Lessons

Lesson Info

The Nuts & Bolts of Interviewing

The first thing that you want to find is you want to find whatever you're talking about. You want to find somebody with direct experience, Um, and, uh, and sort of the default. I think at least in the public radio audio journalism world too often is sort of the expert voice, like somebody who's like, you know, Oh, there's a professor who studies this or there's like you know, there's a trade group that talks about this or there's like somebody from the Brookings Institution, which is like the public radio sort of go to move every single time, Uh, and, uh and so and they could be great And they can be very, very helpful. But often I find it's better to sort of like they're often a step removed from the thing that you want to talk about. And so to me, it's much better to find somebody who has some sort of direct relationship. Um, and I don't play just a clip of tape really quickly, just to sort of illustrate this. A while ago at planet money, we did a story about, um, you know, back. Do ...

you remember when the Somali pirate thing was happening a lot. There was, like, you know, there was a big sort of like Somali pirates were taking over, you know, sort of tanker ships and holding them hostage, and then you releasing them for ransom. Um, and then eventually, I became just the movie. Captain Phillips turned into that years later. But at the time, we were talking about that, and there was all this stuff, and we got to wondering, sort of like what actually happens at that moment? Like, it's like when you actually think about, like, the process of hijacking a tinker and then holding it hostage and then getting the ransom like there's a lot of mechanics to that, right? Like there's like, you have to have a conversation with somebody with the money. Is there translator like they don't speak the same language? Like, how does it all work? And so we went on this sort of thing about like how it all works. We actually ended up talking to this reporter kind of Jeff Walz, who I mentioned before found ah, ship captain who'd had his ship hijacked and had to have negotiated with the Somali pirate. And she asked him what was that? Like they introduced himself and said that they help the crew and the vessel captive and that they demanded $7 million to release ship. I mean, they're not They're not making any threats or anything. They they are very polite in the whole demeanor. So just Hello? My name is whatever. I'm gonna be your piracy negotiator. Window. You know, im Ah, my name is Ali. I'm your friendly pirate today. Not quite, but you almost got that sense. It was a very surreal situation Where when it all came about so so much more media, right? Like so much better than having Ah, you know of an expert talking about what? Typically, in these situations blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. He was there. He heard it. And it was like a very, very. It was a very vivid, very riel thing where he was like, you know, it just felt authentic again. You can feel the authenticity. He's the person who has been at the center of it. So So, to the extent possible, don't find the person who wrote a book about the thing. Find the person who did the thing. If you can find bite or find an unusual take on the thing. Um, you know somebody often, uh, there's somebody at the center of any experience who has a really interesting who has often the most interesting take on it. And if you can find them, that's the way to do it. Now getting to this users question, How do you How do you break somebody somebody out of, you know, sort of like, you know, they're boring, can speech. If you're talking to the president, you're stuck right? There's no way or you're talking to a politician, you're stuck. There is no way to break them out of there can speak, because if there was a way, they wouldn't be where they are. You have to like so certain people are so practiced and not answering anything authentic. Authentically, there is no way to do it. So if you are stuck in a situation where there is one person but you can interview and you can't find anybody else, you're in trouble like there's nothing to do. And then you just do all sorts of hijinks. If you, however, are not interviewing the president and there is somebody and you have a couple of people that you can interview about the same thing, audition them, find out who is the best talker. Um, because that's that and that we do all the time. We do it all the time. Who is the person who is the person who is going to be able to talk honestly, who is a person who is like and you meet them? Some people just don't and won't and can't. And some people are very open with the feelings and have direct access to the way they're feeling and are comfortable sharing the way they're feeling. And you, you you see it. Some people are just sort of like you. Just some people are sticky and some people are not on. You can sort of hear it. And if you are talking to someone on the phone and you find yourself tuning out, okay, thank you very much. I'll call you back and then go into the next person. Um, there's often There's several