How to Interview a Source for Publication

Writing a good article, whether for the web, a magazine, a newpaper or a newsletter, often requires conducting an interview with a knowledgeable source. Use these tips and techniques to improve your interview skills.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notepad
• Pen
• Digital recorder with fresh batteries (optional)

1. Before the interview
   • Do your homework. Spend some time researching the topic and the person(s) you are interviewing.
   • Prepare your questions. Ask open-ended questions, not yes or no questions. Be prepared with follow-up questions to bring out more detail. Keep your own opinions and biases out of the questions.
   • Make an appointment with the person(s) you are interviewing. If you are doing a face-to-face or telephone interview, it may take 15 minutes to two hours. If you are doing a written or e-mail interview, emphasize the deadline by which you need the responses. People often procrastinate or find it takes longer than they expected, so it’s a good idea to build an extra day into this schedule.

2. During the interview
   • Be professional. Be on time for the appointment. If it is a face to face interview, dress nicely.
   • Take notes, even if you are recording the interview. You don’t want to have to redo the interview because of weak batteries in a recorder.
   • Start with easy questions to get a little background on your subject, then move into the questions that take more thought.

3. After the interview
   • Transcribe your notes and recording.
   • Begin writing the article. Include a brief intro, one or two short paragraphs. This is where you explain what the topic of the interview is and introduce the person you are interviewing. If it’s longer than one or two paragraphs, readers will flip the page. It may be easier to write the intro and headline after you write the rest of the article.
   • Don’t introduce your own opinion in your intro or your questions. The article isn’t about your opinion, it’s about the opinion of the person you interviewed. Again, if you get preachy, readers will flip the page to the next article.
   • When you are writing the article, it may make sense to rearrange the order of the questions you asked. Put the most important information first, then move on to less important details.
   • As you put the article together, combine two or three related questions into one. Edit the responses to be standard English, not slang or poor grammar. Break up run-on sentences and use complete sentences. (In hard news stories, you must use the person’s exact words. In features and magazine articles, you should clean up his language and correct his grammar.)

Tips & Warnings

• Take good notes and rely on them when you write the article. A digital recorder is handy to make sure your are word perfect when you use a direct quote.
• Be prepared to ask follow-up questions if your source's response is incomplete.
• Try to be an unbiased reporter. Leave your own opinions out of the article and include your interview subject’s opinions even when you don’t agree. This is harder than it sounds.