1. ACJ3053
News Writing & Feature Writing
INTERVIEWING
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2. Guideline to follow
 Make an appointment
 Identify yourself
 Consider your source’s convenience
 Describe the story
 Dress the part
 Be on time
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3. Structuring an Interview
 Funnel Interview
 Most common and most relaxing.
 The toughest questions saved for near the end.
 Start with background questions, followed by open-ended
question then followed by closed-ended questions.
 Beginning with general, easy-to-answer has a good chance
of establishing rapport with the source.
 When the tough questioning begins, the source is more
likely to respond candidly.
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4. Structuring an Interview
 Inverted-Funnel Interview
 The key questions are asked immediately.
 This style of interview is used with people, such
as law enforcement, officer or government
officials.
 Inverted-funnel interviews are mostly used in
breaking news stories when there is little time to
ask questions.
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5. Asking Questions
 Planning Questions
 Memorize or write down important questions.
 Do homework – read previous news or conduct
preliminary interviews.
 Additional questions might pop-up during the
interview – jot them down.
 Avoid staring and reading from your note pad
 Listen to the interviewee.
 Make eye contact.
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6. Asking Questions
 Closed-ended Questions
 Timing and wording of questions during an
interview can affect source response.
 Some interview need quick, short and specific
answers.
 The best way is to ask closed-ended questions.
 The question showed the reporter has interviewed
other people and know most of the answers.
 Don’t afraid to ask tough question but don’t ask
nonsense questions.
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7. Asking Questions
 Open-ended Questions
 Used when short, precise answer is not
immediately necessary.
 It allows a source more time to develop an
answer – less intimidating.
 It is a good way to break the ice and established
rapport before a more detailed closed-ended
questions being asked.
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8. Asking Questions
 Open-ended or Closed-ended?
 How the subject react to certain question?
 Reserved closed-ended question when the source is
relaxed and begin to open up.
 The length of the interview
 If an important source who is rushed for the time is
being interviewed, get to the heart of the interview by
asking specific questions.
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9. Asking Questions
 Asking Personal Questions
 Do your homework.
 Try to interview the person face-to-face.
 Interview in a casual setting.
 Break the ice with general questions.
 If the interview is being taped, try not to turn the
recorder right away.
 Sometimes, it is easier not to ask question at all.
 Preface the question.
 Coax an uncooperative source.
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10. Asking Questions
 Using follow-up Questions
 Follow-up questions – rearticulate their questions
or ask another question to elicit a new or a more
specific response from a source.
 You need to:
 Do necessary homework and ask appropriate open-
ended questions.
 Listen intently to the response.
 Know the subject well and able to interpret the
response quickly and followed with another question.
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11. Asking Questions
 Framing Questions
 Reporters should know what is the theme and purpose of
study before begin the interviewing process.
 E.g. – the success of a restaurant owner, crooked politician,
how people cope with increasing crime in Malaysia, etc.
 Once determined, the questions can be framed so that the
interview will help the reporter to achieve it.
 Interviews are vital in a feature story – they bring it to life –
without interview, there is no story.
 Question must be framed so that the sources can help to
tell the story.
 Preparation is the key for making the interview to fit the
story – have a list of questions, if not specific.
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12. Asking Questions
 Establishing Rapport
 Reporters must establish rapport with their sources as
quickly as possible – the key to getting their questions
answered.
 Most sources will not answer questions candidly until they
have “warmed-up” to the reporter.
 Guidelines:
 Try to conduct the interview in person.
 Begin with general, easy-to-answer question.
 Do not ask vague questions.
 Don’t beat around the bushes.
 Avoid arguing
 Listen
 Be open to any response. 12

13. Asking Questions
 Making & Using Observation
 When reporters write accurately what source has said,
audience can “hear”.
 When reporters observe and report the source mannerism
and surroundings, the audience can see.
 Observation add color to stories, which means they give
audience clearer picture of a person or event.
 When reporting, keep in mind:
 Unusual or common about the person or place.
 How articulate the source.
 Observation are vital to features, and sometimes for news
stories.
 Only reporters can obtain observation.
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14. Asking Questions
 Taking notes
 Using recorder
 The advantage is reporters can make eye contact
 But still have to take notes too – in case
malfunctioning recorder.
 Recorder also have disadvantage:
 Intimidate your source.
 Waste time because reporters have to listen back.
 Great advantage of recorder is it is permanent,
precise and prevent from misquoting.
 The reporter take note to remember key points.
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15. Asking Questions
 Taking notes
 Take sufficient notes
 Write faster
 Managing note pad
 Using symbols
 Asking for repetition
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