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Beginning Week Two
Each week on Thursday by 9 a.m. you will post on GATHERED the news 2011 an INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT and
a PREINTERVIEW ASSESSMENT for the STORY IDEA ASSESSMENT posted that Tuesday.
FOR EXAMPLE on Thursday, April 7, you will post the INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT and the
PREINTERVIEW ASSESSMENT for the STORY IDEA ASSESSMENT posted April 4.
Before you begin
Develop a true comprehension of what you want to pursue
 What is the POINT of your work?
deliberate:
Z what about the overall subject caught your attention?
Z what do you think is going on here?
Z what do you think this is really about?
Z what is it you want to get at?
Z what do you think readers as members of the same community need to know?
Z why do you think readers as members of the same community need to know?
 What are the KEY ISSUES?
deliberate:
Z what matters to people, specifically to the people of this particular community?
Z what about this particular subject matters to the people of this community?
Z what about this particular subject concerns people of this community?
Z in what ways are the people of this community connected to the subject?
Z in what ways are the people of this community involved in the subject?
Z in what ways are the people of this community affected by the subject?
Z in what ways does the subject relate to people of this community?
Z in what ways does the subject cause people of this community to feel uneasy, anxious?
Z in what ways does the subject cause people of this community to feel secure?
Z in what ways does the subject cause people of this community to feel helpless, powerless?
Z in what ways does the subject cause people of this community to feel confident and in control?
Z does this involve malfeasance?
Z does this involve misfeasance?
Z does this involve nonfeasance?
Z does this involve failure of a process, procedure, operation to function?
Z does this involve a problematic rule, requirement, regulation?
 What specific questions do you expect to find answers for?
 What types of sources, using what medium for each, do you expect would be most
helpful in addressing the key issues and questions?
ADVICE While you are creating the information and preinterview assessments, be sure you occasionally
scroll down on GATHERED the news 2011 and check the story idea. Remaining conscious of the news, significance of
the news, point of the story, significance of the point, the scope and the focus will help provide you direction. It’s
possible to unintentionally wander into related but unproductive territory. Reminding yourself of what you
intended will prove beneficial.
\2\ information needs and preinterview assessments info needs posting process /2/

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y On GATHERED the news 2011 post, first, a headline that identifies the post as an information needs
assessment for a particular story idea.
FOR EXAMPLE Information Needs Assessment for 4/4/11 story idea
y You have been supplied a file named info assess BLOG TEMPLATE to store in a folder on your computer.
Open that file. Select all of the information, then copy.
y Open GATHERED the news 2011
Select New Post.
When the New Post window opens, past the copy from info assess BLOG TEMPLATE
TrebuchetMS 11 point was used for info assess BLOG TEMPLATE It should reproduce on the blog posting screen as size
Normal and font Trebuchet.
The statements, also listed below – some with advice about how to approach them, are boldface. Type your part of the
assessment in lightface.
RECOMMENDATION: Preview your post before selecting PUBLISH POST

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1.Before I schedule or do any interviews or any story-centric research, I need to know these
things for these reasons
ADVICE Consider whether you, first need to know/understand any of the following, and, if so, why:
f why something happened — or, maybe, didn't happen f how something operates
f a decision-making process f a chain of responsibility
f a chain of accountability f a process f costs
f what student group/ college or government agency/office is responsible/accountable
f names of experts f names of the accountable
f the way humans react to and respond to life's ups and/or life's downs
f the way in which a group of people conduct their lives or some aspect of their lives
f how humans connect with and deal with other humans
f how humans connect with and deal with other life forms
f some aspect of personal relationships f some aspect of human development
f exceptional human qualities or characteristics f background statistics
f currently offered examples f currently offered explanations
f comparative situations/data?

2. I need to gather this information which I need for the story for these reasons
(1) information CRITICAL to develop and support the story
(2) secondary information
(3) interesting but optional
ADVICE Make a list of the information you need and try to rank your list from the most important info you need to the
least.
Before you list particular information under CRITICAL, make sure you comprehend why you believe it is critical
to the story.
Before you list particular information under SECONDARY, make sure you comprehend why you believe it is
secondary.
Before you list particular information under OPTIONAL, make sure you comprehend why you believe it is
optional.
For each piece of information, identify not only what you need to know but why you need to know it by
explaining how each needed piece of info will be used:
\3\ information needs and preinterview assessments statements continued /3/

` to be able in a quote or paraphrase

` to attribute an explanation or confirmation or human reaction to an accountable or
pertinent person
` to set the scene
` to provide adequate substantiation or documentation
` to put a human face on a seemingly bureaucratic problem
` to frame pertinent questions for interviews

