How to Write
Great Questions
News Gathering
5W’s and H
who, what, when, where, why, how
These are the building blocks of interview
questions.
They also can help you find an angle or focus
to a story, figure out who to interview, and
decide what you need to research.
Story Angle
This is the specific approach or focus you will
take to your topic.
“Football” is a topic. Possible angles could be
a game report, a season trend, or a player
profile.
“Fashion” is a topic. What to wear with boots
in Florida is a story angle.
Story Angle
Every story should have an angle or focus.
Use news values to help you determine the
best focus for your readers:
Timeliness
Proximity
Conflict
Consequence/
Impact
Story Angle: Rule of 8 News Values
• 1. Did something interesting just happen recently?
(timeliness)
• 2. Did it happen nearby? (proximity)
• 3. Does it affect the readers or viewers, or have some
consequence for their lives? (impact/consequence)
• 4. Is someone who is well known involved?
(prominence/celebrity)
• 5. Is it odd, rare, weird, a “first” or otherwise outside the
ordinary? (oddity/rarity/novelty)
• 6. Is there a conflict or disagreement? (conflict)
• 7. Does it tug at the heart strings? (human interest)
• 8. Is it related to something everyone is talking about in
social media or other news media? (currency)
Story Angle:
It’s all in the questions you ask.
What happened?
What’s important or surprising about this?
What might happen because of this?
When has this ever happened before?
Why did this happen?
Who cares?
Why did this surprise me?
How did this happen?
How does this affect people?
Questions:
Closed-ended and open-ended
Closed-ended questions elicit yes or no
responses or short one- or two-word
answers.
Open-ended questions require more fully
developed responses. Open-ended
questions produce the best quotes and
information.
What are some examples of each?
Two-part questions
Sometimes you need to ask close-ended
questions to get facts or basic information.
Expand them with logical follow-up questions.
For example:
“What famous person would you love to
meet?”
“What would you talk about?”
Other types of questions
that produce great answers
Hypothetical: “What if …” Propose a
scenario and ask your source to respond.
Statistical: Ask your source to respond to
statistical information, especially if the
statistics are surprising or out-of-whack.
Other types of questions
that produce great answers
From outer space: Even when you know,
act like you don’t. Your source will explain it
to you and you’ll have a great quote.
Devil’s advocate: Take a position you know
your source does not agree with, and ask
your source to react.
Other types of questions
that produce great answers
Personal experience: Ask your source for
examples of his or her own personal
experience with your topic. Or, tell your
personal experience and ask your source to
react.
Not a question, but a request: Tell me
about a time when … Describe what
happened when … Tell me more about that.
No-fail follow-up questions
•
•
•
•
Why?
Can you tell me more about that?
Would you explain …
How did you feel when that
happened?
• What did you (or do you) think
about …
• How did that happen?
You try …
Pair up with another student, preferably
someone you don’t know well.
Have a brief conversation with each other and
try to find a specific story angle that you can
write about.
TIP: Ask open-ended questions to find out
what’s special about your partner!
Assignment – Research and Write
Questions
For homework, do some basic research and
find out key information about your source
and topic.
Then develop a list of open-ended questions
for a follow-up interview. Make sure you have
covered all 5W’s and H.
Assignment – Research Tip
Think of the overall topic.
For example, if your source is a skateboarder,
research local hotspots for skateboarders,
skateboarding tricks and skateboarders in the
news.
Try reading articles that others have written
about skateboarders. What did they ask?
What’s next …
Next class meeting, you will interview each
other for 15 minutes each.
Make sure you can record your interview with
an audio device or recording app on your
phone.
You must also take notes.
After the interview
Transcribe your interview for homework.
Make your quotes copy-ready.
This transcription should contain a brief
introduction of background information on
your source.
Other sources
You should always strive for a minimum of
three sources in every story.
1) The main/key individual (that’s your
partner)
2) An expert – to provide credibility and
background. Usually an adult.
3) A back-up source to corroborate or confirm
what your main source said.
- OR - A contradictory source for an
alternate point of view.
Other sources
Find two more sources who can add to your
story and write questions for them.
Possibilities:
• Coach or teacher
• Mom or Dad
• Best friend or good friend or old friend
• Team member
• Brother, sister, cousin, other family member
Final Assignment – Turn in:
1. Your research notes.
2. Your questions and transcribed notes/quotes
from your main source. Make sure you
include your partner’s name and grade level!
3. Your questions for two additional sources (say
who they would be).
4. In addition, you must answer this two-part
reflection question:
Which of your questions got the best
responses? Why do you think those
questions worked better than others?
Optional assignment follows.
Profile Story
Following the evaluation of your interviews,
write a 250-350 word profile story about your
partner.
Focus on one angle about your subject that
makes him or her special.