Journalism Interviewing

The building blocks for developing interview questions and writing news stories

• Q and A

• response

• 5 W's and H

• response

A source that is highly knowledgeable about a topic.

• interviewer

• attribution

• person-on-the-street

• expert

A question that usually earns a yes or no response.

• open-ended

• closed-ended

• read back

• rephrase

An interview format where the interview is recorded and transcribed word for word, question by question.

• 5 W's and H

• Q and A

• rephrase

• response

Questions used to further develop a response to an initial question or questions asked after an interview.

• follow-up

• open-ended

• closed-ended

• read back

Questioning that results in responses beyond a yes or no response.

• closed-ended

• open-ended

• read back

• expert

A planned interview, usually a sit down, between interviewer and interviewee (source).

• informal

• closed-ended

• open-ended

• formal

The reporter asks two questions at once.

• two-part question

• read back

• follow up

• rephrase

The person answering interview questions.

• interviewer

• source

• verification

• follow up

The person asking interview questions.

• subject

• source

• interviewer

• closed-ended