Interviews, Soundbites and Live Reporting

Interviews
 
interviewing rules aren't set in stone
consider:

spontaneous vs. scripted or rehearsed

simple entertainment vs. serious discussion

brief news vs. in-depth discussion
 
2 key principles
1. come prepared

know everything you can about the interviewee/subject

contrast Larry King with Barbara Walters
 
2. prepare key questions

at least topics/subjects you want to cover

can often list key words
 
Interviews produce soundbites.
 
Live Interviews
advantages:

spontaneity

immediacy

interest (better than a talking head)

credibility
 

disadvantages:

incompleteness or rushed

inability to get the right people on camera

in authority

in articulateness

give up to an extent, the ability to control time
 
in general,interviews alone can't tell the story
 
issue:
is there enough time to really address the story by going to a live interview?
 

What makes for a good interview?
 
1. Think of your audience

you are their mouthpiece

ask questions you think your audience would ask

don't be afraid to follow-up

put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows little about the person/subject
 
2. Don't let the interviewee wander too far off track (but follow if interesting)

interrupting?
 

3. Be wary of the interviewee trying to manipulate the interview

ex. politicians
 
4. Be aware of pacing (pauses may lead to good material)
 
5. Set up questions and statements logically, progressively

follow-up for clarity (5 Ws)
 

6. Avoid asking questions that can be answered yes or no (generally)

uninteresting and quickly eat up topics
 
7. Clash/conflict makes for good interviews

without being perceived as pushy or hostile

playing devil's advocate

quoting their own words back to them
 
8. Your responses are important too

"I see" "uh uh" "okay" "right" (head nodding)
 

9. Avoid two part questions

confuses the interviewee

confuses the audience
 
10. Avoid obvious questions

time is precious

is there time for a pre-interview?
 
11. Taste and Ethics

types of questions - tough?

timing of interviews
 

12. Be relaxed yourself

be warm and friendly, put the interviewee at ease

arrive on time, dress appropriately
 
13. Be aware that cameras, lights, mikes, etc. can disorient an interviewee

a few off air set-up questions to put the interviewee at ease
 
14. The reporter isn't the story
 
15. Have an exit line ready (live)
 
ABOVE ALL - LISTEN!
 
Soundbites
sound in radio
sound and/or video in TV
helps take the audience to the scene of the event
vicarious participation
 
Sources

excerpts from a speech

news conferences

public statements

experts

interviews

eyewitnesses etc.
 

Uses

soundbites can't tell the whole story

better to help illustrate a story

or add a new dimension to a story

add credibility/authority

(direct from the source)
 
can:

provide factual information

prove a visual or add a dimension of realism

reveal a person's inner self
 
can convey:

literal information

sense of the environment (being there)

speaker's emotion

all in all, must add something to the story
 

length

8-12 seconds as the standard

don't want the soundbite to overwhelm

get to the point and then get out
 
attribution is important

may be in the story or done by graphics (or both)
 
Lead-ins and tags
Lead-in (15 seconds max)

setting the stage for the soundbite
Tag (10 seconds max)
getting out of the bite and into the next story

(flow and transition)
wraps up the story
reporter tag
 

Blind lead-ins
self contained (stand alone if soundbite fails)

that is, they don't telegraph the fact that an actuality follows

can help summarize the tone and substance of the soundbite
 

Ex.

Soundbite: (Johnson on tape) We anticipate absolutely no economic effect in the supermarkets
 
Original: Johnson was asked how the wheat agreement will affect bread prices.
 
Rewrite: Johnson says wheat subsidies will not cause higher bread prices in America.
 
should be direct and active
be aware of the "echo chamber" or "parrot" effect
 
Parrot Lead-in: Economists anticipate that there will be no economic effect from higher wheat prices.
 

one possibility - in editing the soundbite, read the first sentence of the soundbite on air as the
lead-in
attribution - make sure audience knows voices/faces
 
combining soundbites
need a bridge

verbal or visual or both

voiceovers or cutbacks to the reporter

smoothing the flow between
 

The format:

(LEAD-IN)
Text

Source (SOT)
Time (give the time of the soundbite)
Outcue (the last 5-6 words of the soundbite)

(BRIDGE)
Text

Source
Time
Outcue
…
(TAG)
Text
 

Ex.

(LEAD-IN)
A tense situation is developing in the Middle East. Israeli and Jordanian troops are massing at the border though no hostilities have broken out yet. Experts don't agree on why this situation has developed.
SOT
:07
(Out: certainly a puzzling situation)

(BRIDGE)
Here in the United States, military officials are concerned about on-going developments.
SOT
:04
(Out: could lead to war)

(TAG)
In a related story …

Or,
In other international news …
 

Actual soundbite #1 (from an Israeli official)
We don't know why this situation has developed. We think the Jordanians moved first and then we countered, but we have no word as to why. This is certainly a puzzling situation.
 

Actual soundbite #2 (from a U.S. official)
The Pentagon is following this with real concern. If someone gets edgy, shots may be fired, and it could lead to war.
 
Text in bold is the soundbite portion.
 
 

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