respond?