Copyright Walsworth Publishing Company

1. Top 7 excuses for bad
interviews

2. "He wouldn't say
anything."
This excuse is usually the
result of nervous reporting.
When people get nervous, they
often talk more than they
should.
Nervous reporters try to fill the
silence for their sources, so the
source is never required to
talk.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

3. "He wouldn't say anything."
• Wait a minute after asking a question before moving on,
even if your source doesn’t say anything.
• After a source answers a question, nod your head and wait a
few seconds before asking the next question. The source will
probably think of something to add if you stay quiet.
• Do not cut the interview short just because it does not seem
to be going anywhere. Instead, relax and have a conversation.
Fix the problem by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

4. "I couldn't find my
questions."
You should be prepared for an
interview when you schedule it,
but sometimes things happen
and you lose your preparation
notes.
As long as you remember to
bring blank paper and a pen,
all is not lost.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

5. "I couldn't find my questions."
• Remember that an interview is just a conversation. You have
conversations every day without the help of a list of questions.
• Think on your feet. Ask your source to verify information you
already know you have. This will give you time to think of new
questions.
• Allow the conversation to flow naturally and new questions
will come to you as you talk.
Fix the problem by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

6. "I asked her to give me
a quote, but she
wouldn't."
Asking a source for a quote
is like sticking a microphone
in someone's face and
asking them to "say
something."
It puts them on the spot and
makes you look lazy and
unprofessional.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

7. "I asked her to give me a quote, but she wouldn't."
• Ask compelling questions and wait for an authentic quote.
• If your source provides interesting information as the answer
to a question, but the form of the information will not work as a
quote, stay quiet. Most people want you to understand what
they have to say; when you do not move on to the next
question, your source will assume you do not understand.
Usually, he will repeat the same information in an easy-to-
understand, quotable sentence or two.
Fix the problem by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

8. "She talked too fast."
Some sources ramble, talk
fast, have accents or are
otherwise difficult to
understand.
The way someone talks
shouldn’t determine how
often they are quoted in the
yearbook, so reporters must
take extra steps to ensure
everyone is quotable.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

9. "She talked too fast."
• Before an interview, ask other staff members if they know
your interviewee. Find out if the person tends to speak quickly
or has an accent. If you know what to expect, you are more
likely to be prepared.
• Consider using a tape recorder to supplement note taking.
You can listen to the tape to verify facts and quotes.
• Remember that it is OK to ask a source to repeat
information. Everyone wants to be quoted accurately.
Fix the problem
by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

10. "It was a stupid topic."
This problem should be
addressed before the interview.
If a topic truly is undeserving of
space in the yearbook, do not
waste your time with an interview.
Chances are, though, that the
interviewer was unprepared, so
the interview was unsuccessful.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

11. "It was a stupid topic."
• Do sufficient research before the interview. If the topic is
“stupid,” you will discover that in the pre-interview process.
• Prepare thoroughly. If you have a list of questions prepared,
you will feel more comfortable in the interview and be better
able to see the value in the topic.
Fix the problem
by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

12. "I couldn't think of
any questions."
This is another preparation
problem. Do not rely on
off-the-cuff thinking in an
interview situation.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

13. "I couldn't think of any questions."
• Write a list of at least 10 questions prior to an interview.
These will help get you started.
• Practice asking the questions to a friend who will pretend to
be the interviewee. If you have any yes/no questions in your
list, rewrite them to be more useful.
Fix the problem
by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

14. "They didn't tell me."
Sometimes a reporter forgets
to ask the most important
questions, so a story gets
published without key facts or
with the wrong focus.
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

15. "They didn't tell me."
Do not forget to ask the two most important questions:
• “Is there anything I forgot to ask you about that you would
like to tell me?”
• “If I have any other questions when I am working on the
story, would it be OK if I give you a call?”
Fix the problem by:
Top 7 excuses for bad interviews

16. These tips should help make every interview a productive fact- and quote-gathering
session. If you encounter problems, remember that an interview is just a conversation.
So relax and be curious.