Medill cherubs approached people in Evanston, Illinois for street-reaction interviews. Uncomfortable questions about age and contact information followed the basic who, what, when, where and why.
With 84 cherubs seeking three to five sources, more than a combined 300 interviews taught them to pace, prepare and execute an interview.
Preparing questions helps ease nerves and ensures you remember what to ask, Mariam Ahmed of Atlanta said.
Annabel Chia of Belmont, California, doesn’t prepare written questions but keeps in mind what she wants from the interview.
“I like to have the source direct the conversation,” Chia said.
Someone asking for money approached Hannah Lee of Fullerton, California.
“He didn’t want to give me his last name or his contact information, but it was my best interview because I didn’t talk to him just for the sake of the interview,” Lee said.
The worst that could happen is rejection, so don’t waste time being scared, Lee said.
“Be nice, start conversations and have them trust you before you dive into difficult questions,” Chia said.
People won’t always be open or opinionated, but some will elaborate, Lindsey Steel of Los Altos, California, said.
“Just keep going until you get a good interview, because there really is no strategy besides persistence,” Steel said.
