Interviewing Today: the Changes in Journalism

Interviews for mass media have existed since the very first newspaper. In the twenty-first century, the public and the media have massively changed interviews. Interviewing has changed due to technology, education, and the media's belief that opinion equals fact.

Technology has drastically changed interviews. In the time of the Civil War, reporters conducted interviews with politicians and soldiers with merely pencil and paper. On occasion, photographers included pictures. In a world run by computers and technology, journalists utilize cameras, microphones, lighting kits, and high-tech computers, among other items to conduct interviews. The media incorporates teleprompters to cue the interviewer of his questions in television interviews. Reporters on radio and television can interview live or record the interview and later cut and splice together the usable sections as they see fit. Barry Golson, of Yahoo! Internet Life, wrote in his article "Politics A La Mode," that when conducting his interview with former Vice President Al Gore he specifically conducted the interview the "old fashioned way" using "a table, a tape recorder, and a spirited conversation." But, technology is not the only catalyst that has changed interviews.

Education has also massively changed interviews. Instructors and professors, now place their students under vigorous training in conducting interviews. They teach that conducting an interview is a science to be learned. Professors Basil Talbot and Jane Singer instruct their students to "dig for stories," to look beyond the speeches, and to "grill them ... as you would any public official" when conducting interviews with politicians. Professors Talbot and Singer also routinely send their students out to political rallies to practice what they have learned and to hone their interviewing skills with politicians. Interviewers are not the only ones that receive an education on interviewing; long before the interview begins the interviewee receives a crash course on being interviewed. Most politicians, high ranking officials, and business executives are coached before the interview on what and what not to say. Jill Andresky Fraser underwent training on how to well prepare herself to be interviewed on her book, White-Collar Sweatshop. Her trainer taught her how to compact her answers into sentences that would keep the attention of the audience without boring or confusing them.

Interviews are not only affected by technology and education but also by the media's belief that opinion equals fact. Many radio and television reporters and news anchors distort the news and filter it through their opinion and political views. Therefore, they state their opinion, which the public translates as fact. Lou Prato, in his article "Caught in the Crossfire," interviews journalist, James Fallows, on journalism today. Fallows states, "main public complaint ... that too many reporters are political liberals ... they twist the news to fit their own preconceived views." Because many journalists already have preconceived views, some reporters interview in order to backup their opinion. Objectivity no longer reigns in an interview. Many people remain oblivious to this fact due to their loyalty and trust in the journalism stars.

Future reporters can learn form the changes in interviewing. Any technological and educational training for the mass media field should be gleaned for future reference and utilization. Aspiring reporters should also keep susceptibility of the public in mind and remain objective in their interviewing and reporting practices in order to allow the public to think for itself and make up its own mind. Learning from the changes in interviewing and journalism will allow future reporters to communicate accurately and effectively with any audience.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Golson, Barry. "Politics A La Mode," Yahoo! Internet Life, November 2000, 2.

Jacobson, Jennifer. "Move Over. David Broker," Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 December 2003, A-35.

Andresky-Fraser, Jill. "Secrets of a Novice TV Star," Inc, February 2002, 88.

Prato, Lou. "Caught in the Crossfire," World & I, June 1996, 249.