A large part of the job as a journalist is spent doing interviews. That is usually a main source of content for most journalism pieces. But to get that critical information an interview must be set up first. This is what makes or breaks journalists; their ability to get interviews. In my experience, it is best to leave a good impression if you ever want to talk to that person again. Part of that is being professional in your correspondence with whoever is setting up the interview time.
I will explain the best steps to take in professionally corresponding with contacts to set up interviews. In this example I will show how to correspond with a contact from a press release. This is typically how most government offices release information to the media.
1. Read the entire press release and locate the contact number.
2. Decide what your angle will be and if you need to research additional information before your interview.
3. E-mail or voicemail the listed contact asking for a specific time to conduct the interview.
a. Make sure to briefly describe the topic of the interview.
b. Let the contact know if it will be pre-recorded or live.
c. If the contact is not the person you would like to interview then be sure to ask for the person you need.
d. Be polite and business appropriate in your language and presentation.
e. Make sure your title and contact information are listed under name at the end of the e-mail. If leaving a voicemail, make sure to leave your contact information with the contact person.
4. Wait for a response.
5. After receiving a response, make sure to reply immediately. It is not unusual for contacts to have questions and a quick response is always helpful in the process of setting up the interview.
6. Confirm the day and time.
7. Say thank you. Always, always, always.
8. Make sure that you inform the contact person immediately if you need to change the time; otherwise, make sure you are ready at the time you scheduled for the interview.
Here is a sample e-mail to a contact:
Mr. Vance White-
I would like to conduct a telephone interview with you or someone else knowledgeable about the recent incident on the city bus where a man was attacked. I would like to know how the bus line will be helping police in the investigation and if there are plans to increase security on buses. I am hoping to conduct the interview this morning between 10-11 a.m. Please let me know if this is possible or if another time would be better. You can reach me right now at 555-3333.
Regards,
Sally Thomas
Reporter/News 9
Office: 333-4444
Cell: 555-3333
Here is an example of a voicemail message:
Hi, this is Sally Thomas with News 9. My number is 555-3333 I am interested in speaking to someone about the recent incident on the city bus where a man was attacked. I am hoping to set up an interview for 10 o’clock this morning. I was told you were the person to contact about this so please call me back at your earliest convenience. Again, this is Sally Thomas with News 9. You can reach me at 555-3333….that’s 555-3333. Thank you.
You do a great job of describing how to set up a quick interview. Each step is sort but detailed, making it an easy and informative read. I appreciate using sub-steps in #3 to make sure each one is addressed separately and not in one paragraph. The examples at the end were a nice touch, escecpially the voicemail. We all get messages where the caller’s number gets lost so it is always important to repeat.
Watch out for punctuation. There are a couple steps where the ending punctuation is missing.
For the how-to, you went with something you knew instead of your future beat. The resulting how-to get-an-interview is good. It is confident and complete and shows authority. I like the inclusion of the sample email and voicemail.
It could go further. The fifth module offers the idea that everything is a process. Anything you write is a set of instructions for the reader on how you think. If you took away the numbered steps of this assignment, you’d be left with a clear essay on the interview process. Your logic follows through.
It would be a very general essay though. In your opening, you say, “This is what makes or breaks journalist; their ability to get interviews.” If so, then can the process be as simple as your algorithm? Do journalists live or die by their ability to be polite? Something tells me there is more story to this process.
You could expand on the process and create an even stronger essay with examples. What are some specific interview lessons colleagues have shared with you? Maybe you could interview a few interviewers. What are some interview experiences you have learned? Instructions never fail for thoroughness. The more detail you can add, the stronger the confidence of the reader. Individual stories will also captivate the reader.
My favorite post is your “Future Shopping Fantasy.” I can see you developing a voice here. This has elements of the devils advocate and the how-to. It has innovative thinking and it explores how we used to shop and how we might shop tomorrow.
Your train of thought could be organized a little better. This is a piece about the past and future of shopping and how they relate. Why begin with the story of why you recorded your grandmother? It is not irrelevant, but a better lede would connect the future of shopping to the past before jumping into the past. Otherwise, a reader might think this is a how-to about interview techniques or a personal essay on genealogy.
Like Professor Strunk says, throw the drowning reader a rope.
The assignments help you think about the elements of good writing and whether they are found in your writing. Your assignments show you can both think on paper and organize your thoughts. Try to use these elements in all of your posts. Then the wiki asks: have you done your research?
Good work Futura.