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"In this interview I have given
you a lot, you have taken something out of me, you've interrogated
me - according to me" Kamal Haasan- Popular
Indian film star
"Was this an interview? I felt
like talking to a classmate of mine, though you are not even
half my age". A 65 year old political leader
from North India.
Former Uttar Pradesh (A Northern Indian
State) Chief Minister Mayawati talking to her PRO after an
interview - "Why did you allow this guy who keeps
asking irrelevant (read -uncomfortable ) questions.
Throw him out!"
"Are you a counsellor? I feel
more relaxed after this interview. - Thank you". A
20 year old girl who had attempted suicide twice.
"Don't ask me these questions,
ask somebody else. I won't answer them".
Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherji on being asked
about per constituency poll expenditure of the party.
These were reactions to my interviewing
these people. I believe every interview is an event which
leaves an impact on both the interviewee and the interviewer.
However this would happen only if the interviewers
gets involved and makes the interviewee think and react to
him. I have interviewed hundreds of people from varied walks
of life. Based on this experience I have categorised
the interviews and steps to improve your skills.
But before I write any further I need to mention that Mr.
Ian Masters of Thomson Foundation, Wales, UK during his lectures
demonstrated that how much more I have to learn about them.
So even as you utilise these steps, keep your eyes ( or more
correctly ears) open to learn out of your own mistakes and
triumps while interviewing.
I broadly categorise interviews
for News and Current Affairs into :
1) Interviews
for Stories and
2) Face to face
interviews.
Before going into these categories
some common fundamentals.
Research:
I have already emphasised the need
for in-depth research for interviews.
That's what makes the interviewer confident & focussed
and the interview interesting.
Focus:
Research however has to be carefully
utilised. Just because you have known a lot does
not mean you've to ask everything. In fact, the research
should be used to figure out what is relevant and what is
not. I know of many TV Reporters who try to complete
their research while interviewing. This
not only results in waste of footage but also allows the interviewee
to sell his point of view (Which may not necessarily be the
objective one). So be sure of what you require from your interview
before you start.
Open Ended Questions:
To get a good quote the question
should be so phrased to get a complete answer. A question
that gets just a Yes or No answer is to be avoided.
Sometimes it helps to add a Why?, How or What?
to your question to get such a quote. Some interviewers
even go to the extent of briefing an interviewee about what
they are looking for. But I don't like to do that because
the spontaneity in the interview is lost.
Example:
Closed
Qn: Are you against your party leader's new
economic policy?
Answer: Yes.
Open
Ended Question: Why are
you against your leader's new economic policy?
Although in most cases Open Ended
Questions helps to get a good quote, with a reluctant interviewee
only closed questions work better. This is also true
for small children.
Leading questions
A leading question will gain an obvious answer.
They could be used to corner a interviewee who is avoiding
to give a direct answer.. eg, "Don't you think this is
too trivial an issue to have an internal squabble in the party?"
Hypothetical questions
A hypothetical question can be used to explore
an organisation or a persons thoughts or ability in an
unforseen situation. eg, "How prepared is your government
in case an earthquake happens again?"
Probing
questions
A probing question will help tease information
and thoughts from the interviewee. This helps when doing
an investigative story. eg, "What do you mean by
helping the family of the kids when you are actually forcing
them to work for such a meagre salary?"
Prompting
question
A prompting question is a sympathetic one which
will help the interviewee formulate an answer which is close
to the questioner's requirements eg, "Tell me a bit about
it, how you got here, how long it took and what you thought
of the transport system?"
Using the right question format at the right
time will obtain more information and make the other party
more relaxed. It leads to constructive interchange and gives
the person asking the questions more control over the situation.
Careful structuring also prevents others from avoiding the
answers.
Formulating the questions
Always consider what the object of any
interview is.
Choose the right question format.
If the answers are not developing properly, change the format.
If the interviewee is nervous or anxious use prompting questions.
Next
> Interviews for Stories
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