Understand the significance of ‘news values’ and ‘news sense
News values are general guidelines or criteria which determine how much prominence a media outlet gives a news story. They explain why a story interests its audience; and how editors and other journalists decide that one piece of information is news while another is not. If you’re going to get the client into the media, you need to know what a reporter wants, you need to know what the client’s knowledge base and does that makes news. You need to breathe the language and mind-set of journalists’ so that you can provide the news content they require.
Understand different target readerships
Knowing your audience is important for running a successful business. Selecting the right audience and understanding what makes them ticks them; is necessary to promote and sell your products to them. 3 categories of the audience are the lay audience, managerial audience, and expert audience.
Understand sub-editing
Sub-editing is the responsibility of checking all of the written text of print content before it is released for publishing. Much like a copy editor, a sub-editor verifies any grammar, style, and spelling errors, as well as checks if all information is factually correct. Subs are required to understand the copyright and libel laws as they need to see to it that all work adheres to such before it reaches publishing. Some sub-editors have a part in layout design as well depending on the publication.
Understand journalistic interviewing techniques
1. Find a good location.
Avoid Starbucks! It’s often easiest to suggest a centrally located corporate coffeeshop, but if there is any way you can interview in a place that has some relevance to the story or your subject, you’ll have much greater success. Not only because you’ll gain a further sense of context, but people are often more comfortable (and open) when they’re in a familiar place or what feels like “their territory.”
Ask to meet at your subject’s house, work, or the location of an incident relevant to the story. Even meeting at the interviewee’s favorite restaurant is more interesting than a Starbucks
2. Prepare your goals ahead of time.
Know what questions you’re going to ask and why you’re going to ask them. Heading to an interview with a sense of what you want to get out of it (a colorful re-enactment of an event, an on-the-record opinion on the issue you’re covering, general background, etc.) is critical to conducting a successful interview.
3. Write down your questions.
Be sure and bring prepared questions with you. I usually go into an interview with twice as many questions as I expect to ask. The security of knowing I’m not going to get stuck helps my confidence, and you never know what question will get you the information you’re really looking for.
4. Work on your flow.
This is probably the most challenging but also the most important interview skill you can develop. You want to strike a balance between a conversation (which helps make your subject feel comfortable and aids candor) and getting the job done. As your subject is answering your question, be thinking about what you’ll ask next and why.
5. Think about the medium.
Interviewing techniques definitely vary for different mediums. If you’re interviewing for audio or video, you want to ask two-part questions, which encourages subjects to talk for longer blocks of time.
6. Bring a buddy.
I find having a second person as a notetaker and extra set of ears can be very useful. If you don’t think another person will overwhelm or distract your subject (I find that pretty rare), it can be a lifesaver to have that second set of notes to check your quotes and information.
7. Avoid obsessing.
While good notes and recording are very important, you can do yourself a disservice by obsessing about recording every little detail of what your subject says. As you’re interviewing, you should be able to discern the gems from the chatter — focus on the quotes and info you know you’re going to use and make sure you get that right!
8. Be a little annoying.
Don’t be afraid to relentlessly revisit a question or topic that you feel hasn’t been properly addressed by the interviewee. Sometimes people need time to warm up to you or a topic, or will respond better if your question is worded differently. Keep trying.
9. Be a little sneaky.
Continue taking notes even after the interview is officially over. Sometimes people say the most revealing or intimate things when they feel they’re out of the “hot seat.” If they don’t say “off the record,” it’s all game.
10. Empower your subject.
A great question to ask if you don’t fully understand the perspective of your interviewee is, “What is your ideal solution/resolution?” Obviously this only works in certain circumstances, but when appropriate it can help clarify a person’s point of view or opinion.
11. Work them up.
Another great question is, “Why do you care about this issue?” This can be an effective way to get a strong and emotional quote about why the topic you’re covering is so important.
12. Endure awkward silences.
I know this is totally counter intuitive. My instinct is to keep chattering and asking questions to keep people feeling comfortable, but sometimes, especially when you’re dealing with sensitive subjects, you need to shut up and wait.
13. Ask for what you need.
Seriously, sometimes interviewees are frustrating not because they’re trying to bust your chops, but because they just don’t understand what you want from them. I find that many interview subjects get a kick out of having you “pull back the curtain” a little and tell them about your process.
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