CCJ Tools

Know Your Interviewee

By RJI on August 12, 1977 0 Comments

Often the thin question is the offspring of thin research. "I don't mind doing interviews," rock star Ian Anderson told Colman Andrews. "But I don't like answering questions such as 'How'd you get the name Jethro Tull?' or 'How many of you are there in the group, and which one of you plays the flute?' In a country like Japan or New Zealand or Australia, where we've just been on tour, people ask these questions because they're genuinely curious, and they don't have access to a tremendous amount of information. But I shouldn't have to answer those questions here.

Sure-fire Openers

By RJI on August 12, 1977 0 Comments

Sometimes you can persuade a reluctant interviewee to open himself up by feeding him a Day-in-the-Life question. "Whenever I sense that the interview has hit an unresponsive snag and I am stuck with an inarticulate interviewee," said the late freelance writer Mort Weisinger, "I resort to a gambit which has worked wonders. I simply say, 'Mr. Jones, could you describe to me what you do on a typical day in your life, from the moment you get up until going to sleep at night?' Brother, does this question move mountains!"

Off on a Tangent

By RJI on August 12, 1977 0 Comments

Although the interviewer is in charge of the interview, there are times when he should follow his subject's lead. Following a tangent, for instance, is often more productive than trying to rein the subject back in. NBC's Red Barber once asked Hall of Famer Willie Mays if he spent much time in the batting cage taking practice.