Strategies If You Want to Get the Perfect Interview
Interviewing is probably the most fundamental reporting skill. It usually forms the core of articles and videos. While some journalists have a natural talent for it, other people need to develop and improve their skills in order to achieve good results.
What are the main techniques journalists use to make an interview great? We are sharing some advice for students and journalism lovers who aim at perfecting their skills.
“If the circumstances allow it, do your research,” suggests Valeria Rubino, an international journalist in the professional guild who specializes in video interviews and reports for ViaggoSport. “Competence is essential. Knowing as much as you can about the subject and about the person you’re interviewing can make a huge difference,” she explains.
Maintaining eye contact is another important element. “Always look at the people you’re interviewing in their eyes,” adds Rubino, whose interviews have been used as examples for journalism students. “Having a list of questions you want to ask can be useful, but interrupting eye contact to look at your list and read questions can ruin the flow.”
It is also crucial to listen to the subject’s answers and not just focus on the next question you want to ask. “Pay attention to the reaction to your question to adapt the following queries. Let the interview follow its own path. You can steer the conversation, but not too much,” she recommends.
Rubino also stresses the importance of empathy when interviewing subjects: it’s an important quality not just to have but to develop. “You will often have to change your questions based on your interviewee’s mood, responses, and feelings,” says Rubino, who is one of the few Europeans to have ever conducted one-on-one interviews with all the existing NBA stars and has interviewed many other sports legends and celebrities.
When athletes lose a game or a race for instance, getting a great interview becomes harder. Think about changing your questions and their tone, she recommends. “Listen to the first response. Observe body language. Proceed with another question if you sense you can.”
Rubino recalls a particularly challenging video interview she had to conduct for the French television network L’Equipe TV when she was tasked with closely following star basketball player Joakim Noah during the NBA playoffs. Not only had the French player just gotten a severe ankle sprain, but his team—the Chicago Bulls—had just been eliminated from the playoffs. “I started with my first question and he said that he wouldn’t do any interview. I had traveled to that game just for this interview. Luckily, I didn’t panic. Only with patience, respect, sensitivity, and empathy I got to convince him to talk to me anyway. I got him to focus on what went well for his team during the season and not on his injury or loss. All other French media were stunned.”
Another piece of advice is to never ask questions that could have a yes or no answer, which would be bad for the interview’s flow.
“Respect the interviewee’s time as well. If you have an appointment, get there a few minutes early,” adds Rubino, who has worked for ESPN, Sun Sports, RAI (Italian TV), LaPresse wire service, Corriere della Sera, il Roma. Todo Deporte, GQ Italia, and other outlets.
Finally, it’s important to “keep a positive attitude and approach,” she says. Learning not to ask judgmental questions will go a long way to endear you to your subject.
