Best Interviewing Books for Student Journalists

What are the essential interviewing techniques every student journalist should master?

Master the "pregnant pause," which involves waiting at least five seconds after a subject finishes speaking to encourage them to elaborate. Prioritize open-ended questions that start with "how" or "why" rather than "did," as this technique consistently yields 30 to 50 percent more descriptive, narrative-driven content from sources.

How do professional journalists prepare for an interview to ensure they get the most relevant information?

Professionals conduct deep background research by reading every previous article written about the subject and scouring their social media for recent interests or controversies. This preparation allows them to craft specific, informed questions that demonstrate respect for the subject's time. Many students assume that having a long, pre-written list of questions is a sign of being prepared, but this actually prevents them from listening. A rigid script forces the journalist to focus on the next question on the page rather than following the natural, often more revealing, thread of the conversation.

What are the most common mistakes student journalists make during interviews and how can they be avoided?

The most frequent error is the tendency to ask compound questions, which confuse the subject and result in incomplete answers. For instance, asking "How did you feel when the project failed and what will you change next time?" forces the interviewee to choose one part to address, usually the easiest one. Instead, stick to one clear prompt per turn to maintain focus.

Another mistake is failing to verify basic facts during the session, assuming the subject is always correct. While you should avoid being combative, you must gently challenge inconsistencies in real time. The nuance here is the "soft correction," where you repeat the statement back as a question, such as "So you are saying the budget increased by 20 percent?" This allows the subject to clarify their position without feeling attacked, preventing errors from entering your final draft.

How does the choice of interview format—such as phone, email, or in-person—impact the quality of the reporting?

The medium dictates the depth of the interaction, as the physical presence of a reporter in a room changes the psychological dynamic of the exchange.

• In-person meetings allow for observation of non-verbal cues, such as nervous tics or shifting posture, which often signal when a subject is avoiding a topic.
• Phone calls eliminate the distraction of body language, forcing both parties to rely entirely on tone and verbal nuance to establish trust.
• Email exchanges provide the subject time to craft precise, edited responses, though this often strips the conversation of its spontaneous, human quality.
• Video chats offer a middle ground, though technical lag can disrupt the natural flow of dialogue.

What strategies are most effective for building rapport with interview subjects quickly?

Building rapport requires genuine curiosity and the ability to find common ground before diving into the hard questions. Spend the first few minutes discussing a neutral topic, such as the subject's office environment or a recent public achievement, to humanize the interaction. This transition period lowers the subject's defenses and establishes a baseline of mutual respect. If you jump straight into the interrogation, the subject will likely remain guarded and provide only surface-level, rehearsed answers.

The nuance lies in the balance between friendliness and professional distance. You must remain likable enough to encourage openness, but you cannot allow the relationship to become a friendship that compromises your objectivity. If you find yourself agreeing with everything the subject says to keep the mood light, you have likely lost the necessary detachment required to write a balanced, critical piece.

How should a journalist structure their questions to encourage open-ended and detailed responses?

Structuring questions to avoid binary answers requires shifting from interrogative traps to invitations for storytelling.

• Why prompts force the subject to explain the underlying logic or emotion behind a specific decision or event.
• How inquiries act as a roadmap, requiring the subject to detail the process or sequence of events they experienced.
• Describe requests are the most effective tools for gathering sensory details, such as the atmosphere in a room or the specific emotions of a moment.
• Tell me about prompts act as a broad opening, allowing the subject to choose which aspects of a topic they find most significant.

What ethical considerations must be kept in mind when conducting interviews for student publications?

Yes, students must protect the identity of vulnerable sources and ensure informed consent is obtained before recording any conversation. Following the SPJ Code of Ethics, journalists should minimize harm, especially when dealing with minors or victims of trauma, by clearly explaining how the information will be used in the story.

How can student journalists effectively handle difficult or uncooperative interviewees?

When dealing with uncooperative subjects, maintain a calm, persistent demeanor and focus on the facts rather than the subject's attitude.

Use these percentages to determine when to pivot your approach; if a tactic has not yielded a meaningful response after two attempts, switch to a different strategy to save time.