Module Outline Introduction Skills and Responsibilities for Radio What to Say: Finding the Angle What to Say: Writing for Listeners What to Say: Tips for Scripting What to Say: What Not to Say Review: Writing for Radio How to Say it: Talking to One Listener How to Say it: Body and Voice How to Say it: Presentation Tips Review: Presentation on the Radio Radio Interviews: Types of Interviews Preparing to do an Interview Tips for Interviews Conducting an Interview Review: Interviewing Summary Additional Resources Evaluation Course Outline

Module 2: Skills for Radio Journalists

Radio Interviews: Conducting an Interview

Formal and informal interviews use the same skills:

• Listening
• Asking effective questions
• Sticking to the focus

These skills are part of everyday communication. This section will show how to polish these naturally learned skills and use them more consciously.

During the interview

Remember the presentation tips that were presented in an earlier section. For example:

• Talk one-on-one.
• Smile appropriately. 
• Relax and breathe naturally.
• Speak at a natural pace, not too fast, not too slow and pause appropriately.

Use written questions to help stay focused and on track:

• Ask open-ended questions--beginning with how, what, why--to encourage an interview subject to open up.
• Keep the questions short and simple. Never ask multi-layered questions that the interview subject struggles to understand.
• Ask questions to which there are only yes/no or one-word answers to pin down or focus the interview subject. (If she can't stop talking, for example!) A good follow up for many one-answer questions is "why?".
• Invite the interview subject to give specific examples, experiences and stories. For example, "Take us back to the first time you performed in public. What happened?".
• Keep thinking of the listeners. What would they want to ask?

During the interview:

• Show attention by using eye contact, body language and repeating key bits of information. ("You say you first started composing at the age of six. How did you start so young?") But be careful not to give too much audible feedback - like "mmm" or "OK." They sound irritating on radio and they'll cause you problems later if you have to edit the interview.
• Remember to help the interview subject come alive as a person and tell her story. An interviewer should be responsive but does not steal the spotlight or use the interview to show how clever she is.
• If it is necessary to interrupt the interviewee, do it with a smile as she takes a breath. Try not to raise the volume--or pitch--of your voice. Do not talk over what she is saying. It sounds aggressive.
• Listen carefully. These tips will help with listening skills.
• Ask follow-up questions.

Track progress:

• Watch the clock and keep the interview paced to cover everything.
• Know when to start bringing the conversation to a close. Do it as naturally as possible. Don't say "Well, I'm afraid we have to stop there. We've run out of time." The interviewee and the listeners will feel cheated. And you'll sound unprofessional.
• Thank the person you interviewed simply. Don't go overboard.

Remember that interviewing a guest or talking to callers by telephone requires distinct skills. Check out these tips for telephone interviews.