Category: Future of Journalism

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.

After 24 years at CBS’s FACE THE NATION, veteran journalist Bob Schieffer said goodbye to his Sunday morning audience. In those 24 years, Schieffer led the round table of journalists from newspapers, magazines, and occasionally TV. Current Slate political correspondent and former Time magazine political reporter John Dickerson will take over for Schieffer. Dickerson continued the tradition of having the majority of the panelists come from traditional “print” news outlets, but at least including a colleague from Slate.

This is not a surprise considering many older journalists, I’ve encountered, consider newspaper journalists like Bob Woodward their heroes. But they also consider “print” journalists more “serious” than their colleagues in other mediums. Some older veteran journalists have even been unabashedly caught making disparaging remarks about new media and other non-newspaper journalists. One newspaper writer from a large Midwest newspaper regularly makes these types of remarks on Twitter calling broadcast journalists “news updaters” and Gawker journalists “content thieves.” Once in conversation with a newspaper reporter, I was told that they are the “real journalists” because they uncover information while broadcast and digital reporters just copy information they read in newspapers.

While many veteran journalists like Schieffer have not made such condescending remarks publically, they have expressed an opinion that the future if journalism seems bleak. Schieffer’s statements made in a farewell interview with CNN’s Brian Stelter expressed this viewpoint. When asked about the future of journalism, Schieffer seemed skeptical that younger generations were up to the task of “real journalism”.

“I don’t know where reporters are going to work in the future,” said Schieffer. “If they’re going to work at a website, or at a cable (station), at a network, or at a newspaper. I hope a lot will work for newspapers (be)cause I’m really worried about the state of newspapers now. ”

He has reason to be worried. Newspaper readership and ad revenues are still declining, even with many now offering a digital version. It seems unlikely that in the future there will be many jobs available any time soon for freshman journalists in newspapers. In fact purely digital news sites, like Slate, Mic, and Wired are popping up all over the internet, providing jobs for young journalists who will work for less than most veteran journalists. But do the veteran journalists considering these outlets legitimate bastions of “real journalism”?

In Bob Schiefer’s world, the internet can’t be trusted and neither can the journalists who write for it.

“Getting accurate information is harder now than it’s ever been,” said Schieffer.

“Even though the internet has made it more accessible?” asked Stelter.

“Yes, because most of the information is wrong,” said Schieffer. “We’re just overwhelmed by news. There’s just so much news we can’t get to the news.”

He goes on to say that it’s “mainstream” journalists job to “cut through this great mall of information and tell what we think is relevant.”

In the future, I’m doubtful “mainstream” journalism of newspapers and TV will exist in its current state. Traditional print journalists, as well as ever other kind of journalists, is being asked to create digital content. That could mean written word, audio or video footage, or social media posted on their news outlet’s website. The mediums are blending. This may force some veteran journalists to re-think about what they consider “real journalism”, while others are destined to remain clinging to their traditional ideas as they exit the building either willingly or by force.