Ask short questions and listen
Interviewing is used constantly in journalism, but preparation alone does not make a good exchange. Three simple rules improve the encounter: ask short questions, ask one at a time and keep every question connected to the information your angle requires.
The essentials
Keep questions short, separate and purposeful. A brief reminder of context can help, but a long demonstration loses both the interviewee and the audience. Begin with accessible questions, move towards depth and more sensitive issues, then open towards what comes next. Prepare the difficult question rather than dropping it into the conversation without thought.
Follow the eight-stage route. Prepare the subject and person; clarify the topic, use of remarks and attribution; be punctual and courteous; observe the setting and useful details. These steps create the conditions for an interview that gives you both information and material for the story.
Then listen and follow up; allow silence after an evasive reply; maintain eye contact while taking notes; and finish by asking what remains to add. Collect contact details and review your notes promptly. The objective is not to recite every prepared question, but to obtain the answers the audience needs. Mark unanswered questions so that a later follow-up replaces guesswork during writing.
Take it to the field
Before leaving, check names, numbers and contact details. Record unanswered questions. A clearly worded follow-up later is better than a risky interpretation when you sit down to write or prepare the broadcast.
Your turn
Listen to or read three interviews this week. Record each long question, each double question and each well-used or poorly used silence. Explain how a shorter question or a follow-up could improve the exchange.