THE INTERVIEW
They (teaching and accompanying reading) can suggest the
proper relation between subject and style--the man whose
style is too big or too small for his subject is the born
prey of the parodist; they can call attention to the balance
proper to be observed between narrative and dialogue, and
show by reference to the masters (to Sterne and Congreve,
for example), how vividness and dramatic suspense may be
imparted to dialogue without loss of naturalness; they may
incite the hearer to learn from Steele that writing may be
very simple yet very distinguished, from Stevenson that
subtlety is one thing and obscurity quite another. The
professor can, and should, preach with parrot-like persistency,
“Lucidity--lucidity--lucidity!”--Said by Anthony Hope on the
writing of novels, but applicable also to the news story; from
the _University Magazine_, Toronto.
An interview in the newspaper sense, the dictionary says, is “a
conversation held for the purpose of obtaining the opinions of a person
for publication.” The term may be applied both to the process of
questioning by a reporter to elicit information, and to the published
statement. An interview may be informal or formal--that is, it may be
incidental to the end of making a story complete or it may be the end
in itself.
WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS INCIDENTAL
The city editor’s fourth dimension would make it possible for him
to have a reporter present at every happening which the newspaper
chronicles. Every story would thus be obtained at first hand. Such
a condition being manifestly impossible, the reporter usually is
compelled to rely on the information furnished him by others.
Sometimes, of course, a reporter’s assignment is such that he can see
the story unfolding before him, as at a fire or a court trial, and he
is enabled to write more vividly than if his facts had come to him
second-hand. Every reporter dreams of the day when he will have the
chance to write a big story that he has seen in the making. It is
related that a group of New York newspaper men were discussing the
biggest possible story that could “break.” The ideas of all were summed
up by the oldest of the group: “Suppose Brooklyn Bridge, at the height
of the evening rush homeward, should fall, and I should be there, just
at the edge, the only reporter who saw it--that would be the biggest
story that could happen!”
On most of his assignments the reporter must trust to others for
many, if not all, of his facts. Covering the story of an automobile
accident, for example, he must see the story through the eyes of those
who were present. These persons he interviews informally. From the
information obtained in this way, supplemented by his own observation
of the visible results of the accident, the reporter culls the
salient facts and writes the story in his own words. What he is sure
of he makes his own; other facts he may put in the form of indirect
quotation, while occasionally he may quote a person directly.
Interviewing in its broad sense is thus at the basis of nearly
all newspaper reporting, because nearly all stories deal with
persons--their doings and opinions. Even in covering the story which
the reporter is fortunate enough to observe, a certain amount of
interviewing may still be necessary to make the story complete. If it
is a fire story, he probably questions the owner about the loss and the
insurance and plans for rebuilding; he interviews various persons to
find out the cause of the fire; he talks, perhaps, to persons who have
been rescued and their rescuers. These and other facts can be obtained
only by asking questions.
Except when a story is dependent on what a person has said, in a
speech or a formal interview, it is nearly always desirable that the
reporter, as far as possible, should make the story his own. He should
hitch his wagon to the star of absolute certainty and then tell the
story, at least the salient facts, in his own words. It is poor policy
in news writing, as a rule, to put trivial bits of information in the
form of direct quotation. The reporter will find that owing to the
common failure to observe accurately the accounts given by witnesses of
a given occurrence will vary widely. It is the reporter’s business to
learn all that he can of the story; to see, in the limited time at his
command, as many as possible of the persons concerned in it, and then
to present to the reader an intelligible, lucid account in the third
person--the kernel of the story without the husks of inconsistency. It
is impossible to do this if the writer slavishly quotes, in the direct
form, everybody to whom he talked in getting the story.
Some reporters are inclined to overwork the direct-quotation method
because it is usually the easiest way of telling the story, often
relieving the writer of the necessity of thinking for himself.
