By Barbara Mantel
As usual, we had a good showing of members who are freelance journalists. This month, we shared tips for navigating difficult interviews. Those situations can range from patients who graciously share an intense experience and who need to be interviewed with sensitivity and care to scientists who stubbornly persist in talking in jargon.
Lunch and Learns are not recorded so participants can talk freely, but we do summarize the major points. Here are some of the key pieces of advice from this month’s session.
Interviewing sources, in particular patients, on sensitive topics.
. One reporter tries to keep her voice natural and normal and not patronizing after her husband overheard her end of a phone interview and suggested she sounded fake. Using a normal voice, rather than an overly sympathetic one, might help a person who is really scared be brave enough to talk.
. Another reporter suggested always telling the person that they can pull out of the interview at any time.
. Explain that, unless it is a profile, you won’t have room for more than a few quotes so they are not surprised when the article is published.
. Several reporters said they often work with the communications people at patient advocacy groups to find a patient who wants to talk, as opposed to talking to a patient they somehow found themselves and who may change their mind on the day of the interview.
. One reporter said she always lets the person tell their story before asking about detailed facts. Letting them first share on their own terms helps build trust. It might be the opposite of the way you would approach an academic or expert.
. Another reporter said she always keeps in mind that a person who is sharing about a traumatic experience does not owe her this interview. The person may want to educate others by sharing, but that is a generous impulse. She tries to be respectful of the parameters that the person may insist on for the interview.
. If your editors allow it, perhaps give the person the option of using just a first name if they are shy about sharing their story.
A patient wants to withdraw halfway through the interview.
. The consensus was that it would be unethical to use any part of the interview.
. Try to reassure the person starting with asking exactly why they want to pull out.
. Offer to do the interview at another time or suggest that you will call them in a day or two to ask if they would reconsider.
The source asks to see the story or quotes before publication.
. One reporter says to the source, “I’m not allowed to give you a copy but I can read you back some quotes I plan to use.”
. Another says to the source, “Our policies don’t allow me to do that, but if I need any clarification of anything you say I will be sure to call you back.”
. One reporter tells interviewees that she is taping the interview and that therefore she is sure she will be going to get their quotes right.
. Another reporter said the trade publications she writes for require that she show the finished story to sources before publication, and she finds that they are usually respectful of her writing.
Interviewees who use technical language.
. Up front, ask the PR person for someone who can speak in plain English.
. When scheduling an interview directly, warn the source ahead of time that they will need to avoid jargon.
Over-reporting a story and then not including someone you interviewed or using only one quote.
. Blame the editor. That is a favorite technique.
. Tell them that if you revisit the topic, you will come back to them.
. Explain at the start of any interview that you don’t know now how many quotes you will use but that everything they tell you will inform your reporting of the story.
. Explain the lapse when you send your sources a link to the final story or a thank you email after publication.
A story gets held for months and your sources are annoyed.
. Warn sources when booking the interview that you are not sure exactly when the story will be published and that it could be bumped by news.
. Let sources know up front that you have no control over when a story will be published
Sources who talk too much and won’t get off the phone.
. You could say, “Well, we’ve been on for quite a while, and I don’t want to take up more of your time.”
. Or, “I promised I wouldn’t take up more than 30 minutes of your time.”
. Or, “I’ve really enjoyed the interview, but I have to jump off to another interview.”
To Zoom or not.
. Many participants said they don’t like to use Zoom for interviews because they want to be able to look at their notes or look up something online and not have to always be looking into the camera.
