Steve Dawson, a well established commentator for Fox Sports, helped clarify what it means to think as a writer during his perceptive speech. Mr. Dawson used anecdotes from his time as a boxing reporter and Straits Times author to give us a better understanding and feel of the art of professional writing. As an interviewer, he gave us the following tips to ensure that our questions were answerable and comfortable for the interviewee:
THE FIVE MAXIMS OF INTERVIEWING:
1. ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
Provide some challenge for the interviewee, but don’t be pushy
2. SET THE ANSWER FREE
Don’t add unnecessary parameters, they restrict the answer
3. DON’T INTERRUPT
You’re not there to talk about you, let the interviewee talk
Doing so allows for you to absorb more information and for them to be articulated
4. BE A SINGLE SHOOTER
Don’t ask double-barrelled questions – the first one is almost always ignored
5. DON’T BE A FAN: BE PROFESSIONAL
Being serious about the matter will cause the interviewee to gain a lot more respect for you
While these tips are helpful in hosting a good interview, Mr Dawson also gave us insight into how important connections are in the interviewing business since having a wider network allows for a greater range of potential interviewees. Mr Dawson left us with a note that each interviewer – like an artist – needs to maintain their signature style. The specific case in point being Larry King, who’s strong personality made him a famous interviewer.