Interviewing Tips - Video Links
Katie Couric's Advice on Successful Interviewing
BBC Blast Top Three Interviewing Tips
Style Sheet
Silver Lake Journalism
(1) Everyone gets a title when they are first introduced in a story – name, title, said. The first time you introduce someone in a story, use first name, last name and title. In all future references, it is LAST NAME ONLY.
Examples:
First reference – Brad Womack, Silver Lake Jr./Sr. High School principal, said…
Second reference – Womack said students are committed to success.
First reference – Sally Smith, senior StuCo president, said…
Second reference – Smith said this year will be a challenge.
Most of the time a title for a student will be his/her grade.
(2) You must introduce a person and his/her title before you quote them.
Example:
Jamie Manhart, journalism teacher, said she is challenged by her job.
“Journalism is an area that is constantly changing, which requires me to be a lifelong learner,” she said.
(3) All verbs are in past tense.
Examples:
said, explained, commented, added (safe verbs)
(4) Correct style for a quote:
Quotation marks, the words of the source, a comma, end quotation marks, and person said.
Example: “The art curriculum allows students to be creative and release their energy and emotions in a positive way,” Wiles said.
(5) QUOTES STAND ALONE AS THEIR OWN PARAGRAPHS!
Example:
Jamie Manhart, journalism instructor, said she has always wanted to include junior high students in her curriculum.
“It is a win/win situation because the students gain journalism skills at an earlier age, and I have the opportunity to have students for up to five years,” Manhart said.
Eighth-grade students can now enroll in “Journalism” in the fall.
(6) Always double check spellings of names. CRUCIAL!
(7) Numbers
Zero to nine you use the words; 10 and above you use the numeral unless the number begins a sentence. You would then spell it out.
(Check stylebook for ages – an exception to the rule!)
Examples:
Twenty students finished the race.
Womack said five teens were arrested.
The project will take 15 years to complete.
(8) Dates
If you have a specific date, you abbreviate some months (see stylebook) and you never use “st,” “rd,” or “th.”
Examples:
NO – February 7
NO – Feb. 7th
YES – Feb. 7
You do not abbreviate a month when it stands alone with no specific date. You never include the year if it is the current year.
You do include previous years with the date.
(9) Transitions
An effective transition prior to a direct quote RESTATES the quote without using the exact words. A transition is a complete statement and avoids vague references.
Examples:
NO – When asked about her future, this is what she said.
NO – He explained why he gave her the award.
NO – I asked her why she felt that way. (Never include yourself!)
YES – She said the award would help her meet her future goals.
“I have always wanted to be a doctor and I think this award will help my chances of pursuing that career,” she said.
(10) Back-to-back quotes
The style for back-to-back quotes is as follows:
“I think this style sheet will be helpful to all students because it lists a variety of problem areas that I saw in many of the papers.
“Hopefully the students will utilize the sheet to improve their writing skills,” Manhart said.
Interview Questions
Sample
Six basic journalistic questions to ask: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?
Subject: Volleyball
Approach: Chronological
PAST
~ Who first inspired you to play?
~ Who were some of your first coaches / teammates and describe your memories of them.
~ Who did you look up to in this sport when you were growing up and why?
~ What were your personal goals when you first started playing?
~ What are some of your fondest earlier memories and explain.
~ What positions did you play and how did you feel about them?
~ What effect did volleyball have on you when you were growing up?
~ What was one of your biggest accomplishments? Explain.
~ What was one of your most embarrassing moments? Explain.
~ What were some honors/awards you received? Describe.
~ When did you start playing and why?
~ Where did you first start playing and describe the atmosphere.
~ How did you feel at your first practice?
~ How did you feel when you first stepped out on the court to play?
~ How did your first match go? Explain.
~ Why did you first start playing?
~ Why did you continue to play when you were younger?
PRESENT
~ Who first inspires you now as a player and how do they inspire you?
~ Who is your professional role model and why?
~ Who do you look up to the most on the team and why?
~ Who is your favorite player to watch and why?
~ What do you specifically bring to the team and how does that strengthen the team?
~ What are your strengths? Explain. Weaknesses? Explain.
~ What is your favorite position to play and why?
~ What is your least favorite position to play and why?
~ What have been some highlights of the season and explain.
~ What were some honors/awards you received? Describe.
~ When did you start playing and why?
~ Where did you first start playing and describe the atmosphere.
~ How did you feel at your first practice?
~ How did you feel when you first stepped out on the court to play?
~ How did your first match go? Explain.
~ Why did you first start playing?
~ Why did you continue to play when you were younger?
~ What is your current record? Describe any titles or honors that you have received and how you
felt about those honors.
~ What position would you like to play that you don’t and why?
~ What are your personal volleyball goals? Explain.
~ What are your team volleyball goals? Explain.
~ What is your favorite part of the game and why? Least and why?
~ In what area of your game have you improved the most? How have you achieved this improvement?
~ What is your favorite sport to play and why is it your favorite?
~ When/where does your team practice and what do you gain most from practices?
~ Where is your favorite school/town to play and why?
~ How do you feel about your team this year? Explain.
~ How do you feel when you walk out onto the court?
FUTURE
~ What role will volleyball play in your future? Explain.
~ What life lessons has the sport taught you? Explain.
~ How does the sport affect your academics?
~ How are you going to keep improving your game?
