NYMMEP The Art of Podcasting Wrap-up: The Art of Interviewing
The Art of Podcasting is part of New York Music Month Extended Play, an initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
For the second workshop of our podcasting series, we had Jewels Dodson show us how to book guests, choose your questions & the art of listening.
A Recap
Some notes from Jewels Dodson:
First things first…
Do no harm
Make sure you’re well-intentioned
Don’t be malicious
Don’t embarrass your subject in an attempt for a come-up, wanting to make a name for yourself at someone else’s expense. If you conduct a great interview that will be your come-up
-The interviewer is a liaison between the listener/audience and the interviewer. Part of my intention is to be a conduit for the subject to tell their story. I am working in service of the listeners/readers and the subject. I am not at anyone’s mercy but I am acting in service to them.
That doesn’t mean you can’t ask hard questions or hold your subject accountable. But being mean-spirited or ill-intentioned will not garner what is needed most for a great interview and that is T R U S T.
There are a few things that can establish trust early on.
-Know your subject and content area. The heartbeat of any scholarly, creative, or substantive work is research. Prior to your interview learn your subject. Dig. Dig deep. Go back into that subject’s archives. Read old articles, watch old and new interviews, if they are famous or well-known do a deep dive into their work. When your subject sees you can speak their language and know their body of work, they feel more at ease. They are genuinely engaged and trust you to navigate this dialogue; they’ll start talking.
-Also by knowing your subject and content you can ask better questions, more specific questions. Specific questions can result in more meaningful answers. — i.e. Instead of asking a musical artist: “how did you get into music?”
You can ask: “I read you were really into NWA growing up. How did you feel the first time you heard Straight Outta Compton?”
Try this @ home: When I’m slated to interview a person or researching a topic for an interview I put a google alert on my phone so I’ll have up to the minute information.
Indicators of having a subject’s trust
When the subject says:
-“you know I’ve never told anyone this”
-“that’s my first time telling that story”
-“I usually don’t share things like this.”
This lets you know they trust you and you can then ask more in-depth questions.
At the end of the interview, a subject may say “let me connect you with…” This is also a good indicator, they trust you enough to refer you to people in their network. And they are willing to help you.
-Part of your job as the interviewer is to excavate new information. You don’t want your interview to be like all the other interviews that have already been done. You want there to be some new gems in your story. You want to offer your listeners insight.
Dumbo Ears:
Listen. Listen intently. Listen for the subtext. The subject said one thing but did it feel like they were being ambiguous, not really answering the question, leaving something out or not being totally honest? If so, ask a follow-up question.
I.e. Interviewer: What did you think of Gayle King asking Lisa Leslie about Kobe’s rape charge?
Subject: I felt like Lisa handled it well
Interviewer: But did you think Gayle was out of line?
Subject: I felt like it was a tough question and it wasn’t the right time to bring that up.
Interviewer: Would you say it was insensitive?
Subject: Yes
Listen…
-Listen for the story within the story
-Take Oprah when her show first got successful. The story would be a Black woman on tv with a new hit show.
The story inside that story is she began working in radio when she was 16, she’s a sexual assault survivor, and she’s overcome being underestimated because she’s Black and a woman. Dig in. Somebody who beat the odds, who did what folks said couldn’t be done. That’s the real story.
-Also listen for the behind-the-scenes stories. These are usually where you get some new information and insights if the subject tells a story they’ve never told before. Ask follow-up questions.
-Magic tells a lot of stories within the greater story of his success.
-Check out this interview.
-Listen with a compassionate ear. Be understanding. Be empathetic. Care.
If the person is talking about a difficult situation or telling a hard story, you can chime in with:
“I’m so sorry that happened to you”
“you know something like that happened to me too”
When people feel like they’re being heard, they’re more apt to talk.
Put your gavel down:
As an interviewer, I’ve found judgment to not be helpful in building rapport and getting your subject to start talking. No one wants to be judged.
I once did a radio piece on a woman who lost her parental rights due to drug addiction. I listened with a compassionate ear. Because I grew up in NYC in the 1980s and early 90s, I chimed in with, “I went to school with kids who were in foster care so I’m familiar with this situation.”
-If you have experience, knowledge, or a deeper understanding of what your subject is talking about you can briefly mention it. It can create connective tissue and put your subject at ease; they may speak more freely.
-Remember to keep the focus on your subject and their story.
You have the right to ask questions:
Don’t be timid about asking questions. Be mindful, be respectful, but take ownership of your position as the interviewer. They agreed to be interviewed, so ask your questions. Be mindful about pandering. Don’t tiptoe.
This video is a great example of not tiptoeing and owning your place in the interview.
-Don’t push, nudge (sometimes push, esp when interviewing politicians) -Ease into the dicey part of the interview. Say hard things in a soft way.
-Ask the questions you’re nervous to ask later in the interview. Build rapport first.
-Don’t take things personally. You’re just there to get the subject’s perspective. What they say has no impact on you.
-Keep your cool if it gets hot. De-escalate. Scale it back. Crack a joke or smile.
Maybe even say, “I meant no disrespect, I just have to ask the question”
Develop an interview narrative:
-Come prepared with a series of story-driven sequenced questions -Serves as a guide, helps the keep dialogue on track
-Gives the interviewer control
-Don’t intend to just “have a conversation”
So ask questions in a sequencing so that the answers will build up into a story. The best way to build that story is to start in one place and finish in another.
-Chronological: This is a macro comprehensive overview of a person, their journey, or body of work. Starting from childhood or the beginning of their career to the present.
-Incidental: the subject is clarifying a specific incident in that case things go from being unclear to hopefully cleared up.
-Experiential: process of an experience…giving birth…buying a house…creating something…a piece of artwork,
a book, or an album.
I always try to take the listener on a journey, that tracks the subject’s evolution--however big or small.
Great openers:
Nostalgia is my go-to entry point, it’s very ‘feel good’, people love reminiscing about the past, and they love talking about themselves.
Music artist: What is the first album you bought?
Businessperson: What was your first business venture?
Fine artist: What was your first memorable piece of work?
Chef: First meal you ever made?
Tech person: First program you made?
Follow this question up with something emotionally-driven: How did it make you feel?
Great closers:
-What would advice would you give your younger self?
-Looking back what do you see now that you didn’t see when you started?
-What does your future look like from where you’re seated now?
***Important!
Always say thank you and when the work is complete be sure to send the subject a link or copy of it.
The way to get better at anything is to practice, practice, practice and listen and watch lots of interviews.
Resources
Some really good interviews:
-Toni Morrison on Charlie Rose
-Charlie Rose archive
-Bill Moyers
-60 Minutes archive: Leslie Stahl, Anderson Cooper, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer
Great storytelling work:
-Pieces I am Toni Morrison documentary
-The Black Godfather on Netflix
Research resources:
-PEW Research Center, good for data and stats
-NYT archive (Washington Post too), good for historical context
-Google Scholar, good for direct quotes from books
-Library Genesis, download books
-SSRN.com, research papers
-Academia.edu, studies, research papers, and academic abstracts