Conducting Interviews

In introductory paragraphs, you always start with a hook then give background to your topic.  All of the following are ways to give background information to your audience EXCEPT....

• Don't give background to your topic.  I mean come on, everyone knows what your topic is anyways, like, from babies to dumb adults.

• Give information on how your topic is relevant today

• Explain how the topic impacts society today 

• Define the topic for your reader

What's the best way to get your interviewee to give you a good quote or story?  Ask...

• Who?

• When?

• What?

• Why? Why? Wait, you told me this.  Why did this happen?  Why did you react that way? Why? Why? Why?

What type of questions should you come up with?

• Close ended questions that yeild one or two word answers or yes / no answers

• Open ended questions that force the interviewee to give you a lot of information

What IS NOT a really good follow up question you can use during an interview?

• How does that work?

• Do you agree with this? Yes or no?

• Can you help me understand that?

What IS NOT a good question to ask at the end of the interview?

• Did you like this interview? Yes / no?

• Is there anything else I should be asking you about?

• Is there anything else you can tell me to better help me understand what happened?

What DOES NOT force interviewees to awkwardly say more and elaborate?

• Keep asking questions.  Awkard silences are awkward for a reason.

• Stay silent and let interviewee jump in and keep talking

• Say uh-huh, uh-huh

If someone doesn't answer, what can you tell them?

• Thanks for not answering loser. Next question

• Hey, you didn't respond.  I'll have to say you refused to answer in the article.