Page 137 - Jostens Yearbook_Adviser Guide

6.2 PREPARING QUESTIONS DRAW THEM OUT

With a reluctant interview subject, the interviewer may need to slow down and ask more non-threatening yes
or no questions, just to get some basic information.

When heading out for an interview, students should not TRANSCRIPT OF A SAMPLE INTERVIEW

set out to simply “get a quote,” they should set out to have
a conversation. Interviews not going the way you hoped? Time to take a breath and see
what’s going wrong.

And while students will often take the time to have a conversation with a student about First, many students set out with one or two questions in mind, neglecting to realize that some of the best
whom they are writing a profile, or in a longer feature story, they may neglect some of the quotes happen when an interview unfolds organically, just as it would in conversation.
introductory interview elements if they are putting together a quick read or a caption.
TAKE A LOOK:
All interviews, no matter how minor they may seem, should have three parts: an
Introduction, a Warm-up and a Pitch. Pitch questions should be prepared ahead of ■ What class was this photo taken in? English.
time. For a quick read or caption, pitch questions should be limited to two. ■ What’s your favorite thing about English? The teacher is pretty cool and laid back.

THE INTRODUCTION ■ Many interviewers stop there. But look at what happens when they don’t.
■ What were you doing? Writing in my journal.
Say and spell your name. What is your grade level? What are you doing in this photo?
What class is this? What was the activity? What happened? ■ What were you writing about? I don’t know.
■ Do you like to write? No.
THE WARM-UP
■ Why not? I don’t know. It’s just boring.
How did it feel when… What were you thinking when… Tell me more about… ■ Do you have a hard time coming up with ideas of what to write? Yes.

THE PITCH ■ Does your teacher usually give you a topic for your journal? Yes.
■ What are some topics she’s given you? What’s your favorite place? What do you like about your family?
What was the best/worst? Least/most? First/last? Memorable moments are found at the
extremes. And memorable moments often hold emotion. However, jumping straight to the Stuff like that.
extremes without appropriately warming up your interview subject may feel too jarring. ■ What place did you write about? I think I wrote about this baseball field that my dad took me to.
An interview subject should feel comfortable talking before being asked about best or ■ Why’d you pick that place? I don’t know, ‘cause it was cool, I guess.
worst moments.
■ What was cool about it? It was different.
THE MAGIC WORDS INFORMATION GATHERING ■ How was it different from other places? It was like the only place I’d ever get to go with my dad by myself.

Every place else we went, my sister came. But this was just us.
Remember these three helpful key THE INTRODUCTION. Get the basic facts: Who, what, where, when, why and how (if easily apparent)

words and phrases when drafting Say and spell your name.

Tell me about…
(the event, the game, this photo, etc.)
interview questions: By extending the interview, the interviewer added in a handful of low stakes yes and no questions to get
their interviewee warmed up. These were followed by unprepared questions based on their subject’s answers.
THE WARM-UP. To establish trust, ask an unprepared question in response to what you’ve heard.
Tell me more about… Always try to take a breath to make your subject more comfortable and let them know you’re listening.

Describe… THE PITCH. The questions you came to ask. Listen for a response that makes you feel something.

Why?

INFORMATION GATHERING

THE INTRODUCTION. Get the basic facts: Who, what, where, when, why and how (if easily apparent)

Say and spell your name.
Tell me about…
(the event, the game, this photo, etc.)

THE WARM-UP. To establish trust, ask an unprepared question in response to what you’ve heard.

136 SECTION 6.2 PREPARING QUESTIONS INTERVIEWING AND CAPTIONS 137
THE PITCH. The questions you came to ask. Listen for a response that makes you feel something.

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