Being a good and accurate reporter requires you to remember a few simple tips:
Every story must be based on facts and evidence. Don't speculate and don't guess
Have some knowledge about a story before going out for an interview - it will help with follow-up questions
You should have a firm idea of the questions you want to ask before you start the interview
Prepare ahead of time for an interview, sometimes the interview will be days in advance which will give you time to prepare
Have enough knowledge to understand the significance of a source´s responses. If you don´t understand a story you may miss something
Don´t try to show off your knowledge. A reporter is not the news
Don´t ask "Yes-No" questions or you will get "Yes-No" responses. You want 10 to 15 second sound bites and "Yes - No" does not cut it
Ask "what," "how," and "why" questions
Ask questions the listener would ask
Ask the question over again if you did not get a good enough answer. Sometimes the best questions are ones you didn´t think about before hand and the best answers can come when an interviewee is asked to repeat their answer.
Contact me by Email at: aselepak@ufl.edu
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