Interviewing in Depth, Become an Expert

Sweaty hands, dry throat, mind swarming with thoughts-just as an interview is about to occur, a journalist’s nightmare. This predicament can happen to journalists, usually when they are in the early stages. The truth is that during the beginning of their education, every journalist learns what material they need to cover for their story through interviews, but little attention is actually paid to how to properly interview someone.
Journalism professor Barbara Kingsley-Wilson of California State University discussed what it take to go beyond the questions during a workshop- “Getting the Story from Anyone: Interviewing in Depth”—at last weekend’s Associated Collegiate Press conference in Hollywood, Calif.

Kingsley-Wilson teaches at the California State University in Long Beach. She began the workshop by playing a recorded interview of someone who had survived a gunshot wound to the head during a plane hijacking. The reporter had done a spectacular job by following key methods.

First, the reporter allowed the subject to talk instead of competing with the subject. He listened to the answers, rather than missing what was being said by concentrating on his next question or other reporting tasks. It was evident; the reporter had done his homework, incorporating crucial information into the interview. There were no harsh transitions during his questioning or insertion of his own emotions or biases; he only interjected when facts needed to be added. The interview had the feel of a conversation rather than an interrogation.

By noticing what the reporter had done correctly in his interview, the attendees of the workshop were able to discover what tactics are effective.

Then Kingsley-Wilson introduced the “Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing” by interviewing expert John Sawatsky. These serve as guidelines of what not to do during an interview.

The guidelines seemed simple enough, but if overlooked they were mistakes that could sink any journalist’s interview.

Finally, she ended the discussion by informing us that the “best questions are like clean windows.” Transparency should be the aim for every media outlet.

And just in case, the interview sprung a leak and was beginning to capsize, she recommended using the Goal, Obstacle, Solution and Start, or GOSS strategy. Every subject has a GOSS, so there is always a direction for the interview to go.

The subject’s Goal is their quest, the point of what they are aiming to achieve. The Obstacle is the challenges they face. The Solution is how they will or did overcome their obstacles. And the Start is their story, how they arrived to this point in their life.

Members of the audience agreed the workshop was effective and informative. For some, it was the first in-depth lessons they had learned on the interviewing process.

As Kingsley-Wilson pointed out, interviewing is an art and questions are the instruments.



At a Glance

“Seven Deadly Sins of Interviewing” by John Sawatsky

1. Asking a question with no query.

2. Asking two questions at a time.

3. Overloaded questions.

4. Adding a statement to the question.

5. Using loaded or “trigger” words.

6. Hyperbole.

7. Close-ended questions.