The interview is the building block of feature writing and news reporting in general. But when you're interviewing for feature writing you're not just getting the facts; you're getting the story.
Your assignment is to choose one of your sources from your web feature worksheet and interview them in person (or on the phone if you must, but not over e-mail). Then, you are going to compose a 600 word "Q&A". There are many examples of this format in magazines both print and online. What this means is that you are going to pick and choose the best, most enlightening, most interesting questions and answers. The Q&A form is an edited interview. You will not actually post this on your blog: you will turn it in on paper.
My advice for interviewing:
- Set your goals: What are you hoping to get from this interview? What kind of information? What stories/anecdotes? What are you hoping to learn about the person?
- Make a list of questions: Write/type a list of questions, making sure you hit all of your reporting goals. Think about the order of the questions so the conversation unfolds easily. Don't ask hard questions first. Put those in the middle.
- Be ready to go off-script: The ideal interview flows more like a conversation, and an answer may lead you to ask a different question, pursue different information. That's great. Don't be afraid!
- Get/use/borrow a recording device: You won't regret it. Not having to furiously take notes will free up your brain to think and listen and come up with different questions if you need to. Take notes, sure, but record also.
- GET PERMISSION: Journalists have enormous responsibility to their sources, since what they say becomes mass communication, read by many. You must be clear with your interviewee that you are interviewing them for a class in which you will post the article online. If they have any problem being quoted see if you can negotiate to use just their first name or initials. If that doesn't work, e-mail me.
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