Interviewing
News Gathering
5W and 1H
Who, what, when, where, why and how are
the building blocks for developing interview
questions.
In every story, reporters should be able to
quickly note the answers to all 5W’s after
their reporting is done and before they start
writing.
open-ended question
Questions used in an interview that require a
sentence or more as a response. Sources
respond in their own words, providing
complete thoughts.
These questions often begin with “why,”
“how,” “what happened,” or “tell me about …”
closed-ended question
This is a question that elicits a one-word
response, including yes/no questions.
Close-ended questions are good for poll
questions, but in interviews they are best
avoided unless paired with a follow-up
question.
follow-up questions
These questions are used to develop a
response to a recent question during an
interview.
They can be planned or be the result of
listening closely to an answer, particularly if
an answer seems incomplete.
Follow-up questions also may be asked at a
later time after an initial interview.
two-part question
Here, the reporter will ask two questions at once
to help elicit a response. Here is an example.
“Where were you when you first heard of the
assassination of JFK and how did you react to
the news?”
rephrase
This is a method of clarification. A source
might provide essential information that is
jumbled or unorganized; interviewers redirect
or rephrase the question to get a clearer
response.
In order to use rephrasing, reporters must
listen carefully during the interview.
expert
A source who is highly knowledgeable about a
story topic, often an adult or someone who is
directly involved with the event or topic.
quotation
Direct expression of a source.
Quotations, or quotes, are the word-for-word
response by a source that requires quotation
marks within a story.
Indirectly, it is a paraphrasing of comments or
information provided by a specific source.
direct quote
The exact words provided by a source, usually
gained through an interview.
Direct quotes must be contained within
quotation marks. Punctuation goes within the
quotation marks and attribution goes after the
first sentence of the quote.
indirect quote
Information provided by a source that is
paraphrased by the writer and used without
quotation marks. This is usually a close
rephrasing of something someone said, but
not word-for-word.
Indirect quotes must also be attributed.
attribution
The identification of the source providing
information in a story.
Usually, it is the name of the person quoted,
but attribution is also required when
journalists cite researched information or
data.
reaction
This is a comment made by a source when
asked to respond to an event, issue, topic or
a comment made by another source or story
subject.
This should be considered as a type of
question development.
formal interview
This is a well-planned interview, usually a sitdown between interviewer and interviewee.
Generally, the interview is conducted within
the environment of the person being
interviewed, such as in the principal’s office
for an interview with the principal or at the
gym for an interview with a coach.
softball questions
These are the easier, uncontroversial
questions that a reporter usually uses to
begin an interview. These types of questions
help to make the source comfortable.
If a story might involve tough, probing
questions, this technique establishes a
conversational tone, thus creating a positive
reporter-source relationship.
fact checking
This is a process of checking facts and quotes
for accuracy and verification.
News agencies may have a person
designated to perform fact-checking duties,
but this can also occur as part of the
interview process.
verification
This is the act of proving the accuracy of
gathered information. Fact-checking is one
example of how verification occurs. Reading
back or reviewing quotes with a source is
another example.
read back
This is a method of information verification.
Interviewers use this technique during the
interview by reading back the comments
made by the interviewee.
It also could be used as a fact-checking
strategy during the transcription of notes or
before publishing a story.
advance
A story that deals with an event that has not
yet occurred, but is expect to yield news or is
of interest to readers or viewers because they
might like to attend.
Sources provide information on what is
planned for the event. This is also known as
a preview story.
person on the street
Interview technique where a reporter gets
information from previously unknown
sources. Usually, these are brief interviews
that gain reaction to a story topic or event.
Broadcast reporters use this technique often.
Q-and-A
This interviewing format is a recorded
question and answer session in which each
question and answer is presented to the
reader by the reporter. The interview is
conducted conversationally, but follows a
strategic plan to gain the best information in a
logical order.