How to Approach People for a Journalism Story
When you approach people for a journalism story, you want to establish rapport and mutual respect so that you can get the best possible interview. You need to master a few techniques for approaching potential interviewees so you will have quotable quotes, anecdotes and eyewitness accounts to support your own research. A good interview and some human-interest anecdotes can mean the difference between an article that gets accepted or rejected by an editor.
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Instructions
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You'll get a better reception if you single out people who are most likely interested in your topic. Choose a location where people who are interested in your topic may be. Interview shoppers coming out of a shopping mall about consumer issues, or go to city council meetings to find people interested in local politics.
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Once a person knows you are prepared and organized, they will be more cooperative. Prepare your questions in advance. Don't fumble your questions because you keep searching for what you want to ask. Know your questions, and have some idea of what kind of responses you will consider useful. Also be prepared to move away from your prepared questions if the interview takes you in an intriguing direction.
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Begging for an interview can ruin your chances of getting one. Don't ask permission. Offer an interesting tidbit or ask a provocative question instead of asking permission to interview. Don't come on too hard like a pushy salesman. Try to establish rapport and mutual interest in the topic. After you have their attention, you can recite some of your credentials and convince them to talk to you.
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Dress and act in a professional manner and people will likely treat you with respect. Gain the interviewee's respect through your attire and demeanor. Act like a professional and speak in an educated manner. Wear clothing that makes you look like you are a serious journalist and a professional. If you dress and act in a dignified manner, you will likely be treated with dignity and people will be more likely to comply with your request for an interview.
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Acting too casually can turn off interviewees. Be personable but not informal. You want to be on a level with your interviewees, but you don't want to act like you just stepped off the street and made no preparations. People expect journalists to follow at least some formality in doing their jobs.
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Schedule a meeting to show that you consider your story worth the interviewee's time. Make an appointment. If possible, call people you want to interview and ask to see them. Don't tell them you need just a few minutes. Act like this interview is important and deserves their time and attention, and they are more likely to sit up and take notice -- and grant you an interview.
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Research the company where your interviewee works, to show you are serious and responsible. Know the company or organization where the person works. Do some research before the interview. When you know something about the person or the organization they work for, you show that you respect them. In turn, they will show you respect.
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Tips & Warnings
Discourage off-the-record information.
Never agree to allow the interviewee to see the piece before it is published. They will want to edit.
Get addresses, phone numbers and email addresses if you feel you may need to ask follow-up questions.
References
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