Journalistic Interview Questions
The interview style of a journalist can be transferred to other types of interviews, such as job interviews. This requires a basic knowledge of the general principles of journalism and the way in which journalists phrase certain questions. Hiring managers can adopt these techniques to maintain a professional tone toward job applicants.
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Objective
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One of the main tenets of journalism is that a journalist's questions be as objective as possible. This means questions that are free of judgment, lead-ins and suppositions. For example, instead of beginning a question with "In your lackluster autobiography, you stated..." a more journalistic interview question would include facts rather than adjectives. Here's an example: "In your autobiography, which sold 10 copies worldwide...."
Professional
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Journalistic questions are ideally delivered in a professional manner, which means the interviewer should avoid using off-color language, small talk and overly informal language. The interviewer also should avoid multitasking, such as texting or eating, while asking questions.
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Well-Researched
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Journalists are expected to research their interview subject prior to the interview. They often ask questions that reflect this. For example, instead of asking, "Have you ever lived in another country?" a more journalistic question would be, "Your resume indicates you lived in Japan for four years. Tell me about that."
Relevant
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Journalistic questions should never shy away from the most topical, relevant subjects, even if that means addressing the elephant in the room. In a job interview, this approach might translate to asking a tough question about gaps in a candidate's resume or a past run-in with the law. To soften a question on a hot-button topic, journalists will often preface it with "Critics would say" or "The public feels," which presents the question as an opportunity for the subject to clear up an issue to the public.
Concise
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Journalistic questions are brief, to-the-point and focus the attention on the interview subject rather than the interviewer. To get the most out of the interview, a journalist will presume as little as possible, asking open-ended questions in order to extract the most out of the subject. Journalists typically avoid asking "yes-or-no" questions or "closed-ended" questions unless they're aiming to clarify a misunderstood issue.
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