How Do You Perform A Newspaper Interview?
Gathering news is the heart of a newspaper reporter’s job, and one of the most common methods for doing this is the interview. Depending on the beat, a reporter might find herself in an elected official’s office or a grieving widow’s living room to do the interview. Each instance requires a different tact and approach, but a few basic courtesies and practices apply to any newspaper interview. The number one task is preparation, both mentally and by doing research on the subject. Prepare your questions in advance. Know what angle you want to take on the article, and tailor the questions accordingly. This eliminates awkward pauses in the interview while you rack your brain for something else to ask. Do your homework. Time is precious in the newsroom, but spend 10 minutes online researching your subject before heading out the door. It helps to ask intelligent questions, and it shows your subject that you’re genuinely interested in the piece you’re working on. Check your hardware. You shou