Quotation marks may enclose a multitude of rhetorical sins. Rather than
go to the trouble of coordinating his facts, such a writer will lazily
string together the statements of several persons and let it go at
that. This plan is obviously bad. It violates the fundamental rules of
news writing, which demand that a story be clear, concise and forceful,
and gives the reader a confused image rather than the definite,
clear-cut impression left by the story rightly told.
It is absurd to lug into a story the views of persons who have no vital
connection with it, simply for the sake of filling space. And yet that
is the error committed by some news writers, as in a fire story, for
example, where the janitor is quoted as saying, “Yes, I saw the fire;
it was a great sight,” or something else equally trivial. When the
janitor sees that he immediately gets an exaggerated idea of his own
importance. It is conceivable that the next time a reporter asks him
for a bit of information, the janitor will throw out his chest with
the air of a personage and reply, “I refuse to make a statement for
publication,” hoping that the newspaper will quote him to that effect.
The news writer who is prodigal with his direct quotation is
encouraging an attitude of mind that will cause trouble for him and
other newspaper men in the future. If a person is asked to give
information about a story and refuses, it is seldom good policy to
state that fact, unless he bears such a close relation to the story
that his silence is of interest. If there is no particular reason why
the opinion of Smith, the janitor, should be sought, don’t commit the
folly of telling several thousand readers--and Smith--that he “refused
to talk for publication.”
Another absurdity is illustrated in the sentence: “Smith refused to
make a statement, but said ...” This paradoxical introduction may be
followed by a long interview with Smith. What the writer probably means
is that Smith, when first asked for a statement, said that he wouldn’t
talk, but later changed his mind. The reader is not likely to be
interested in all this, so the copy reader cuts it down to “Smith said.”
WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS THE STORY
“The Governor will be in town to-night. Get a statement from him on the
police situation here.”
Thus the city editor outlines what he expects the reporter to bring
back to the office. His order is the first step toward getting an
interview on a definite subject. The reporter sees the Governor,
questions him along the line indicated and returns to the office with
his story.
Now what the Governor said is not incidental to another story; it is
the story in itself and is so written. There are no definite, fixed
rules as to how it shall be written, except that it shall fairly
express the Governor’s sentiment. The form in which the facts shall be
presented depends on the news writer’s own judgment or the editor’s
instructions. He may begin his story in any one of several ways. If the
Governor said something of grave importance in a striking manner, the
reporter may seize upon that for his lead, throwing it into the form of
direct quotation. The story then might begin in this way:
“The police department of this city must clean house. There has
been an alarming increase of crime here in the last six months,
and I am going to find out the cause.”
Governor Smith, who arrived in ---- last night, thus outlined
the purpose of his visit. The Governor, etc. (After this
explanatory paragraph the quotation is continued.)
Or the lead might be in indirect quotation, somewhat after this manner:
Governor Smith declared, on his arrival in ---- last night,
that he had determined to learn the reason for the recent
increase in crime in this city. He said the police department
must “clean house.”
“I am here to make a thorough investigation,” the Governor
said. “If the charges of grafting are proved, I will
proceed ...”
If the interview yielded nothing of importance, the writer might base
his story on the fact of the Governor’s visit:
Governor Smith, with his secretary and three members of his
staff, arrived in ---- at 10 o’clock last night and went to
the ---- Hotel. The Governor is here to address the State
Convention of Millers this morning.
In an interview last night he said ...
An interview may take the form of a feature story. Suppose the Governor
has a hobby that is worth writing about. Then an interview with him
might begin in this way:
Governor Smith is going to saw all his own wood this winter.
He believes that bending over the sawbuck and cutting cord
wood into stove lengths will put him into prime condition for
“sawing wood” officially. (Interview follows.)
It must not be understood that the foregoing examples are set forms for
interviews. They are given merely to suggest the several ways in which
the writer can begin his story.
