Interviewing

A practical guide for citizen journalists

Why interview?

Chapters

Developed by Angie Chuang and Lynne Perri, American University School of Communication

Test your ‘Interviewing Quotient’

Take this brief quiz to help you decide which chapters of the module might be most helpful to you.

Keep track of your answers, and we'll tell you what they mean.

Once you've completed this quiz, move on to Quiz 2 to test your attitudes toward interviewing.

1. My citizen media outlet primarily aims to:

A) Reflect and advocate for a community with shared interests.

B) Inform the public about a specialized area of knowledge.

C) Let people know what's going on in the community.

D) Provide a forum for community involvement and opportunities to participate.

2. Most of the content in my citizen media outlet:

A) Is written off-the-cuff, reflecting the knowledge and opinions of myself or other writers.

B) Relies on some research (on the Web or by talking to other people), but still comes from the perspective of the writer.

C) Includes attributed insights or direct quotes from a variety of people.

D) Solicit posts or comments directly from readers.

3. I attend an event with a speaker who would be of interest to my audience. I:

A) Take in the talk without being distracted by note-taking, and then convey my impressions of the speech.

B) Jot a few notes, or make a video or audio recording, and share those on my site.

C) Take extensive notes, and then approach the speaker after the talk to ask a question that specifically interests my audience.

D) Am more interested in writing an advance piece on the talk, and encouraging my readers to go, than in telling them about it after the fact.

4. I think MSM (mainstream media) reporters are:

A) Exploitive - they quote the wrong people and spin stories in ways that don't allow real voices to be heard.

B) Missing the mark - they don't write about issues the way people I know talk about them.

C) Admirable - I don't try to reinvent the news, but rather localize it for my community.

D) Not engaged enough - I'd like to see media help more people get involved in their communities.

5. When I am writing about an issue for my site, I:

A) Come up with the most convincing ways to make my arguments.

B) Chat with friends and family about it, and their perspectives often find their way into my writing.

C) Ask everyone I can about it, seeking out public officials as well as community members.

D) Find ways to encourage my readers to get involved: by going to public meetings, writing letters, etc.