by Christina Pomoni

Created on: May 06, 2009   Last Updated: May 15, 2009

Interviewing is a fundamental task for any journalist. Getting a factual, real-time interview with the individuals involved and gathering the most information possible in the least amount of time requires a lot of talent. At the same time, avoiding fiction and producing a strong, traditionally journalistic article with patience and polite behavior requires a lot of experience. In this context, effective journalistic interviewing is the result of a series of steps that can turn a friendly discussion into a valuable journalistic work.

The interviewing process can be quite a challenge but it's the journalist's moral duty to remain detached and unbiased so as to remember that there is only one shot to get the story and the facts right. Choosing the right people to interview is the key that relates the facts with the people. A proper selection of the interviewees produces high quality stories because the right people provide the best information available.

Regardless if the interview takes place live or over the phone, typically it doesn't last more than 30 minutes and it all depends on the nature of the story to be produced. People who want publicity may offer some more of their valuable time and extend the interview to 45 minutes, but this doesn't happen often. Therefore, preparing the interview questions in advance enables the journalist to gain a broader understanding of what the scope of the interview is. Experienced journalists use the inverted pyramid, a scheme that puts the most valuable information in a lead paragraph on the top. By preparing questions that answer the what, who, when, where, why, and how of the story and keeping the retaining information to follow in order of importance, a well-structured flow of the interview and reliable conclusions are ensured.

In addition, researching the topic of the interview offers the opportunity to craft innovative questions that require pioneer answers. People who are experts in their field appreciate advanced journalistic analysis and offer their expertise to the journalist without questioning the motives.

By all means, a journalist must strive to obtain the truth with objectivity. To achieve that, he should state clear, straightforward and strategic questions that attract explicit answers so as to keep the interview on track. Often, during the interview people ramble and talk in circles without focusing on the questions. This is a critical issue that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible, so that

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