GENERATING GOOD INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Kelsey Whipple

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Do your homework.• Always research the source, their

experience, and their expertise.

• Make sure this potential source is the right person to interview for your story.

• Prepare yourself for interviewing them.

• This research will also help you to use your interview time more strategically.

• Your source will notice and appreciate that you did your homework.

Ask clear questions.• Ask yourself: Is this question

easy to understand? Could I answer it?

• The strongest interview questions have a clear focus and simple language.

• Questions should be short and direct.

• Don’t ask compound questions.

Ask open-ended questions.• Open-ended questions ask an

interviewee to provide a detailed response.

• They generate more complete and more thoughtful responses.

• Avoid close-ended questions, like yes-or-no questions, short answer questions and leading questions.

Put your questions in order.• Start with some simple,

introductory questions to ease the interviewee into the interview and make them comfortable.

• Group all questions that pertain to a specific topic together.

• Put difficult or divisive questions further down on your list.

Be flexible.• Follow-up questions will arise

during your interview. Don’t panic!

• Listen carefully, and write them down.

• Take strategic notes as you go.

• Don’t hesitate to re-ask unanswered questions in a new way.

• Don’t ask questions your source has already answered.

Ask for clarity.• If you find yourself confused or unsure

about a key fact, clarify that information with your source during the interview.

• Try summarizing a key point and asking your source if you got it correct.

• Not fully understanding something is normal for journalists, especially when they're tackling new topics.

• It is better to look ‘dumb’ in front of one source than in front of your audience.

Ask a concluding question.• End with a final open-ended question

that allows your source to share anything else they think is important for you to know.

• Is there anything you’d like to add?”

• "Is there anything else I didn't ask you about that is important for me to know?”

• Some of the best scoops and story ideas sometimes come from giving sources a chance to tell me information I didn't even think to ask about.

Thank your source.• They just gave you a chunk of

their time. Thank them for it!

• This is also a good chance to ask for additional contact information or schedule a follow-up interview.

• Consider sending them a link to your story when it is published.

Key Takeaways:• The best interview questions are simple, clear, and focused on one specific topic.

Use open-ended questions to encourage your interviewee to respond completely to your questions and perhaps to even go beyond your preconceptions.

• Follow-up and clarifying questions will arise during the course of your interview. Good follow-up questions usually request additional context or explanation and begin with "why" or "how." Be flexible in order to catch and write down potential follow-up questions as you listen to your interviewee's responses.

• Be polite yet persistent. If an interviewee is not fully answering your question, ask that question again in a different way. Sometimes, they simply didn't get the gist of the question the first time around.

• End your interview with an open-ended concluding question. This gives your interviewee an opportunity to share additional information about that you might not have cued with your interview questions.