different people that can talk on the subject. And don't don't beat your head against the wall trying to find somebody who who can't tell their story effectively or can't be honest enough for Can't get broken out of their thing. Um so So So that's a really important thing, you know? And then and then if you're stuck talking to somebody who's not being honest, then there's like, sort of like, you know, there are tricks that you can use. Some people just need a lot of time to warm up. So, you know, um, the other, the other thing that I do in that situation, if I am stuck talking to some But there's only one person that I can talk to in this attrition. There's only one person who is negotiate with the pirates. So I can't, like, find a whole bunch of different people who negotiated with buyers. So I'm stuck with one guy, right? And he's, like, so stiff. You know, other tricks you can dio you can model the kind of talk that you want, you know, and so I will often share a personal story from my own life about what I've gone through. Um, you know, something where I model like talking about, like a moment when I felt conflicted about stuff For a moment we're having sharing on authentic emotion or a moment where I felt scared or whatever, Um, and also just sort of like, um and then just time, you know, come back around. You know, like, a lot of times I've had this person is not going to give up the goods. They're not gonna talk to me in an authentic way. And then I go back one more time and, um, you know, they you know, they don't One other trick that you can dio is sort of say, OK, I think we're I think we're done here and sit down and then just sort of chitchat, but keep it rolling. And then often they dropped their guard, and then they're just like, wow, you know, I mean, like, the thing I didn't tell you is this and they're like, Oh, I'm gonna start recording. Is that all right? Just just just keep talking and just sort of try to keep it going and, like, you know, and then, like, once they've had a chance to relax, they know you. You reset almost. And then often, I mean often the best piece of tape is is after the interview officially ended, and I go. But I haven't stopped running like Sometimes I do have stopped, but then I'll be like, actually, hold on the sounds good. Let me just turn it back on its fine. So those are some tricks, but auditioning the right person, if you can, that's like, sort of like, that'll get you much further. Other nuts and bolts things. So you so you know. So you're figuring out, like, how am I gonna talk to talk to somebody with it? The experience I'm gonna call, call different people up who have that experience. I'm gonna audition them over the phone and talk about 5, 10 minutes and just like just five or 10 minutes didn't give you enough, are they? Like, what kind of talkers are they? How are they to deal with? Are you engaged with what they're saying there? You sort of tuning out what they're saying? Get in touch with your board. Teenage self on, like, sort of like, make sure that they cut through that board Tina yourself. Um, then Okay, so then you're going to set up the interview. You're gonna set up a time, Ask for the time you need. You know, if you want an hour with them, ask for an hour. Um, but take less if they don't have enough. Uh, and, um, and you can do this in person, in person is better over. Skype is fine. Um ah. And then So that's sort of like that. Sort of like finding the person to interview, find out where they are, and then on the day of prepping, right. So, basically, you just want just do some your basic research about, sort of like where they worked, what they are, you know, like, sort of have, like, a sort of a framework of what you're gonna ask them about, what, what you know about, um And then you're gonna want to write out your questions. Uh, and I have a specific format of like how I like to write out my questions, how I like to structure an interview, which we're going to go over in the next section. But I go I spend a lot of time thinking about what is the structure of this inner you're gonna look like? What am I gonna What's my first question gonna be? What's the You know, where am I want to get to? If I don't get to this I want to be able to circle back to that. What are the questions I'm gonna ask that are gonna elicit these feelings? The emotional tape sort of thought questions is sort of how I call them. Um, And you are? Yeah. And you organize that into into sections, so this is gonna get them to talk about, you know, this moment of their lives here and then the next we move on to this moment when they did this, this moment transition, that will move on to this section where they talk about their feelings or whatever. Um, very important, quotidian, but very important. You know, make sure you have batteries charged. You know, everything's working, you know, sort of every time, every time before I got on in every if I'm doing it live, which will be doing next next section, I, like, record myself into the into the microphone and make sure my batteries were there. I listen back to make sure it's recording properly. Do all that before I go