Due to basic mistakes, their interviews are monotonous and formulaic, and they do not show the audience anything new. So how do you conduct a good interview? What should you remember when questioning your guest?
A good interview will never conduct itself. You may have an exceptionally colorful interviewee and an extremely interesting topic, but if you, as the journalist, do not make sure that your conversation becomes a hit with readers, you have little chance of succeeding in this area. What should you remember when conducting an interview?
First: follow the best
Above all, you need to see what professional, well-conducted interviews look like. Your first independent observations will give you the foundations for directing the conversation in the right direction. The internet is full of interviews worth recommending. Professional and well-conducted conversations can be found, for example, at https://www.biztok.pl/wywiady.
Second: put the interview in context
In other words, give your interview a subject. You cannot question a particular guest without any guiding idea. Think about why you decided to suggest a meeting to your interviewee in the first place. What do you want to ask them, and what would your audience like to read or hear at that moment?
Third: do your research
Put simply—prepare yourself. Look for threads that will enrich your interview. It also cannot hurt to find something that will surprise the interviewee themselves. Go through their statements and find keywords that you will certainly use. Also find out in detail what the person you are interviewing has accomplished.
Fourth: prepare a plan
There are probably journalists who can ask questions spontaneously and guide an interview so that it is interesting. As a beginner, however, write your questions down on a sheet of paper beforehand. An interview is a real game that requires tactics. Think about how to start, how to finish and how to fill your conversation. Use questions! Do not suggest answers to your interviewee! Also be inquisitive and try to draw some exceptional information out of your guest.
Fifth: be courteous!
An interview is a formal conversation. Therefore, maintain a courteous tone and make your interviewee feel that you respect them (though not necessarily that you like them). A journalist must be inquisitive, but not nosy or insolent. Show class, and your interviewee will repay you in kind.
Sixth: control your stress
Easy to say, harder to do. Nevertheless, you must remain in control of the situation. You may make a blunder at any moment, or the conversation may start going in directions that do not entirely interest you. Take the helm into your own hands then and try to save your interview. Remember! It is nothing other than the art of asking questions.
Seventh: observe your interviewee and listen to them
You cannot stick rigidly to your plan. Every interview involves situations that are more or less unforeseen. You therefore have to react and take advantage of moments that may prove beneficial to you. Listen to your interviewee! An interview is a conversation, so you cannot be a passive participant in it!
W. Chentkiewicz