New reporters often think the interview is the easy part — you show up, ask a few questions, and write down the answers. In practice, the interview is where most stories are won or lost. A vague, rushed, or unprepared interview produces vague, rushed quotes. A well-run one produces the specific detail and the memorable line that make an article worth reading.
Do the work before you arrive
Preparation is the difference between an interview and a chat. Before you meet a source, learn enough that you never waste their time asking what you could have looked up. Read their previous statements, the relevant documents, and any earlier coverage. The more you know, the sharper your questions — and the more the source respects the exchange.
Then write your questions down. Order them roughly, but do not read them like a script. A written list keeps you from forgetting the essential question while you chase an interesting tangent. Aim for a mix: a few easy opening questions to build rapport, the core questions your story depends on, and one or two harder questions you save for later.
Ask open questions, not yes-or-no ones
The fastest way to kill an interview is to ask questions that can be answered in a single word. "Were you disappointed?" invites "Yes." Instead, ask questions that force the source to explain, describe, or narrate.
- Closed: "Did the budget cut affect your program?" → likely "Yes."
- Open: "Walk me through what changed in your program after the budget cut."
- Open: "What did that decision feel like on the day you heard it?"
Open questions that begin with how, what, and why tend to produce the richest answers. They hand the floor to the source and give you material you could never have scripted.
Keep your two or three most important questions in mind at all times. If the interview gets cut short — a source suddenly has to leave — ask those first next time and let the small talk come after.
Listen actively, and let silence work
The biggest mistake student interviewers make is planning their next question while the source is still answering the last one. You stop listening, you miss the surprising detail, and you fail to follow up on the very thing that would have made your story. Listen fully. React. Ask "why?" and "can you give me an example?" when something interesting surfaces.
Learn, too, to tolerate silence. When a source finishes an answer, resist the urge to fill the gap immediately. A few seconds of quiet often prompts them to keep talking — and the second half of an answer is frequently more candid than the first. Nervous reporters rush; confident ones wait.
Get names, spellings, and permission right
At the start, confirm exactly how the person's name is spelled and how they want to be identified — their title, role, or year. Never assume. At the end, ask whether there is anything you did not think to ask; sources often volunteer their best material when they feel the formal part is over.
Be transparent about recording. If you use a phone or recorder, tell the source and get their agreement — and check your local rules, since consent requirements vary by place. Recording lets you listen instead of scribbling, but always take backup notes in case the file fails.
Understand on the record, off the record, and background
These terms are not decoration; they are agreements, and you must honor them. Settle the terms before a source speaks, not after they have said something they regret.
- On the record: everything can be quoted and attributed by name. This is the default, and what you should push for.
- On background: you can use the information but not name the source, usually with an agreed description ("a senior member of the committee").
- Off the record: the information is for your understanding only and cannot be published. Use it to guide reporting, then confirm the facts through an on-the-record source.
If a source tries to retroactively pull a comment "off the record" after saying it on the record, you are not obligated to agree — but weigh the relationship and the public interest. When in doubt, talk it through with an editor.
Handle difficult and reluctant sources
Some people do not want to talk, and some want to talk only in slogans. Stay calm and polite; hostility rarely gets you a better quote. If a source dodges, ask the question again, more simply. If they give you a rehearsed line, follow it with "what does that mean in practice?" to move past the talking point.
For sensitive subjects, save the toughest question for near the end. That way, if it damages the rapport, you already have the rest of your material. And always give a person the chance to respond to any criticism your story will make about them — fairness is both an ethical duty and a mark of a serious reporter.
Right after the interview, capture it
The moment you leave, review your notes while the conversation is fresh. Star the strongest quotes, mark anything you need to verify, and write down the two or three points that surprised you — those often become your lead. Waiting even a few hours means losing tone, context, and the small details that turn a competent story into a vivid one.
Interviewing is a skill that compounds. Every conversation teaches you a better question to ask next time. Prepare hard, listen harder, and treat every source with the fairness you would want if the recorder were pointed at you.