Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Intended for new media and journalism students at Mercer County Community College in Prof. Holly Johnson's classes. This presentation combines psychological and law enforcement tools to help reporters conduct successful and ethical interviews.
Citation preview
FBI Strategies for Interviewing
Prof. Holly-Katharine Johnson
Mercer County Community College
©2012
Getting information without pulling teeth
Journalistic ethics prevent us from doing anything that runs the risk of harming others emotionally, physically, mentally or financially.
NOT VIABLE OPTIONSSTR
ATEG
Y 1
coercion
STR
ATEG
Y 2 bribery
STR
ATEG
Y 3 torture
Verbal pressure is one alternative
When does verbal pressure work?
Verbal pressure works on certain people and in certain situations but you must be ethical
Pressure works:
in the movies
on children (ethics problems depending on strategy)
on people who actually want to talk
on people in situations where the “right” thing to do is talk and the subject has a conscience
on people with little to lose
Verbal pressure is useless in certain situations
Verbal pressure won’t work on:
Police public information officers (PIOs)
People who’ve been prepped to handle journalists’ questions
People who are paid to stay quiet
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES WORK
FBI Strategy 1 – Withholding Judgment – Don’t let them know how you feel about them.
FBI Strategy 2 – Joining – I see it from your perspective.
I’ve been there myself…
“That must have been really difficult for you…”
FBI Strategy 3 – Mirroring
FBI Strategy 4 – Showing Curiosity
Pay attention to personality types:
NOTE: Pay attention to the language people use to determine if they are THINKING or FEELING types. Adjust your language and posture accordingly.
How did you feel
about that?
What were you thinking at the time?
Setting different people at ease
For Feeling Types
For Thinking Types
Emphasize facial responses, eyebrows up
Keep face fairly blank, eyebrows down intermittently
Lower voice Keep voice steady, firm
Reach out with hands Take notes
Shoulders rounded Shoulders back
FBI Strategy 5 – Active Listening
Resist the urge to formulate your next question while the subject is answering your current question.
Review
Verbal pressure is rarely useful
Psychological strategies work well, including:Withholding judgment JoiningMirroringShowing CuriosityActive Listening
Consider the feeling/thinking personality and adjust your posture and language accordingly
Thank you, thank you
very much!
END
