Some Thoughts on Conducting Interviews for Investigative Reports
By Su Shan
(Clearwisdom.net) Writing a news report often requires conducting interviews in order to help
people understand the course of events, the opinions and views of those involved
in a story, the reactions of society, etc. At other times, the individuals
themselves are the focus of the report, and in such cases it is crucial to
create a proper environment in which to interview the involved parties, as well
as others who can provide information on them. 1. What Is the Difference Between These Two Interview Objectives? Interviews conducted to cover news puts emphasis on the events, not on the
people being interviewed. The personalities mentioned within the story exist
solely to elucidate the reported events. In order to make the event stand out,
it is better if the people being interviewed provide unique, representative and
vivid accounts. Such viewpoints will help the readers to benefit from these
reports, based on diverse perspectives and thinking. On the other hand, when interviewing people, the individuals themselves are
the focus of attention. These individuals can be, but are not always associated
with a particular event, and the report should also focus on the thoughts,
experiences, views and lives of these individuals. Often these people have stories that are interesting to readers. We can
further gain the readers' interest and empathy by selectively choosing the right
material, angle of approach, writing style, and by providing a variety of
information under the premise of paying attention to an individual's unique
characteristics. 2. How To Choose The Right Individual For An Interview The selection of an interviewee must be based on the nature of the media
(such as magazine, newspaper, etc.), and the purpose of the report. Two key
points are: (1) The interviewee must be "newsworthy." (2) Readers must be
interested in the interviewees. They can be celebrities, famous or important
people, or key characters, eyewitnesses and individuals involved with certain
events, or specialists knowledgeable in certain professional areas, etc. To put it in another way, regardless of whether the individuals are famous or
unknown, they can all serve as sources that bring encouragement, broaden the
horizons, or offer new knowledge and new experiences to our readers. This is
realized through the reporter's unique and constructive investigation, authentic
writing, and consideration of the reader. 3. Preparation Before The Interview In order to write a report that is both refreshing and appealing, the
reporter's preparation, his knowledge of the interviewee and insights into the
topic, as well as his post-interview work, are all key contributing factors. Let's say we are going to interview a Falun Gong practitioner. It is better
to first do some research on the basic information regarding Falun Gong. We also
need to know certain kinds of personal information such as the particular
individual's age, professional background, time of beginning practice, etc.
Knowing such information beforehand allows us to focus the interview on the
essential, substantial topics. This way, the reporter's sincerity and
professionalism will impress the interviewee; furthermore, it will stimulate his
thought processes and his interest in carrying on the dialogue. It will
strengthen his trust in the reporter and shorten the distance between them.
Thus, the information that readers derive from the interviewee's words,
expressions and actions can be more easily brought to light. 4. Making An Appointment For The Interview Usually, an appointment should be made before the interview, unless the
interviewee is already a public figure who is used to facing the media. Before
the official interview, the reporter should state the purpose and scope of the
interview. This is a very considerate approach since it allows the interviewee
ample time to consider the interview questions before hand. If the situation permits, it is a good idea to have a short conversation
while making the appointment. This is one of the approaches to gathering
interview material. It allows the reporter to get an understanding of the
interviewee's attitude about the upcoming interview, and it will be helpful when
drafting a list of interview questions. For those interviewees who either are in a special position or have a very
busy schedule, a more professional approach is to send them the list of
interview questions so that they can be better prepared. This will in fact save
time for both parties, and the interview will have a more substantial dialogue. 5. Interviewing Techniques These can be summed up in the following key points: (1) Control the direction of the interview. During the interview, one must be attentive while listening to the
interviewee so as to follow up closely with questions, as well as adjust the
upcoming questions, based on the interviewee's train of thought. We should avoid
forcefully pushing self-established question. We must not be distracted if the
interviewee digresses from the interview objectives, and we should avoid
dialogue with no theme since it easily draws attention away from the main topic. While listening to the interviewee talking, the reporter should pay attention
and gauge: (2) Pay attention to the principles and skills of asking questions. The most fundamental part of an interview is how to ask questions. Raising
appropriate and well thought out questions will uncover in-depth and interesting
content. A. The principles of asking a question A reporter should raise questions that are straightforward for the
interviewee to answer and beneficial to the reader. Asking questions that are straightforward means: Of course, helping others is helping yourself. A reporter's final coverage
can be done easily if the reporter designs the questions to accommodate the
interviewee. And a well-written report will attract more readers, thus achieving
the goal of the interview. B. The technique of asking a question (3) Take interview notes at all times and organize the interview material in
a timely fashion. In the interview notes determine: All of the above should be recorded in notes. Afterwards, the interview
information should be organized and sorted out before it is forgotten. Only then
can we write a candid and factual report with a refreshing viewpoint, prominent
theme, and real life appeal. Even the transition passages should be substantial,
thus leading to better reader response. By the way, many people know that a good report can touch the reader's
feelings. What should be clarified here is that "touching" is not the same as
making people emotional or making them cry. Rather, the goal is to touch the
reader's heart, and to let the reader relate with the interviewee's story. 6. Writing Style There are a variety of report writing styles, but the most common style is
based on the one-on-one approach. It often incorporates both the interviewee's
words, as well as the reporter's statements, observations, narration,
description, explanation, and supplementary comments. If the reporter is well
acquainted with the interviewee, then the report can be written in the
interviewee's own voice, as a primary person's own recollection. This will make
it sound more intimate. Different styles all have their own unique
characteristics and benefits, as well as their own shortcomings. The above are just some basic outlines regarding the skills of interviewing
people and writing investigative reports. I hope that practitioners who are
interested in doing investigative reporting and wish to do it well will find
some professional reference articles to familiarise themselves with the genre,
and improve their knowledge. The more we practice and the more mistakes we
correct, the earlier we can reach an advanced level that only comes with
practice.
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/6/3/76226.html
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