I’ve always considered myself a confident person but the idea of finding, approaching and interviewing a stranger is the most uncomfortable situation I could possibly imagine. Despite this, I recognise that interviewing is a key part of journalism and therefore resolved to absorb as much as I possibly could before being thrown in the deep end by conducting my own interview.
The first and arguably most important method of being a good interviewer is being well prepared. As a journalist, people who agree to be interviewed are essentially donating their time to help your career or to spread a message. If journalists are unequipped for this, it fails to give the subject the legitimate platform that they deserve and is extremely disrespectful.
Gaining an extensive amount of background knowledge on the topic you plan to discuss allows for a more open and comfortable conversation where you’ll be able to get deeper into the mind of your subject. Therefore research is a key aspect of preparing for any interview. This also relates to the idea of using open-ended questions. We want our subjects to give us as much information as possible which we aren’t going to be able to get with yes or no questions.
Being able to express empathy is another important ability for journalists to have as it helps interviewees develop a connection with you as a journalist and feel at ease revealing personal details. Ellen is one of the most prominent interview hosts in modern media and has an extremely comforting and supportive approach to interviewing. As a result of this, many individuals feel comfortable and compelled to open up to her. The above video of Chely Wright shows how Ellen encourages her subject and expresses her sympathy for what Chely went through, ultimately creating a stronger relationship between the host and the subject.
Finally, and very importantly, remember to be perceptive. Whether this refers to picking up on body language, the way your subject interacts with their environment or ways in which they may try to dodge questions, journalists must be hyper-aware of every aspect of the interview. Ariana Grande was featured in an interview years ago in which the journalists were completely oblivious to how their questions were making her feel. As a result of this, the interview has now gone viral as a sexist trainwreck, destroying the men’s credibility. All they needed to do to avoid this was to pick on on Ariana’s discomfort and divert the direction the interview was going in, therefore demonstrating the importance of being aware of the subject.
Journalism By Paris 