Goff, soccer beat reporter for The Washington Post. What was the difference in the final five minutes? What did you like about your team tonight?
Simple questions encourage clear, lucid answers, even on complex issues.
Digital Assist: Post Interviews
Host live chats with coaches and players in a location online, where readers can pose questions or follow along. Afterward, post the transcripts of these chats, as The Dallas Morning News does. Post headlines from stories and blog entries on Twitter, along with a link, to attract more readers. But you have to tweet regularly about breaking news or readers won’t stay signed up. Check out some examples at www.dallasnews.com/sports.
Here are some more suggestions for drawing out the best information from sources:
▸ Make questions specific. The open-ended questions Goff talks about are a good way to get someone talking. Then target later questions more precisely, to get exactly what you need. Did the quarterback see the lineman rushing in the play? Did the batter notice much movement on that last pitch? “Ask a straight question without beating around the bush,” says Ed Bouchette, NFL beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “And do so in a way in which you actually get someone to think and answer, rather than saying yes or no.” Of course, you can ask yes-or-no questions but only when you are prepared to ask follow-up questions to acquire additional information.
▸ Ask athletes to summarize their performances. How did the course play? How would you describe the play of their offensive line? What were you thinking when you moved ahead 40 yards on the last lap? Did the opposing team exploit any specific weaknesses at any point during the match? You want your story to convey behind-the-scenes details, the stuff no one can get from sitting and watching.
▸ Encourage people to tell you stories. Ask about the minute details—sights, sounds, and scents as well as thoughts and feelings. Show that you’re interested in everything the interviewee can remember about key moments. Listen and record as much as possible, because you never know which details you’ll need later. Then write the story even more concisely by editing unnecessary words, details, and ideas.
▸ Avoid the ultimate cliché question: How did you feel about (winning, losing, getting hurt, whatever)? The golfer who sank the winning putt or the batter who drilled the game-winning hit is ecstatic. The running back who fumbled near the goal line in a loss feels miserable. No surprises there. Focus on questions that yield less obvious responses and information your audience doesn’t already know. You could ask a golfer at what point she realized the putt was going to fall into the hole or ask a tailback to explain and describe the moment the football started to fall loose from his arms for a fumble. These types of questions usually prompt athletes to focus on specific details instead of delivering a clichéd response.
▸ Keep questions neutral. Your job is to find out what someone thinks, not to persuade the person to agree with you or with some preformed idea of a story. Beware of questions that begin with Don’t you think . . . ? Most people want to be liked and will agree with you. What does anyone learn from that? The best questions produce answers that surprise you.
▸ Shut up and listen. You are not the focus of the story; nobody cares what you think. “Experts appreciate that you’ve done your homework and can ask intelligent questions, but they don’t want to hear you talk,” says Bruce Selcraig of Sports Illustrated. “Don’t try to impress them. Let them impress you.” Resist the temptation to display your expertise. “The worst habit I see in reporters is their need for analyzing the game and forcing a coach or an athlete to respond,” says Chuck Gormley, hockey beat reporter for the Courier-Post in Camden, New Jersey. “The role of the journalist is not to show an athlete or coach what he or she knows, but to elicit a response from that athlete or coach.”
Sports Insider: On Working a Beat
I have always believed it behooves an editor who has assigned the reporter to walk him through as much of this as possible. The reporter should be sure to introduce himself/herself to the team publicist and, if possible, the coaches and general manager. It’s OK to say you’re the new person on the beat; sometimes they’re new, too. Establishing the relationships, acquiring the various media guides, etc., is also helpful. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s what you’re there for.
Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News
For most people, it’s rare to have someone really, truly listen and care about what they’re saying. Listen intently, patiently, and respectfully, and you’ll usually learn much more than you had expected.
And Keep Asking
As I’ve already repeated several times, the best questions come from listening. Think, What did the person just say? Then, What’s interesting about it? and What else would you like to know? Get beyond the basic questions and beyond familiar, popular sources whom everyone interviews.
▸ Follow up. Let’s say a tennis player tells you she served well. You might ask follow-up questions like these: What about the serves felt particularly good? Had she been concerned about serves before the match? If a player says her opponent played better, ask for details. She played better in what way? With returns, footwork, serves? Whatever answer she gives, follow up by asking for more information on that specific area.
▸ Then follow up some more. Coaches say their pitchers threw perfectly, their runners were fatigued, and their team was stale. What do all these adjectives mean? Did the pitcher mix it up better by throwing more off-speed pitches on 1–2 counts? Check with the catcher as well. Were the cross-country runners tired because several were up late with an illness or because they ran three races in 10 days? Find out the reasons behind the statements. Follow-up questions usually yield more specific information and interesting stories. You won’t be far into your sports-writing career before you’ll read or see in another journalist’s story a great detail missing from yours. If you ask the source why he didn’t tell you that, here’s the answer you’ll almost always get: “Because you didn’t ask.”
▸ Speak with opposing teams. A forward can discuss the play of a goalie. A midfielder can assess the play of an opposing forward or midfielder. How does the other team’s linebacker rate this team’s running back? How nasty is your school’s softball pitcher’s riser? Get these other points of view.
▸ Ask sources to define unfamiliar terms. If you don’t know what Fartlek training is, ask the cross-country coach to explain. If you don’t know what a nickel package is, ask the football coach. They may appreciate that you want to understand the topic in more detail—and you’ll be spared the embarrassment of having an error turn up under your byline. Of course, the more research you do in advance, the less likely you’ll have to bother an interviewee with basic questions.
▸ Check and recheck. You’re not a stenographer, mindlessly scribbling down whatever anybody says. Question anything that is unclear, unfamiliar, or unverified. Start with the basics, like the spelling of names. John or Jon? Sarah or Sara? Before the game starts, ask team managers or assistant coaches to review the program to ensure names are spelled correctly. Often, particularly at high school and youth sports events, they are not.
▸ Play fair. If someone makes an accusation about another player or coach, go directly to that other person to get a response. People should get the opportunity to defend themselves—immediately, not days later.
▸ Build trust. If