Get Answers to Tough Reporter Questions

Get Answers to Tough Reporter QuestionsGet Answers to Tough Reporter QuestionsSome people make their mark in media by asking tough reporter questions. In days gone by, it was Mike Wallace or Sam Donaldson. These days, you expect hard-hitting reporter questions from people like Bill OReilly or Rachel Maddow. fruchtwein reporters will be confronted with situations requiring them to make an aggressive push for information.Know how to prepare yourself so you can be polite, yet persistent in getting the answers you want, especially in a combative nachrichten situation. Uncovering Your Motivation When a news reporter prepares to ask tough questions in an interview, she should ask herself about her motives. To be fair to the person being interviewed, the motivation should be to get answers, not an argument. A TV reporter faces an additional challenge. A person who feels ambushed by overly-aggressive reporter questions will often say hes the victim of caught on camera journalism that sim ply seeks to record him squirming when the red light comes on. If youre accused of unprofessional behavior, plan your response. A politician may claim you have a political bias in attacking him. Decide how you will refute that phony defense. Planning Your Interview Youre just a few hours away from seeing the mayor face-to-face to ask about the city scandal that everyone in town is talking about. That is everyone but him. Decide now when in the interview to ask the tough questions and how. Timing is critical in getting information. If you think youll have a 20-minute interview, asking about the scandal can wait until after youve asked some harmless questions about the future of the city, his leadership plans and other items that will put him at ease. If you barge into his office demanding a response about the scandal, you might be asked to leave before you even sit down. Its not worth jeopardizing your long-term relationship with the mayor. But there are times when the tough ques tions cant wait. Your shot at talking to the mayor may come as hes walking down the hallway. In that case, you need to get him to stop briefly and ask your question. If youre doing a live TV interview, you may only get two minutes of airtime. That might allow for one set-up question before you are forced to ask about the scandal. Visualizing how you want the interview to proceed is key. A TV interview is sometimes easier than one for print because any politician should know that the camera is recording his every move. If he puts his hand over the lens, that video will be shown endlessly to the towns viewers. Phrasing What You Want to Ask Be careful in the wording of your tough questions. That can make all the difference in whether you get answers. Did you take bribes? will immediately put a person on the defensive. If he thinks you wont treat him fairly during the interview or in writing your story, he will be less likely to engage you in conversation. Instead, you can ask, Your critics accuse you of taking bribes. What would you say to those people? removes you personally from the question. Youve asked for the same information but in a less threatening way. The late Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes established himself as a TV personality for his blunt interviewing skills, which occasionally made him sound more like a district attorney than a journalist. While that put him on the list of the 10 TV legends, its often much easier to get answers when you take a softer tone. Defending Yourself From Attacks The easiest way for a person being interviewed to deflect your tough questions is to attack you. Be persistent in pressing for answers. One response is for the person to say, Ive answered that question many times. I cant believe you think thats news. Quick research before the interview will help you say, Youve talked about the scandal, but you havent said whether youre involved. Thats what Im asking now. Heres another response. You people should be out reporti ng the real news that goes on in town, instead of just criticizing me. Im trying to make our city better and you dont care. You can say, We covered your groundbreaking of the new park just yesterday. This is news because people in town want to know how youre spending their tax dollars. Now a final common response you may hear. Its obvious you want me to lose my re-election. You and your lousy paper have always been against me. But the people at home know youre biased. Thats why a lot of them stopped subscribing to your horrible news rag. It will be hard to reason with someone whos that upset. If you think hes listening, you can say, Were not biased. Were giving you the chance to speak. People are talking about this scandal and are hopeful youll say something about it. Its crucial that you stay calm, even if youre boiling with rage inside. Getting the answers you seek is more important than venting your personal frustrations. Ensuring That Youre Fair Youve planned out the mechani cs of the interview. Now is time to run through a checklist of media ethics to make sure youre being fair to the person wholl be faced with your questions. Before you set off on an ambush interview, give the person reasonable opportunities to sit down with you in a professional setting. Strive to set up an appointment at the persons office before jabbing a microphone in his face while hes coming out of a church. If the mayor is accused of a scandal, its likely that everyone in town has jumped to the conclusion that he must be guilty. People like to gossip, especially about those in the public eye. As a journalist, you cant get caught up in that buzz. Remember, the mayor could be the victim of a smear campaign and may be innocent. Be open-minded in seeking information. Just because youve confirmed the mayor once played golf with a powerful businessman whos accused of bribing him doesnt mean he took a bribe. Perhaps he was assigned to be golf buddies with the business tycoon at a char ity golf tournament. Seeking a smoking gun can often blind you to facts that contradict your assumptions. Some reporters can build their entire news careers on conducting compelling interviews. Master the art of asking tough reporter questions so you can join them.