School mag magic

Entering our competition? Louise Holdenhas some tips for interviewing

Last year Megan Patterson and Khalela Nuzum of Kilkenny College won a writing award in the senior category of the Irish Times School Mag Competition for their interview with a Holocaust survivor named Zoltan Zinn-Collis. The judging panel chose their article because it was the best example of the interview format in last year's entries. Megan and Khalela researched their topic comprehensively before the interview, and they handled a very sensitive subject with courage and care.

The interview format is a school-magazine staple, but it's easy to get wrong. Many wonderful interviewing opportunities are wasted when journalists fail to ask the right questions or to present information accessibly. Last year some student journalists presented their interviews as a series of questions and answers. This format is often used by gossip magazines and music publications, and it can work well. It can also be an impersonal approach, however, sometimes capable of extracting only surface information.

Megan and Khalela presented their interview as a narrative, mixing quotes from Zinn-Collis with their own information and descriptions. They seemed to have developed a rapport with their subject and to have gained an understanding of the topic. They gave readers a sense of Zinn-Collis, from his demeanour and appearance to his sense of humour. All of these factors enriched the article.

If you plan to use the interview format in your school mag, here are a few tips to bear in mind.

Prepareyour interviewees well. Let them know who your readers are, so they have a chance to answer with the audience in mind.

Preparestrong questions by researching your topic properly and having a clear idea of what you want from the interview. Be flexible, but try to keep the interview from straying too far from the subject (unless something unexpectedly fascinating crops up).

Try to askopen-ended questions that encourage the subject to give back plenty of information - How did you feel about the game? What is your relationship with your family like? Don't be confrontational or push your own agenda. The interviewee is unlikely to give you much if he thinks you're hostile.

In a face-to-face interview, body language, appearance, tone of voice and other non-verbal cues can tell you much more than the words spoken by the subject. Share these observations with your readers.

If youwant to interview a public official, he or she may have to clear it with a press office first, so get in touch in plenty of time - ideally a couple of weeks before your deadline.

Intervieweesmay ask for questions in advance. This can lead to a stilted interview. Offer instead to send them bullet points, covering the kinds of areas you want to explore.

An intervieweemay ask to see the article you have written before it goes to print. Should you agree? Discuss your policy on the matter with the team. If you decide to let your interviewee preview the article, agree with him or her what is allowed in terms of amendments.

Next week: some final checks for your school magazine