The Babysitter's Club

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then an interview is worth an afternoon babysitting two teens.

According to an article from The Huffington Post, major news outlets are jockeying for the first interview with Amanda Knox with offers of babysitting Knox's two half sisters.

ABC, NBC, and CBS have all been questioned as whether they offered to look after the two girls during the trial.

While ABC's spokesperson replied with no comment, and NBC's and CBS's spokespeople denied the claims, Knox's father, Curt Knox, responded with a letter to the New York Post regarding the babysitting allegations. He stated in his letter that ABC and CBS provided rooms for his girls to stay in during the trial, and an NBC producer offered a room; however, he went on to state that no producer babysat his daughters.

These allegations, whether they are unfounded or not, pose a serious ethical dilemma to journalists every where. Quotes bring a human element into a story that news reporters can't do on their own.

Amanda Knox and other high-profile celebrities are people who readers want to hear from. Thus, due to Knox's interviewee status, her popularity can demand a price for her story.

Paying for an interview is unethical. If an interviewee doesn't want to tell his/her story without compensation, then it is up to journalists to compile a story using every other source at their disposal.

Although, the story may not feel as complete without Amanda Knox's quote but purchasing an interview is unethical to me. I believe that my credibility is worth more than a slumber party-sized pillow fight between babysitters in order to capitalize on Knox's passing 15 minutes of fame.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericskiff/3415034468/

Read more...

Fox Reporter Argues With Religious Nut

In a recent news broadcast by Fox News, an interview got heated when a female news reporter got into an argument with a guest associated with the Westboro Baptist Church.

During the interview, the news reporter posed difficult questions to the Westboro representative. The questions were far from objective, and shed a bad light on the Westboro Baptist Church from the beginning.

Unlike most news reporters this journalist did not hide her opinions on the subject. This resulted in a heated debate between the two that presented strong opinions and bad language from the Westboro representative.

Watching this as someone that is strongly disgusted by what the Westboro Baptist Church does, I was all for what the interviewer was saying.

However, from a journalistic prospective, this was a very dangerous move on the reporter's part. Entering into a strongly worded argument and inserting personal opinion in a news broadcast is risky.

Although I applaud her for what she did, I hope she didn't lose her job over the incident.

Photo Credit: k763 on Flickr.com via Creative Commons

Read more...

The Most Important Political Interview Ever

In 1977, the world will know the thruth about the Watergate scandal thanks to the work of a british journalist, Sir David Frost.

What we call the Nixon interviews is a series of interviews of former United States President Richard Nixon that were recorded on television in four programs in 1977.

Richard Nixon was away from public life for two years after his resignation in 1974 and the discovery of the Watergate scandal. Sir david frost will pay him to obtain these interviews. Unlike conventional political interviews, Nixon was not aware of the questions that would be ask to him and he appeared surprised and tensed.

For a journalist, the work of Sir David Frost is an example that demonstrates how to get the truth from a politician and how to run an interview that will have an impact on the audience.

A Gallup poll conducted after the interviews aired showed that 69 percent of the public thought that Nixon was still trying to cover up, 72 percentstill thought he was guilty of obstruction of justice, and 75 percent thought he deserved no further role in public life.

It is the role of a journalist to find the truth, to investigate, to ask questions that can lead to a great answer and in this case, Frost did a wonderful job.

Read more...

First Impressions

First impressions are important. Whether it be meeting someone new, going to class for the first time, or, more importantly, a job interview.

The first thing you are judged on is your apperance. What do you look like? What are you wearing?

For example, if you where to show up to your first class of the semester late and looking like you just rolled out of bed, the professor will not get a great impression to start the year off with. Or the first time you meet some dreamy hunk of a guy, you spill your drink on him. Not exactly on anybody's to-do list of first impressions, I bet.

The same guidelines apply for a job interview, if not more. You need to show up on time and by on time I mean before the interview is sheduled to start. It is recommended to show up around 10 minutes before it starts. Also don't show up too early. By showing up too early you can look desperate and as if you have all the time in the world to waste waiting.

The next thing an interviewer sees is what your general appearence looks like. Don't look like you just woke up and forgot to brush your hair. Take a shower, brush your teeth; personal hygiene is important. Along with this is how you smell. You don't want to smell like you have not showered, but you don't want to smell like you poured the entire bottle of perfume or colonge on you. For females, do not overdo your makeup, no raccoon eyes.

The next part dealing with appearance is what you are wearing. The general rule of thumb is to be dressed one step above the interviewer. Do not show up to an interview wearing sweats or jeans. Put on what can be referred to as your Sunday best. Slacks with a button up shirt with a tie or a suit for males. For females, dress pants with a dress shirt, skirt or maybe a dress in some cases.

The next part of your first impression is your introduction. Many employers start out with a handshake. The handshake is more important than it may seem. It needs to be firm but not aggressive.

The last part of your first impression is the verbal introduction. Don't assume they know who you are, introduce yourself. Also, know how to pronounce your interviewers name and the company. Know the position you are applying for and its requirements.

For more helpful interview tips check out the link.

Photo Credit: Via Creative Commons

Read more...

Get the Interview

Sitting on the other side of the table in the office can be difficult to grasp sometimes.

Many people are not comfortable interviewing other people. As a journalist, you cannot fear interviewing people or introducing yourself to perfect strangers.

Being personable is simply part of a journalist's job. It is an absolutely necessity to have.

This last week, for many students in class, was the first time interviewing someone for a story.

I found some helpful tips for those of you who may have struggled or just want to improve.

Ten Tips for a Better Interview can be helpful for knowing the basic guidelines.

Tip 1: Be prepared and don't ever think you'll be fine if you slack a bit.

Tip 2: Make sure the person you're interviewing knows exactly what you are wanting to write about.

Tip 3: Be punctual. Do not be late as it gives a horrible first impression, and many people that are interviewed have busy schedules.

Tip 4: Be observant during the interview to sort of gain a better understanding of the person being interviewed.

Tip 5: Be polite. Manners are a must when interviewing people. After all, they do not have to let you interview them.

Tip 6: Listen intently but if you don't understand something, speak up. Most people being interviewed are happy to explain things further.

Tip 7: Remain silent sometimes. If the person being interviewed doesn't like a question you might have asked they may become silent. Do not break the silence, usually the other person will get too uncomfortable and break the silence with the answer.

Tip 8: Make eye contact. The interview should flow sort of like a conversation, which makes your interview more personable and go better as a general rule.

Tip 9: Before leaving ask the person if there was anything you missed, and thank them for their time.

Tip 10: Review the notes you take after the interview and don't wait until the day your story is due.

Bonus tip: Take some kind of a voice recorder. For more information on that, check out Top Tool for a Journalist.

With those tips taken into consideration, you will become a pro-interviewer soon enough.

Read more...