by fiona patricia s. escandor
To some of us, interviewing is like a walk in the park, to others it’s like a death march. Whether you belong to the former or to the latter, you are bound to experience interviewing a person in your lifetime. Interviewing is not a forte that is to be mastered merely by those in the field of journalism. It is a skill that is relevant to us all. We cannot depend on books and the Internet alone. There are pieces of information that we can only acquire directly from a person. It could be a CEO’s secret on rising up the corporate ladder or a young star’s opinion on her ex-boyfriend’s new lover, or how some new invention works, one thing’s for sure, knowing how to interview is surely a handy skill to be obtained.
It is therefore essential to instruct ourselves with these various tips collated by young journalists from the University of the Philippines in Visayas Cebu College. These tips do not guarantee your instant transformation to someone like Oprah or Korina Sanchez (or if you prefer, Oriana Fallaci?), but it could definitely guide you in your route to becoming one.
First, it is necessary for you to research about the topic at hand. Do your homework, as they say. This is the part where the Internet, books, newspapers, and other periodicals play their part. Doing so helps in the creation of the questions for the interviewee. It will help you distinguish between the matters that are already known to the public and the matters that are still pretty much hazy. Familiarizing yourself with the basics of the topic also saves time, and most of all, saves you from the embarrassment of being labeled an ignorant. Can you imagine asking Manny Pacquiao, what he does for a living?
Once you have gotten to know the facts and the figures, it is time for you to start listing down the things you and your readers would like to know more about the topic. For example, everybody knows Pacquiao is a boxer, but what are his hobbies outside the ring? Aside from learning English, that is.
The third step is to contact the source. An ambush interview is risky since your source may not be around at the time you plan to interview. Furthermore, it is rude.
To make sure that the interview will go smoothly, you should prepare the needed materials at least a day before the interview is scheduled. It would be very helpful to make a list of the things you will need to bring. You wouldn’t want your recorder to run out of batteries in the middle of the interview, would you?
Lastly, it is crucial in preparing for an interview to Look Presentable. As superficial as it sounds, dressing well has its perks in this kind of a situation. It is basically an act of courtesy and respect. It gives the interviewee the impression that you are taking the interview seriously, which in turn, will encourage them to treat the interview similarly. This does not mean guys ought to be wearing tux and girls don dresses, you have to take into consideration the status of your source and the venue where the interview will be held.
There are plenty of ways in making your interview a success. The tips mentioned above are only some of them. However, you must never forget that first and foremost an interview is “is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked.” It does not necessarily include a voice recorder and a snazzy outline. The purpose of an interview is to obtain information, and one can achieve that with a little curiosity, a handful amount of wit, and a huge bag of confidence.
To some of us, interviewing is like a walk in the park, to others it’s like a death march. Whether you belong to the former or to the latter, you are bound to experience interviewing a person in your lifetime. Interviewing is not a forte that is to be mastered merely by those in the field of journalism. It is a skill that is relevant to us all. We cannot depend on books and the Internet alone. There are pieces of information that we can only acquire directly from a person. It could be a CEO’s secret on rising up the corporate ladder or a young star’s opinion on her ex-boyfriend’s new lover, or how some new invention works, one thing’s for sure, knowing how to interview is surely a handy skill to be obtained.
It is therefore essential to instruct ourselves with these various tips collated by young journalists from the University of the Philippines in Visayas Cebu College. These tips do not guarantee your instant transformation to someone like Oprah or Korina Sanchez (or if you prefer, Oriana Fallaci?), but it could definitely guide you in your route to becoming one.
First, it is necessary for you to research about the topic at hand. Do your homework, as they say. This is the part where the Internet, books, newspapers, and other periodicals play their part. Doing so helps in the creation of the questions for the interviewee. It will help you distinguish between the matters that are already known to the public and the matters that are still pretty much hazy. Familiarizing yourself with the basics of the topic also saves time, and most of all, saves you from the embarrassment of being labeled an ignorant. Can you imagine asking Manny Pacquiao, what he does for a living?
Once you have gotten to know the facts and the figures, it is time for you to start listing down the things you and your readers would like to know more about the topic. For example, everybody knows Pacquiao is a boxer, but what are his hobbies outside the ring? Aside from learning English, that is.
The third step is to contact the source. An ambush interview is risky since your source may not be around at the time you plan to interview. Furthermore, it is rude.
To make sure that the interview will go smoothly, you should prepare the needed materials at least a day before the interview is scheduled. It would be very helpful to make a list of the things you will need to bring. You wouldn’t want your recorder to run out of batteries in the middle of the interview, would you?
Lastly, it is crucial in preparing for an interview to Look Presentable. As superficial as it sounds, dressing well has its perks in this kind of a situation. It is basically an act of courtesy and respect. It gives the interviewee the impression that you are taking the interview seriously, which in turn, will encourage them to treat the interview similarly. This does not mean guys ought to be wearing tux and girls don dresses, you have to take into consideration the status of your source and the venue where the interview will be held.
There are plenty of ways in making your interview a success. The tips mentioned above are only some of them. However, you must never forget that first and foremost an interview is “is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked.” It does not necessarily include a voice recorder and a snazzy outline. The purpose of an interview is to obtain information, and one can achieve that with a little curiosity, a handful amount of wit, and a huge bag of confidence.
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