You look at each other, neither one speaking. You shift nervously in your chair, tapping your pen and searching for your next move – or the nearest exit. You’ve just found yourself in the middle of The Worst Interview in Journalistic History, and you’re wondering if you’ll ever work again.
It happens. It happens to cub reporters interviewing their first celebrity, and to veteran journalists with their own talk shows. It’s every journalist’s worst nightmare. It doesn’t have to ruin your story, however. Even the most disastrous interview can often be salvaged, and even result in an insightful, readable article your audience will actually enjoy and learn something from.
Do Your Research
So, the first and most important tip actually isn't about how to save a bad interview, but how to prevent one in the first place. Start by doing your research. Get to know your interviewee and the topic in-depth. Don't ask basic questions that you can easily find the answers to on the internet, in the company's literature, the person's bio or other places. People often find it insulting if you come to the interview with no knowledge of them or the issue, and they may think you're not taking the subject seriously. Use this background research to develop targeted, informed questions that will help you gather information that hasn't already been covered.
Have a Plan B
You can often prevent a bad interview simply by having a backup plan. I make a list of my most important questions, but I also include several “in case of emergency” questions to help me get an interview back on track. These include questions that, while not essential, are interesting and can be used if the source is providing only brief answers to my key questions. They’re often offbeat questions, something seemingly irrelevant or that I know hasn’t been discussed in other interviews. While they may seem irrelevant, that’s part of their power. They help me catch the source off guard and get them thinking. Some of my best material comes from these “throwaway” questions and they’re also a great way to get the source to loosen up and be more conversational. Once I get the other person talking, the interview makes a turn for the better, and sometimes I can revisit the questions that didn’t go over well the first time.
Push Reset
They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. Unless the interview has deteriorated so badly that you and your source are shouting at each other, you may be able to take a step back and change the tone of the conversation. You can always just acknowledge the awkwardness, for example by telling the other person you feel like you got off on the wrong foot and you'd like to start over. If you feel certain questions are pushing the person's buttons, you can try veering away to more benign subjects until the person is more comfortable. You can also try reframing questions. For example, your interviewee may feel as though the questions are confrontational (even if they're not) and this may make them defensive. If you ask a city manager "How much will sales tax go up to fund the new community center?" and you get pushback, take a step back. The person probably knows that increased taxes won't be well-received by the public, and they may think you're slanting the article in a negative way (again, even if you're not). Instead, ask what kinds of things will go into building a new community center and what things the city needs to consider. From there, you can ease into asking more specific questions about money.
Be Flexible
Knowing specifically what you want from an interview is crucial. You need to make sure the conversation stays on track, and that you get the information you need. However, if you can’t seem to save the interview, sometimes it’s best to go with the flow, at least temporarily. If the subject doesn’t want to open up about the topics you most need, but is willing to talk about something else, let the conversation wander. I’ve often gone into an interview with a specific angle, only to find that the person I’m interviewing takes the conversation in a more entertaining and informative direction than I had planned. Sometimes the information they give me is even better than what I had in mind. If there's information you absolutely must get, you can keep coming back to it until the subject opens up. Sometimes, however, you have an idea about how the story should go, only to discover that the subject gives you an even better story.
Stay Focused
Finally, no matter what happens, concentrate on your responsibility as a journalist: putting together a solid, informative, engaging and accurate article that has value for your readers. This is also the one thing you can control. If you find yourself getting flustered or intimidated, try to take a deep breath and remind yourself that this isn't personal. Interviews go off the rails for several reasons, many of which have nothing to do with you. Maybe the person you're interviewing is worried about their reputation or their company's reputation, maybe they've had a bad media experience in the past, or maybe they're just having a cruddy day. Remember that your first duty is to your readers, and that even if the interview goes south, if you can manage to write an engaging, informative and impactful story, you've fulfilled your obligation to your readers.