The interview may be in itself either a plain news story or a feature
story. It may take the form of a considered statement or it may be
informal in character. Some men give out typewritten statements of
their views when asked for an interview, while others talk freely,
putting the reporter on his honor to be fair and accurate in his
quotation. The question of presenting the speaker’s remarks most
effectively from the news standpoint is then left entirely to the
writer’s discretion. He is not expected to quote slavishly. Indeed, few
men would like to have their conversation appear in print verbatim,
with the defects to which the best spoken language is liable. Unless
the interview is printed for no other purpose than to poke fun at
the speaker, as might be done with the remarks of an ignorant and
disreputable politician, the writer should strive to convey the
spirit of what is said rather than the exact words. Now and then a
characteristic phrase or sentence may be quoted verbatim--and this is
desirable in order to give a flavor of the speaker’s individuality--but
the faults of ordinary speech, verbosity, awkwardness and the like,
should not be reproduced. True accuracy leaves a correct impression of
the whole. An interview rightly written, telling the speaker’s meaning
in simple, clear English seasoned with phrases that give a hint of his
personality, is more accurate in this sense than a phonographic record
of the conversation.
It follows that the speaker’s remarks need not be set down in the
order in which they were made. Possibly the last thing he said may be
put in the lead. Part of the interview may be in indirect quotation,
summarizing statements of minor importance. The reporter may introduce
explanatory sentences, especially if the interview is long and deals
with more than one subject. He may break into the discourse to tell
of the speaker’s gesture at a certain point or to describe a facial
expression--anything that will give the reader a vivid and true picture
of the man interviewed.
Ordinarily the reporter’s questions should not appear in the story,
but sometimes they may be effectively given and the interview may
consist of a series of categorical questions and answers, resembling
the reports of testimony at a trial. This method may be used when the
newspaper desires specific answers to certain pointed questions of
great interest, or when it seems the most direct way of getting the
meaning before the reader. No set rules can be laid down on this point;
every interview, like every other news story, presents its own problem.
The suggestions regarding the interview of formal character apply
also to the reporting of speeches. It is the custom nowadays of
many men who appear often in public to give out to the newspapers in
advance typewritten copies of their speeches. The news writer sent
to report an address, freed of the necessity of following closely
the speaker’s words, may devote his attention to the details of the
meeting. In covering a formal lecture or address of which no advance
copy is available the reporter naturally may use the speaker’s exact
words more freely than in writing the interview. Even in such a story,
however, it is seldom desirable to give all the speech, and frequent
summaries may be made in the writer’s own words. This also is a matter
for the reporter’s judgment of news values. It is not demanded that the
newspaper man be able to write shorthand. If a verbatim report of a
speech is desired a stenographer is employed for that purpose.
A word as to the mechanics of the story: Be careful to enclose all
quoted matter in quotation marks. Begin each paragraph with quotation
marks and don’t forget to use the marks at the end of the last
paragraph. Remember that “he said” used too often in dialogue becomes
monotonous. “Replied,” “asserted,” “laughed,” “remarked,” “exclaimed,”
“corrected,” “inquired,” “suggested,” “urged” and many other words may
often be substituted to good advantage.
A series of interviews from different persons on the same topic is a
symposium. In this form of story the name of the speaker is given, then
the interview. The lead states briefly the topic under discussion.
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOME OR CLASS-ROOM STUDY
I. Feature interview beginning with a striking remark in direct
quotation. From the New York _World_:
“It is impossible for a woman to live in comfort in New York on
$3,000 a year.”
This is the statement of Mrs. Juanita La Bar, who has
petitioned the Orphans’ Court of Scranton, Pa., to allow her an
additional thousand dollars so she can send her eleven-year-old
son to school.
The things Mrs. La Bar thinks absolutely necessary for a modest
menage are:
One servant.
To dress not handsomely but neatly.
A healthful apartment.
The best the market affords for the table.
A vacation to the seashore, country or mountains every summer.
“I can’t get along on $3,000,” said Mrs. La Bar to a reporter
for the _World_ last night at her apartment at No. 210 West
Twenty-first street, “and I’m not extravagant, either, because
I don’t owe a cent.”
The apartment was modest and comfortable, and Mrs. La Bar was
dressed quietly, but in well cut and well made garments.
