Asking questions is a great way to find out things...

Very interesting excerpt from an interview about drugs with Beatle Paul McCartney. Take note of the reporter's technique, but also think about McCartney's statements regarding the responsibility of the media versus the responsibility of the public figure.

Whose side do you find yourself leaning to? Leave a comment below.

The video was originally posted here. You can find other interesting interview-related videos here and here.

You no doubt interviewed several sources for your first assignment, and the challenges you faced would have given you an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your approach to interviewing. Keep at it, because you'll most definitely be interviewing a few more people before this course is over.

Read these columns for some great advice on the skills you'll need to develop.

From the Poynter Institute:
The Power of Good Questions
The First Rule of Interviewing: Be Human
The Art of Asking Questions


From No Train No Gain:
Loosening Lips
The Good Interview
Developing and cultivating sources


Pay particular attention to the first Poynter column and the first and last No Train No Gain ones. Two of those feature interviewing techniques developed by investigative journalism lecturer John Sawatsky, who has, through experience and research, captured the essence of direct, tough-to-BS questions.

We'll practice our interview techniques next class. Come prepared.