You’ve been assigned an article that is completely dependent on the mercy of a stranger, you need to interview a subject and put together an article from the information you’ve received.
Whether you are interviewing your subject face-to-face, by phone, or even via email, you need to make your subject feel comfortable, let them know they can trust you, listen to them carefully, and put all of the information together in a readable and interesting article. The best interview is face-to-face or voice-to-voice (by phone) so that you can see or hear reactions and be a little flexible with your next questions. If you are meeting your subject at their home or place of business, observe things around you looking for personality touches, awards, hobbies or anything that might give you insight into your subject.
Start working on the article from the moment you get the assignment. Research your subject online, in magazines or newspapers – wherever you can find information. Don’t forget to research the company they work for or any known associates. Using the focus of the assignment, if your editor has specified, think of questions to ask your subject. Make a list of question topics (I prefer not to sound like I am reading from a script), always include more questions than you will actually need in case the subject strays from topic or wants to focus on more. If you are conducting the interview by email, make a list of more questions than you need and ask the subject to answer whatever they feel comfortable with; a good final question is Is there a question you wish I had asked? What would your answer be? During the interview allow a little latitude for the subject to talk about what is important to her, if necessary gently steer her back on topic. If the subject asks you a personal question, respond with only a few words and then maneuver your subject back to talking about herself. Stay informal, friendly and professional. Try to stick to on-the-record information; if your subject says something that you think might not sound right, ask politely if that is for public knowledge or not.
Using a tape or digital recorder during an interview may be helpful so that you don’t miss anything and can verify every quote, however most people feel self-conscious when they are being recorded (NEVER record someone secretly) and may not be as forthcoming. I’ve always found pen and paper to be effective. I write key words and phrases as well as specific dates or numbers, and my subjects have never objected when I asked for a moment to get a quote right (and yes, I’ve told them I would like to quote them on “that”). When the interview is finished and you are saying thank-you and good-bye, be sure that you have a contact number and name in case you need to call to clarify something as you are writing the article. If the subject asks to read the article before submission, say, gently and politely, that your editor has the final editorial say; letting the subject read the article before print might be nice, but be careful about relinquishing control. As soon as the interview is over and you are out of your subject’s sight, fill in your notes while everything is still fresh in your mind. Verify dates, numbers and spelling before submitting the article to your editor.
Be careful about including claims which are hard to verify – if the subject says for instance that their office handles 80% of all transactions make sure that statement is included ONLY as a direct quote from the subject. If you did record your interview (you should have still taken written notes), store your recording until well after the article goes into print in case anyone refutes the information (it does happen even when you are 100% in the right). Always try to follow through with a printed/published copy of the article either mailed or emailed to the subject with a nice handwritten BRIEF thank you. Remember your integrity, be honorable – don’t expose information told to you specifically OFF-the-record, your reputation will follow you, don’t ruin it.
Writing Exercise: Write YOUR obituary. Try to put a touch of humor into the wording, but do make sure that anyone reading it would get a true sense of who you are/were.
Writing Prompt: Think of five people you would love to interview (dead or alive, famous or not). Is there ONE question you would ask each of them?
Challenge Assignment: Interview a fictitious character with secrets to hide and the assignment from your editor is to get to the truth behind those secrets. Write the final article from the interview.
