We have all heard it countless times – the devil is in the details. And those details are hiding in that perfect quote. You know, that quote that comes at the very end of a two hour interview. Journalists spend hours preparing questions just to get that one quote. And more often than not, they only have a couple of minutes to make it happen. Everybody has their trick of the trade when it comes to interviews. Here is a list of the top five dos and don’ts straight from journalists and press liaisons.
The DOs
DO your homework. Know the issue, so you can ask follow-ups.
– Greg Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DO remember: You are having a conversation, not an interrogation.
– Samuel Friedman, Professor at Columbia School of Journalism
DO make your request as specific as possible.
– NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison
DO ask open-ended questions.
– Laurie Azzano, CEO of Cosmo PR
DO giggle. Be a good audience member and people will want to tell you stuff.
– Kiah Haslett, SNL Financial
The DON’Ts
DON’T forget the “why” question. It invites the subject to expand his/her thoughts, in ways the who, what, when, where questions don’t.
– Greg Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DON’T talk. Be quiet and your source may try to fill the silence.
– Kiah Haslett, SNL Financial
DON’T limit yourself to asking a question in one way. Have alternative ways of wording the same question.
– Laurie Azzano, CEO of Cosmo PR
DON’T ask a question that can be answered with either a “yes” or “no” response.
– NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison
DON’T forget to do your research.
– Kiah Haslett, SNL Financial