How to Conduct a Professional Interview

When interviewing a source for a news article, it is very important to establish a rapport with that source. There are several ways to approach interviewing, but there are only a few that serve to make you stand out above all others. Following are some simple guidelines to help you polish your interviewing strategies and techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Digital voice recorder (optional)

Instructions

1. Dress according to the setting in which you will be conducting your interview. If the setting will be casual, dress to suit that environment. If the setting will be more professional, then approach your outfit with the same manner. When you first meet the interviewee, approach him with light, friendly conversation to break the ice.

2. Make sure you have given thought to the questions you plan to ask. Write them out if it makes you feel more comfortable. Allow some wiggle room. The questions you walk into the interview with are not set in stone. The interview could take a turn which brings up new questions you may not have thought of before.

3. Ask open-ended questions. Such questions will open up more avenues to pursue. Open-ended questions require more than a "yes" or "no" answer and can lead to directions which you hadn't thought to explore. This could produce a new angle or perspective on the original story you had planned. Limit close-ended questions.

4. Take a digital voice (or tape) recorder with you to the interview. The recorder will serve as insurance, per se by guaranteeing accuracy of quotes. Be sure to take extra batteries and tapes to the interview.

5. Take plenty of notes. You should never rely solely on the recorder to catch everything. By taking notes you can record your observations of the interviewee and the setting.

6. Allow the person you are interviewing to take the lead, to an extent. Don't allow the individual to take over the interview. But allow the individual to feel comfortable enough to take the introduction you have given and run with it. If you find the interview is veering off into an area to which you don't wish to take it, steer the interview back onto the original intended path.

7. Be sure to ask the interviewee if there are any other thoughts or comments with which she would like to end the interview.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to get contact information from your interviewee, like an email address or direct phone number. If you have any questions or need any clarification, you will be able to get in touch with him directly.

• Make sure you send your interviewee a thank-you note following the interview. Leave your door open to the interviewee--this will help to establish a rapport with her; that way if you need to contact her in the future you will have established a professional relationship.

• Do not make promises to your interviewee that you cannot keep.