How to Conduct a Newspaper Interview
By Jen Miller, N2Arts Correspondent
Get to goods from your subject
 

ou’re told that a person is interesting, intriguing, and/or important enough to be profiled for your school newspaper. Your job is to show readers why this person is worthy of a profile by bringing him or her to life through words. But what if you don’t know the interviewee? Where do you begin?

To start, learn a little bit about the person you’ll be profiling. If you’re given this as an assignment for your student newspaper, then your advisor or editor feels there must be a reason to pick this person. For example, if your advisor tells you that Jane Doe is a great basketball player, go to her coach and find out her statistics. Then you’ll be able to ask, “I see that your number of assists have gone up this season, but you’re scoring fewer points. Is there a reason for that?” This is a better question that just asking “how good are you?”

This doesn’t need to be a one-person interview, either. To learn the most about Jane Doe, interview her coach and teammates. They’ll give you more insights than you could get by just watching her play in a game. You can use the coach’s and teammates’ quotes as well, as long as these sources know they’re being interviewed on record.

Avoid “yes” and “no” questions. You want your interviewee talking instead of giving one word answers. Instead of asking John Star, the lead in the school play, “Do you like acting onstage?” ask, “Why did you choose performing? What kind of feeling does it give you to be onstage?”

Write out your questions in advance. This will show you where you need to do a bit more research. A list of questions also gives you a place to begin, but don’t feel you need to stick to that script.

If Jane Doe starts telling you about her favorite basketball player or John Star starts telling a story about his first experience with stage fright, but you don’t have that question written down, it’s okay. Go with it. Let the interview flow and don’t be afraid to ask questions based on your subject’s responses.

Recording an interview is a great idea, but ask your interviewee first. Keep a copy of the tape, too. If your interviewee disputes something you quoted him or her saying, you have evidence. You don’t need a fancy recording system, either. Just a tape player that records will work, but test it out first and make sure you have batteries. You wouldn’t want to get into the interview and be fouled up by faulty machinery!

Take notes, even if you’re recording. Jot down any impressions you see or feel. What kind of aura does this person have? Larger than life? Small and quiet? Did she hesitate when you asked a specific question? Note down their answers, too, as a backup to the recorder. You never know when your recorder will stop working.

And finally, remember that honesty is the best policy. Don’t fudge quotes or take them out of context. Your readers trust you to show your interviewee as the person he or she really is, not what you want to show. 

Jen Miller part of the editorial staff for "The Painted Bride Quarterly" literary magazine. She is also a member of the "Penn & Pencil" creative writing workshop at the University of Pennsylvania.