The art of the interview

Hello again everybody:

You will get this information below in handout form, but I was hoping you would review it before class so that it will not be just a boring lecture by me. Please read this and give me any thoughts you have on this topic.

INTERVIEWING SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS

Topic for tonight’s class: The art of the interview. How can a young and aspiring sports reporter prepare himself/herself to do a great job of interviewing athletes, coaches, etc?

Overview: Before we discuss the HOW, first we must discuss the WHY.

--Excellent preparation = great interviews
--Lazy or shoddy preparation = weak interviews
--Interviews, and the quotes you get from the interviews, are CRUCIAL ELEMENTS to --Sports Reporting and the stories you will write for this class or for any publication
--Excellent reporting = great stories
--Lazy or shoddy = begets weak stories
--THIS COUNTS FOR COLUMNS, TOO
--To excel as a sportswriter, first you must be a great reporter
--To excel as a writer, first you must be a great reporter

Tips to becoming a skilled, proficient reporter and interviewer
Be “there,” wherever “there” is: David Marrannis and the Green Bay story (I will relate this story to you in class).
Don’t be lazy. Grab a notebook and a recorder and GO THERE. Don’t do the phone unless you HAVE TO.
Have eyes in the back of your head: Notice, notice, notice … little details that someone else is not noticing. Watch the game, but look for other subtle details surrounding the game. Check the coach on the sideline. But also check the coach’s wife freaking out in the stands.

Real life example: Let’s say you are covering the road race on campus this weekend. You are interviewing a runner. You notice that runner is wearing Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. Bingo! There’s a unique angle for you …

Think outside the box: ESPN columnist and author Ian O’Connor making the less-than-obvious phone call on an obvious story. If he can do it, so can you. It is what separates him from the pack. You just have to THINK HARD and then DO IT.

When you cover an event or a game, be an active viewer and not a passive viewer: How can you do this? By taking notes on what you see. By taking statistics. By listening with bionic ears.

Details, details, details: Watch and look for them, in obvious and less-than-obvious places.

How important are statistics?: What do YOU think? They do not need to crowd your story, but statistics and numbers can be excellent tools when going to your sources to ask questions.

As you cover an event or a game, think in advance what question or questions you will ask your sources: DO NOT ASK OBVIOUS QUESTIONS. UNLESS YOU WANT OBVIOUS ANSWERS.

Asking the difficult questions: The importance of having the courage to do this? But what if you are too close to your subject? What if it is your BEAT?

No cheering in the press box: Can you root for the team you are covering? What does that do to your ability to effectively cover that event, do your interviews and write your stories?

Pet peeve questions: “Tell me about …” “How did it feel when …” “Were you happy/upset about your team’s performance?”

Think outside the box, part 2: Be original with secondary sources. Make your story stand out. Interview the pitching coach, the bullpen catcher, the clubhouse attendant …

The types of interviews and settings:
1-The one-on-one interview: Perhaps the most intimidating but ultimately most effective
2-The post-game interview, one-on-one (best, if you can do it)
3-The post-game interview, press conference setting
4-The post-game interview, microphones in the face setting (piggy back on the pet peeve!)
5-The telephone interview: Only if you have to
6-The e-mail interview: Major advantages and disadvantages

Based on this discussion and your experience, give some tips on how to prepare for interviews ...