“Why do you want to be president?” It sounds like a very basic question of someone who is thinking of running for president. CBS correspondent Roger Mudd asked Senator Ted Kennedy that question on a CBS Reports on November 4, 1979. Kennedy paused, then said,”Well, I…um…” he continued with a long rambling answer that gave the distinct impression that he really didn’t know why he wanted the job. Most people believe that question, and that answer, doomed Kennedy’s chances of ever becoming president. It showed the power of a simple question that went right to the heart of the matter. I don’t think many reporters would have asked that direct question to one of the most famous politicians of our time. Mudd knew Kennedy carried much personal baggage, having seen his two brothers assassinated, and having to live up to their accomplishments. Mudd forced Kennedy to make a case for himself, and Kennedy failed.
If you listen to the whole Mudd interview, you will see he followed some very basic principals of a good interviewer. He was prepared with extensive background. He asked questions that forced or encouraged the subject to answer. He listened and followed up even when Kennedy was not happy with a particular question. You will see this in well done, longer form interviews as on “60 Minutes” or “Inside The Actor’s Studio”. You can also see it done by people as different as Charlie Rose on his PBS program and Howard Stern on satellite radio. You may not like some of the guests or subject matter on Stern’s program, but he asks direct, provocative questions that both his guests and audience expect.
Reporters should be asking questions that call for detailed answers. That’s how you get information and insight. New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor talks about an interview she did with President and Mrs. Obama, “I had come to understand that equality was a serious issue in the Obama marriage, and that in the White House, the president and the first lady are not treated in the same way at all. So I summoned up my nerve and asked them, “How do you have an equal marriage when one person is president?” That’s a much better question, than how do feel about equality? So it does take a certain amount of courage and confidence to ask questions that may be uncomfortable for the subject, even if it’s the president and his wife.
I know most reporters are not sitting down and doing long form interviews with famous subjects everyday. They are bouncing from one story to the next, under deadline pressure with not a lot of preparation time. That’s why it’s critically important to be well read and informed on the people and places they are covering. This requires knowing your market and developing relationships with people. If there is an area that reporters aren’t particularly interested in, they should force themselves to learn about it.
You want to get answers, but you also want to draw people out, and give the viewer some insight into the subject’s feelings or thinking. You want to gain the subject’s trust, or at least, respect. You have to be diplomatic and respectful, but you can’t be intimidated. People will be a more forthcoming, and respectful toward you, if they feel you know what you’re talking about. You will also gain the confidence and trust of your producers and editors if they know you can take on any subject, and find out what you need to know to bring back an insightful story. “I don’t know anything about that,” is never an answer I wanted to hear when I was assigning reporters.
The news business is constantly evolving. There are more places to get news than ever before. Some good, some not. But good journalism never changes. It is the search for the truth, and what the truth means to the reader or viewer. We get to that truth by asking questions. It is the basis of what we do.
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