ATTENTION JOURNALISTS: READ THIS BEFORE YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW

Apparently journalists are very busy people. After many failed attempts to contact potential interviewees, I finally got in contact with Lindsey Mastis, Digital Correspondent for WUSA 9 News Now in Washington, D.C.—and it was worth the wait.

Before Lindsey became a multimedia correspondent at WUSA 9, she anchored a news program in Southern Illinois. She is a devoted journalist who not only covers a range of topics in the stories she single-handedly edits, researches, and shoots, but pushes herself to get inside the action. I chose to interview Lindsey because her career in broadcast journalism constantly forces her to utilize effective interviewing techniques and strategies.

Unfortunately, Lindsey’s busy schedule only permitted a phone interview, and because she was the eighth person I contacted, I had no other choice. Despite the fact that I spoke to her while she was in her car, on deadline, on her way to shoot a story, it was clear from the start that she is a very effective communicator.
After gaining some background knowledge on the kind of hectic days Lindsey normally has, I began to ask her about the interviewing process. Although we all recognize the importance of being prepared for interviews, Lindsey explained that this is the hardest part of interviewing for her, because journalists generally interview experts in their field. She recommended being confident with your own knowledge and research, but also that it is ok to admit to your interviewee that you don’t know everything about the topic.

An aspect of interviewing that Lindsey especially emphasized was personal connection. She explained that not only does this make the interview easier and more enjoyable for both parties involved, but it helps build trust with the interviewee. Another way Lindsey builds trust with interviewees is to make sure she tells a fair, accurate, two-sided story. She explained that many of her interviewees do not like the story she’s doing, but they still trust and respect her because she is letting their voice be heard. Finally, she tries to relate to her interviewees to build a sense of trust with them. She explained that it can be extremely difficult to interview a family about their son who just died, and although she does not have children, she will share stories of her nephew or offer comforting words to forge a sense of trust.

Perhaps the most important question I asked was if she had any final words of wisdom for potential journalists. She said something that was indispensible to me—to not take things personally. Lindsey explained that people will hate your stories, but as long as you’ve done your job and told an objective, fair story, just to let it slide, which is definitely something I can take with me as a journalist and person.

The interview was brief but it went extremely well. Lindsey has superb communication techniques—she spoke with hardly any inarticulates. She also took her time and spoke clearly. Lindsey’s cognitive language was easy to understand, and her answers were not distorted by ambiguity or vagueness. As far as paravolics go, she varied the pitch of her voice as to not sound monotone, and her volume was spot-on. I also communicated effectively—I had paravolics in mind, and I made sure to vary the pitch of my speech, speak at an appropriate volume, and pace the rate of my speech. However, I know that I used some inarticulates—several times, before asking Lindsey the next question, I would accidentally utter an “um” and then get back to business.

Lindsey provided great insight into the interviewing process as a journalist, and
her communication skills were inspirational. Although I often get nervous in interviews, the next time I sit down with someone to get their side of the story, I will definitely keep Lindsey in mind.

Photo courtesy lindseymastis.com