because many I've had I've had it happen. We all have where you go out and you do the whole recording and then you get back and it's not there on that's crushing. So, um, you know, then you just super straight forever just confirmed by my email, like, the day before the day of Just make sure that they're still on. Um okay. And then when you're at the interview, this is the stuff that I think people so that I'm talking about now live interview. If you're going, you have your kid, you're going and you're going to show up. Um, this is the stuff that I feel like. People are often often sets the stage for getting a bad interview, just by the way you behave when you first come in. And the again the impulses for you to believe that they're doing you a favor by talking to you, which they are. But the but the impulsive then, is to try to come in and be sort of friendly and chatty and sort of like try to ease into things and not have your microphone on and sort of just, like, sort of like just sort of gently ease into it. And honestly, people they understand that you're there to interview them. You're there to do a job. So the more the last year Doing your job more confusing. It is like they don't know you. They didn't come here to chitchat about where's the best place to eat around here. Right? So So don't make them do that. Like you're there to do a job and just be confident about doing your job. So you come in and you be in charge. Um, you make sure if like this stuff on in the background, if their radios on, tell them to turn it off politely. If they're, You know, if there's a fan on, let me turn it off. If there's like, you know, if there if you're in the booming room, tell them to get another blanket with you, just to see if there's a better room asking to have a comforter. You know so but just generally, you know, uh, B B and B in charge. People will respond to it. Ask them to move around. Um, where do you sit when you're doing an interview? I find I have a very like I actually have a very strong preference again. This is for an in person interview. If you're doing it on the thing, I'm right handed. Uh, so I like to take notes with my right hand. So I always tell people I want to sit next to them and I want them on my left. I hold the microphone in my left hand and I talked back and forth. And if and I say I want to sit either around a table or next to them like we're watching a movie together, and that way we can sort of look at each other and the mic is down here and you just tip it back and forth. If they if they're at a desk and you come in and you're sitting right here, you're holding the microphone like that and it's like you're having a sword fight. You know, it's really, really uncomfortable. And also your arm gets tired. So, uh, so you definitely so positioning is just really important. It'll just make you more comfortable. Just sit next to him. I say, I say I want to sit next to you like it's like we're watching movie together, but we're gonna have this conversation. Um uh, so, yeah, the my candles, you know? So your strong hand is taking notes here. We can't is holding the mic. Um, and this is really important. Again. This is all for an in person interview, and I'm going to be going over this again when we do this live. Um, but, uh, embrace your weird and parents where your headphones, You know, uh, come in with everything set to go walk in recording. You know, you It's not like you're gonna fool anybody anyway, just like embrace it. And people are always saying, like, the initial reaction is sort of like, Oh, but it'll be off putting if I've come in and I've got my mike out and everything like that, and it's gonna be off putting it whenever you do it. First of all, it's not as off putting as you think. People know that you're gonna record them. They assume you're gonna have some sort of equipment. Sometimes the length of the microphone and the abject phallic nous of it. Sort of like good freak people out. But they will get they get used to it, uh, and so eso So it's fine. And then, second of all, if they are gonna be it all and uncomfortable, but it's gonna happen when you bring it out anyway, and then you're going to start all over about getting them comfortable. So just do it from the beginning, and the more comfortable you are with the weirdness of it, the more comfortable they are. You're wearing your headphones, you got your thing cords dangling everything you know. Everything is all like, mixed up. It's always that way. I've been doing it for 15 years. I constantly getting my courts tangled. It's fine. Just that's part of the job, and that's all gonna be fine. And that's like, That's your job is to be weird. Um, um, often you want to keep going on. The impulse is to sort of sneak past the time. Like pretend they don't notice. They probably notice. So if you get to the end of whatever time you agreed on, if you get to the end of half an hour, you had in half an hour say, I know where at the end of our time can I have 15 more minutes? It's respectful thing to do. Just do that, Um, and usually they say yes, usually that you're you're a nice person and they're having a good time