Interviewing Skills

Jillian interviewing Raphael Bickle at Cloudland for The Great South East on Channel 7Reporters and TV presenters are story-tellers and we rely on gathering accurate and interesting facts from all kinds of people under all kinds of circumstances.

It’s not just about firing off questions at person and hoping for the best. Information sometimes needs to be gently coaxed from your interviewee.. and sometimes what they want to tell you is not what you need!

Each interview requires a thoughtful and calculated approach: from the Government official who speaks in confusing jargon, to, combative politicians, young children, and those who are simply terrified of the media. We need to adjust our questioning style accordingly to get the most out of interview.

It’s such a vital part of every TV story, whether it’s in News or Lifestyle. That’s why at Media Potential we have included “Interviewing Skills” in our Reach your Broadcast Potential course – and it’s just another reason that what we do at Channel Seven is so unique!

We will cover:

• The basics: How, Who, What, When, Where and Why?
• Open and closed questions
• Dealing with aggressive interviews
• Drawing out the ‘grab’
• Putting your interviewee at ease
• Ethical guidelines
• Interviewing on camera. How to stand, where to look and what to avoid
• Listening skills
• On the record/off the record
• The art of conversational interviews.