Although any good interview should be filled with questions, these questions should be informed by facts and a general understanding of issues being discussed. For example, if an interviewer whose specialty is profiles of local business figures is asked to fill in for a sports reporter, he should be familiar with the rules of the game for players who he is assigned to interview. Thus, preparation for an interview must not necessarily be intensive, consuming hours or days, but it should always be instructive. An interviewer should be able to express a command of vital information, and should verify information by comparing quotes from a number of sources (See Reference 1).
Credibility is key during a news interview. People seek to trust a reporter before confiding in him or her. Thus, subjects of interviews expect their interviewers to be forthcoming about their aims in the course of their work. An interviewer, rather than an interviewee, must establish rapport, take control and diffuse bias if it occurs during the interview. News reporters should also practice perseverance, in hopes of shedding new light on common subjects. Assertion should not be equated with aggression, but rather with tenacity, allowing a reporter to discover and publicize hidden value associated with his interviewee.
A mistake that reporters sometimes make is to become a dominating figure during an interview. Some reporters are so interested in being news mavericks that they do a poor job of uncovering the news. Remember that the subject of your interview has a story to tell, and strive to provide him or her with a venue within which to tell this story. While many of your comments as an interviewer may be interesting, if they detract from your subject's story, consider keeping them to yourself.
Open-ended questions discourage simple yes or no answers, and invite your subject to discuss his opinion on matters. For example, instead of asking, "Should teens be allowed to use cell phones at school?" ask, "How do you feel about cell phone usage by teens in school?" The second question is liable to provoke a more thorough, emotional answer than the first might. (See Reference 2)
Sensational statements can make or break a news story. Fortunately, many people who agree to be interviewed are poised to make provocative statements. An interviewer's task is simply to permit her subject to feel comfortable enough to disclose such sensational statements. In order to nurture soundbites, which are quick and captivating statements, an interview must allow her subject to express himself with candor. Furthermore, she should keep her subject focused, even if a controversial or challenging issue is under discussion. By cherishing soundbites, an interviewer welcomes an element of surprise in the interviewing process, often transforming a bland conversation into an active dialogue.