~ What goals do you have for your future career?
Katie Couric's Advice on Successful Interviewing
BBC Blast Top Three Interviewing Tips
Style Sheet
Silver Lake Journalism
(1) Everyone gets a title when they are first introduced in a story – name, title, said. The first time you introduce someone in a story, use first name, last name and title. In all future references, it is LAST NAME ONLY.
Examples:
First reference – Brad Womack, Silver Lake Jr./Sr. High School principal, said…
Second reference – Womack said students are committed to success.
First reference – Sally Smith, senior StuCo president, said…
Second reference – Smith said this year will be a challenge.
Most of the time a title for a student will be his/her grade.
(2) You must introduce a person and his/her title before you quote them.
Example:
Jamie Manhart, journalism teacher, said she is challenged by her job.
“Journalism is an area that is constantly changing, which requires me to be a lifelong learner,” she said.
(3) All verbs are in past tense.
Examples:
said, explained, commented, added (safe verbs)
(4) Correct style for a quote:
Quotation marks, the words of the source, a comma, end quotation marks, and person said.
Example: “The art curriculum allows students to be creative and release their energy and emotions in a positive way,” Wiles said.
(5) QUOTES STAND ALONE AS THEIR OWN PARAGRAPHS!
Example:
Jamie Manhart, journalism instructor, said she has always wanted to include junior high students in her curriculum.
“It is a win/win situation because the students gain journalism skills at an earlier age, and I have the opportunity to have students for up to five years,” Manhart said.
Eighth-grade students can now enroll in “Journalism” in the fall.
(6) Always double check spellings of names. CRUCIAL!
(7) Numbers
Zero to nine you use the words; 10 and above you use the numeral unless the number begins a sentence. You would then spell it out.
(Check stylebook for ages – an exception to the rule!)
Examples:
Twenty students finished the race.
Womack said five teens were arrested.
The project will take 15 years to complete.
(8) Dates
If you have a specific date, you abbreviate some months (see stylebook) and you never use “st,” “rd,” or “th.”
Examples:
NO – February 7
NO – Feb. 7th
YES – Feb. 7
You do not abbreviate a month when it stands alone with no specific date. You never include the year if it is the current year.
You do include previous years with the date.
(9) Transitions
An effective transition prior to a direct quote RESTATES the quote without using the exact words. A transition is a complete statement and avoids vague references.
Examples:
NO – When asked about her future, this is what she said.
NO – He explained why he gave her the award.
NO – I asked her why she felt that way. (Never include yourself!)
YES – She said the award would help her meet her future goals.
“I have always wanted to be a doctor and I think this award will help my chances of pursuing that career,” she said.
(10) Back-to-back quotes
The style for back-to-back quotes is as follows:
“I think this style sheet will be helpful to all students because it lists a variety of problem areas that I saw in many of the papers.
“Hopefully the students will utilize the sheet to improve their writing skills,” Manhart said.
Interview Questions
Sample
Six basic journalistic questions to ask: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?
Subject: Volleyball
Approach: Chronological
PAST
~ Who first inspired you to play?
~ Who were some of your first coaches / teammates and describe your memories of them.
~ Who did you look up to in this sport when you were growing up and why?
~ What were your personal goals when you first started playing?
~ What are some of your fondest earlier memories and explain.
~ What positions did you play and how did you feel about them?
~ What effect did volleyball have on you when you were growing up?
~ What was one of your biggest accomplishments? Explain.
~ What was one of your most embarrassing moments? Explain.
~ What were some honors/awards you received? Describe.
~ When did you start playing and why?
~ Where did you first start playing and describe the atmosphere.
~ How did you feel at your first practice?
~ How did you feel when you first stepped out on the court to play?
~ How did your first match go? Explain.
~ Why did you first start playing?
~ Why did you continue to play when you were younger?
PRESENT
~ Who first inspires you now as a player and how do they inspire you?
~ Who is your professional role model and why?
~ Who do you look up to the most on the team and why?
~ Who is your favorite player to watch and why?
~ What do you specifically bring to the team and how does that strengthen the team?
~ What are your strengths? Explain. Weaknesses? Explain.
~ What is your favorite position to play and why?
~ What is your least favorite position to play and why?
~ What have been some highlights of the season and explain.
~ What were some honors/awards you received? Describe.
~ When did you start playing and why?
~ Where did you first start playing and describe the atmosphere.
~ How did you feel at your first practice?
~ How did you feel when you first stepped out on the court to play?
~ How did your first match go? Explain.
~ Why did you first start playing?
~ Why did you continue to play when you were younger?
~ What is your current record? Describe any titles or honors that you have received and how you
felt about those honors.
~ What position would you like to play that you don’t and why?
~ What are your personal volleyball goals? Explain.
~ What are your team volleyball goals? Explain.
~ What is your favorite part of the game and why? Least and why?
~ In what area of your game have you improved the most? How have you achieved this improvement?
~ What is your favorite sport to play and why is it your favorite?
~ When/where does your team practice and what do you gain most from practices?
~ Where is your favorite school/town to play and why?
~ How do you feel about your team this year? Explain.
~ How do you feel when you walk out onto the court?
FUTURE
~ What role will volleyball play in your future? Explain.
~ What life lessons has the sport taught you? Explain.
~ How does the sport affect your academics?
~ How are you going to keep improving your game?
~ What goals do you have for your future career?