InterviewingNews Gathering

5W and 1H

Who, what, when, where, why and how are the building blocks for developing interview questions.

In every story, reporters should be able to quickly note the answers to all 5W’s after their reporting is done and before they start writing.

open-ended question

Questions used in an interview that require a sentence or more as a response. Sources respond in their own words, providing complete thoughts.

These questions often begin with “why,” “how,” “what happened,” or “tell me about …”

closed-ended question

This is a question that elicits a one-word response, including yes/no questions.

Close-ended questions are good for poll questions, but in interviews they are best avoided unless paired with a follow-up question.

follow-up questions

These questions are used to develop a response to a recent question during an interview.

They can be planned or be the result of listening closely to an answer, particularly if an answer seems incomplete.

Follow-up questions also may be asked at a later time after an initial interview.

two-part question

Here, the reporter will ask two questions at once to help elicit a response. Here is an example.

“Where were you when you first heard of the assassination of JFK and how did you react to the news?”

rephrase

This is a method of clarification. A source might provide essential information that is jumbled or unorganized; interviewers redirect or rephrase the question to get a clearer response.

In order to use rephrasing, reporters must listen carefully during the interview.

expert

A source who is highly knowledgeable about a story topic, often an adult or someone who is directly involved with the event or topic.

quotation

Direct expression of a source. Quotations, or quotes, are the word-for-word response by a source that requires quotation marks within a story.

Indirectly, it is a paraphrasing of comments or information provided by a specific source.

direct quote

The exact words provided by a source, usually gained through an interview.

Direct quotes must be contained within quotation marks. Punctuation goes within the quotation marks and attribution goes after the first sentence of the quote.

indirect quote

Information provided by a source that is paraphrased by the writer and used without quotation marks. This is usually a close rephrasing of something someone said, but not word-for-word.

Indirect quotes must also be attributed.

attribution

The identification of the source providing information in a story.

Usually, it is the name of the person quoted, but attribution is also required when journalists cite researched information or data.

reaction

This is a comment made by a source when asked to respond to an event, issue, topic or a comment made by another source or story subject.

This should be considered as a type of question development.

formal interview

This is a well-planned interview, usually a sit-down between interviewer and interviewee.

Generally, the interview is conducted within the environment of the person being interviewed, such as in the principal’s office for an interview with the principal or at the gym for an interview with a coach.

softball questions

These are the easier, uncontroversial questions that a reporter usually uses to begin an interview. These types of questions help to make the source comfortable.

If a story might involve tough, probing questions, this technique establishes a conversational tone, thus creating a positive reporter-source relationship.

fact checking

This is a process of checking facts and quotes for accuracy and verification.

News agencies may have a person designated to perform fact-checking duties, but this can also occur as part of the interview process.

verification

This is the act of proving the accuracy of gathered information. Fact-checking is one example of how verification occurs. Reading back or reviewing quotes with a source is another example.

read back

This is a method of information verification. Interviewers use this technique during the interview by reading back the comments made by the interviewee.

It also could be used as a fact-checking strategy during the transcription of notes or before publishing a story.

advance

A story that deals with an event that has not yet occurred, but is expect to yield news or is of interest to readers or viewers because they might like to attend.

Sources provide information on what is planned for the event. This is also known as a preview story.

person on the street

Interview technique where a reporter gets information from previously unknown sources. Usually, these are brief interviews that gain reaction to a story topic or event. Broadcast reporters use this technique often.

Q-and-A

This interviewing format is a recorded question and answer session in which each question and answer is presented to the reader by the reporter. The interview is conducted conversationally, but follows a strategic plan to gain the best information in a logical order.