Interviewing Vocabulary

Planned interview, usually a sit down, between interviewer and interviewee.

• Verification

• Formal interview

• Fact checking

• Follow up

The building blocks for developing interview questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how.

• Direct quote

• Q & A

• 5 W's and H

• Closed-ended

With this technique, the reporter will ask two questions at once to help elicit a response.

• Two-part question

• Follow-up

• Close-ended

• Open-ended

A source that is highly knowledgeable about a topic.

• Fact checking

• Direct quote

• Formal interview

• Expert

Direct expression of a source that is presented word for word.

• Quotation or quote

• Direct quote

• Indirect quote

• Follow up

The act of proving the accuracy of gathered information, through reviewing quotes with sources and checking facts with primary sources.

• Fact checking

• Verification

• Follow up

• Formal interview

Exact wording provided by a source and used in print. Quotation marks required.

• Indirect quote

• Direct quote

• Quotation or quote

• Close-ended

Information spoken by a source that is paraphrased within a story, not word for word.

• Quotation or quote

• Direct quote

• Indirect quote

• Two-part question

Information format where the interview is recorded and transcribed word for word, question by question.

• Q & A

• 5 W's and H

• Formal interview

• Softball questions

A question that usually earns a yes or no.

• Open-ended

• Softball questions

• Close-ended

• Indirect quote