How to Interview Someone for an Article

Reviewed by Gerald Posner

Last Updated: March 11, 2024

The best interviews are conversational, yet still have structure. This article will walk you through some important things to cover during your interview, as well as provide guidance on how to craft an effective interview question. Read on for more!

1

Do your homework.

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Learn what you can about the interviewee before you ever pick up the phone.
- If the person is a known author or speaker, take the time to read or listen to their work, or at least get familiar with their most recent or most important work.
- If the person is an official or leader, familiarize yourself with that person's organization. Look around the website.
- If the interview will cover recent events, review whatever is known publicly about those events.

2

Contact the interviewee.

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Introduce yourself, identify the organization, business, or school you are associated with.
- Tell them what your article will be about, and why you would like to interview them.
- Politely ask if you can interview them.
- Schedule a time to meet in a quiet location, or schedule a time to interview the person by phone.
- Be respectful of the person's time and schedule.

3

Write down a list of questions beforehand.

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For flow, consider how the conversation might flow from one point to the next.

4

Bring a recording device to the interview.

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This way you can focus all your attention on the interview and not scramble to write things down. This will make it easier to include direct quotes when you start writing.

5

Be courteous and hospitable.

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Remember that being interviewed can be stressful, or at least unfamiliar.
- Arrive on time or a little early.
- Set up anything you need set up in advance. Sound check your recording device.
- Thank the person for agreeing to meet.
- If you are meeting in person, show the interviewee in, offer a seat, and offer water, coffee or tea.
- State any time limits out loud, right at the beginning of the visit. "Let's get started, so we can finish by 2pm and make sure you don't miss your next appointment."
- Ask the interviewee's permission to record their remarks.

6

Have a natural conversation.

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Don't just read your questions to the interviewee.

7

Begin with introductions.

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Start by asking your subject to introduce him/herself, what they do that's relevant to the topic at hand, and how long they've done it. Pay close attention to what they are saying and make eye contact. Try to use what they are saying to think of more questions. Make it more a conversation than a list of questions.

8

Go into deeper discussion.

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Ask the questions you need to know for your topic, but also try to ask questions based on what they say to you in previous responses. Experienced interviewers will ask their subjects about their personal thoughts and reactions to events and people they deal with. Personal references tend to elicit interesting and meaningful responses that will bring substance to an article.

9

Treat it like a conversation.

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Unless you need to use the recording of the interview for a multimedia project, feel free to say words that show you are listening and understanding, like "yeah" and "mmhmm." If you actually need to use the audio of the interview in your final presentation, be as quiet as possible while the subject is speaking. Nodding your head or offering facial feedback can be an encouragement to the subject.

10

Steer the interview where it needs to go.

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If the interviewee goes off on a tangent, steer them back to the area you're focusing on.

11

Don't ask too many questions.

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The subject could feel overwhelmed and put on the spot.

12

Don't be nervous.

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Relax, smile and be confident. They may not even guess that you are new to interviewing.

13

Thank them when it's over.

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That is everything I need for my article."

14

End the interview when it seems appropriate.

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15

Confirm and write down the subject's full name.

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16

Offer a preview.

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If the topic is at all controversial or sensitive, the interviewee may appreciate the chance to review your work before it's made public.

What Are The Dos And Don’ts Of a Journalistic Interview?

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Tips

Write a list of questions beforehand so you have a good idea of what you need to ask during the interview (when you might be a bit nervous).

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Don't just read your questions to the interviewee. Refer to it only as needed to stimulate responses.

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Warnings

Keep things light and respectful. You'll gather much more information if your subject is relaxed and engaged in friendly conversation.

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