“Ten years ago, when my husband was alive, we lived well at a
hotel and went to the seashore every year. We had a maid to
look after the boy, but we didn’t keep house ...”
(The rest of the story consists of direct quotation.)
(The method of presenting the interview here is simple and
effective--first a paragraph in direct quotation that contains the meat
of the story, then identification of the speaker and a third-person
statement of her views, and finally the interview itself, running about
half a column.)
II. A more formal and conservative method is shown in the following:
NEW YORK, Dec. 2.--B. F. Yoakum, chairman of the board of
directors of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company,
arrived here to-day. He had returned from an inspection trip
over the Frisco lines with B. L. Winchell, president of the
principal roads of the system; A. J. Earling, head of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, and Percy C. Rockefeller.
Mr. Yoakum declined to make a statement about his inspection
trip so far as it may result in a traffic agreement between the
Frisco and St. Paul systems.
“There seems to be but little stock ticker prosperity in New
York, but there is a good deal of real prosperity in the
Southwest,” he said. “After crossing the Mississippi River one
rarely hears the New York stock market referred to. Trading in
securities is not the business of the West, and securities
listed on the stock exchange are not the collateral required or
generally used by bankers in the West....”
(Three paragraphs of quoted matter follow.)
III. Interview in which direct quotation is varied with indirect. From
the Chicago _Evening Post_:
“The Panama Canal will be completed at least a year sooner than
the time set for the official opening, Jan. 1, 1915,” said Ray
L. Smith, employment agent of the Isthmian Canal Commission,
to-day.
Mr. Smith is in Chicago attempting to enlist boiler-makers to
take the places of the hundred men who resigned after being
refused an increase in wage.
“I attribute the reduction in time to the efficiency which has
been attained by the men,” he continued. “When the work began
laborers were imported from the West Indian Islands and from
Italy and Spain. The European laborers accomplished nearly
three times as much a man as the West Indians at first, and
they were paid twice as much.
“Now the efficiency of the West Indian has been so increased
that the European is only twice as effective.”
According to Mr. Smith, the personnel of the workers on the
canal includes representatives from nearly every country in the
world. There are 45,000 employés of the commission in Panama.
Of them, 5,000 are Americans. The remaining 40,000 represent
perhaps more tongues than were gathered around the Tower of
Babel. The bulk of the laborers are negroes from the Barbados,
from Trinidad and from Jamaica. Besides the negroes from these
islands there are Spaniards from most of the islands except
Cuba.
“The death rate in the canal zone is only 4.05 a thousand
persons,” said Mr. Smith. “This is lower than in any American
city. The low rate is the result of the careful supervision
exercised by the government. For example, there is a hospital
at Culebra, the headquarters of the commission, which has 2,200
beds. All the houses are screened against mosquitoes, and in
other ways the greatest attention is paid to sanitation....”
(The rest of the interview is in direct quotation.)
(Note that the writer drops direct quotation in the fifth paragraph.
Making it clear that the speaker is his authority, he puts his
information in the third person. This may be done with a plain
statement of facts and figures in which there is no expression of
opinion. Nothing would be gained by putting in the speaker’s words the
statistical matter here given. On the other hand the reporter should be
careful to quote anything of a controversial nature.)
IV. The following paragraphs from a feature story in the New York
_Mail_ show the questions-and-answers method in the interview. The
extract is from a signed story, the only kind in which the reporter is
permitted to write in the first person:
“Evidently,” I said, “you are an admirer of the new woman, the
woman who earns her living.”
“Well,” he said, “you can’t blame me. It’s always better to
get business advice from a woman who knows something about
business, than from one who knows nothing about it. For women
are bound to meddle with their husbands’ affairs, whether they
are acquainted with them or not.”
“And how about politics?” I ventured. “Should women take an
active part in this field, too?”
“Decidedly not,” he returned, etc.
(Signed newspaper stories are the exceptions. In the average story,
when the writer has occasion to refer to himself, he uses some such
impersonal form as “the reporter asked” or “it was suggested.”)