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Interviewing

A practical guide for citizen journalists

Types of Interviews: 7 - Q&A

At times, you’ll want to present an interview in a minimally mediated form, as if the reader were listening in on a conversation. Perhaps the information you have doesn’t really have a single focus, or you think all of it would be interesting to your readers. You can publish a transcript of the interview, if you recorded it. You can also run an “edited” transcript, in which you just pick out highlights.

Complex topics lend themselves to Q&As. In this piece based on an interview with the local chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, “Why You Can’t Build a Zoo in Your Backyard,” Christine Yeres of NewCastleNOW.org, a Chappaqua, N.Y.-based site, made a smart choice. Who knew zoning could be so interesting?

Sample script:

“Mr. Smith, I’d like to talk with you and record our conversation for purposes of publishing a question-and-answer feature in our publication. Is there a good time I could speak with you?”

Read our guides to other types of interviews

Newsgathering

Confirmation

Reaction

Person-on-the-street

Experts

Adding Balance

Advance

In-depth

Gotcha


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