3. I’ve thought about formats and how readers connect to information. At this point, I think
y conveying through writing would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes
to the story point and significance:
y embedded as links would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes to the
story point and significance
- these reports:
- these laws:
- these regulations:
- these policies:
- these emails:
- this web-based information:
y audio would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes to the story point
and significance:
y video would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes to the story point
and significance:
y photographs would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes to the story
point and significance:
y a graphic would be the best way to reveal how this information contributes to the story point
and significance:
4. I anticipate that to acquire these pieces of information I will need to do research in these
ways:
(i.e., reading a report, policy, law; seeking statistics)
5. I anticipate that to acquire these pieces of information I will need to do interviews:
6. I anticipate that who I interview will depend upon all or some of this research:
7. I anticipate that acquiring these pieces of information will involve recording audio:
8. I anticipate that acquiring these pieces of information will involve recording video:
9. I anticipate that acquiring these pieces of information will involve taking photos:
10. I anticipate that I need to locate, download, check and/or copy these documents (reports,
memos, statistics, etc):

11. I anticipate that I’ll need to go to these places and/or do these things to get the documents:
12. I anticipate that I will need to locate sources outside of Evergreen to acquire comparative
information:
13. I intend to find those sources by doing these things:
14. I anticipate I will need to spend at least this much time to adequately do research:
15. I anticipate I will need to spend at least this much time to prepare adequately for interviews:
16. I anticipate I will need to interview _________ (number) people:
\4\ information needs and preinterview assessments statements continued /4/

17. I expect I will need to interview these people in person:

18. I expect I could adequately interview these people on the telephone:
19. I expect I will need to audio record the interviews with these people:
20. I expect to spend this much time completing all of the interviews:
21. I expect I will need this much time to adequately review and organize the info I get from
interviews :
paper & web documents:
other research:
audio recording (editing):
video recording (editing):
22. I expect I will need this much time to produce a first draft with all information presented in
the most pertinent form:
23. I expect I will need this much time to recheck sources or get info to fills holes which become
evident during production:
24. I expect I will need this much time to produce and polish the final draft:

- continued on next page -

\5\ information needs and preinterview assessments Preinterview Assessment /5/

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y On GATHERED the news 2011 post, first, a headline that identifies the post as a preinterview assessment for a
particular story idea.
FOR EXAMPLE Preinterview Assessment for 4/4/11 story idea
y You have been supplied a file named preinterview BLOG TEMPLATE to store in a folder on your computer.
Open that file. Select all of the information, then copy.

y Open GATHERED the news 2011

Select New Post.
When the New Post window opens, past the copy from preinterview BLOG TEMPLATE
TrebuchetMS 11 point was used for preinterview BLOG TEMPLATE It should reproduce on the blog posting screen as
size Normal and font Trebuchet.
The statements, also listed below – some with advice about how to approach them, are boldface. Type your part of the
assessment in lightface.
RECOMMENDATION: Preview your post before selecting PUBLISH POST

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1. the intended readers:

2. the person I will interview:

3. Preconceptions affect what questions are asked, the way questions are phrased and how the
interviewer interprets answers.
I have these preconceptions about the person I will interview:
I have these preconceptions about the story I am pursuing:

4. I need to interview this person to gather these facts:

In addition, I am
- seeking actual quotes, hopefully about:
- collecting anecdotes, hopefully concerning:
- seeking information to try to characterize:
- seeking to confirm this information which I already know:

5. I want to interview this particular person for this particular story because:
ADVICE There are several reasons to choose a particular person for an interview.
Those reasons are listed below, boldface, with suggestions about how to evaluate your motivations.
y because of this person's accessibility
Consider the accessibility. The reason behind accessibility may affect the questions you ask. The reason behind
accessibility also colors whether the information you receive is apt and useful.
y Are you interviewing this person mostly because it was easy to get an interview?
Did you opt for easy-to-get over searching for the most appropriate person?
y Are you interviewing this person because it is her job to answer the press’ questions?
Does she get the answers she gives from the people who truly are accountable and responsible?
y Is this person accessible because he enjoys being quoted in the media?
y Is this person accessible because she believes in keeping the public informed?
y because of this person's reliability?
y because this person is quotable?
Consider that quotability. The quotability may affect the questions you ask. And you may be tempted to use
colorful quotes even though they add little or nothing in the way of information.
y Are you interviewing this person mostly because s/he speaks in a colorful way?
y Are you interviewing this person because s/he has a way of succinctly explaining complex issues?
\6\ information needs and preinterview assessments preinterview, continued /6/
y because this person is accountable?
Consider the scope of this person's accountability. The scope of accountability should affect the questions you
ask. The scope of accountability also affects the information you receive. Sometimes you need an answer from
the person who ultimately is responsible. Sometimes you need an answer from the person who actually does the
work but isn’t the person ultimately responsible.
y because you need to show the reader you were there?

6. As of now, I have completed this pre-interview research:

7. I, also, intend to do this research before the interview:

8. I have these questions in mind.

ADVICE Consider the following when devising questions:
y what questions might the reader ask if s/he were doing the interview?
y what do you think the interviewee should be asked because of what readers need to know?
y what are the obvious questions to ask this person?
y what non-obvious questions could elicit the sort of information you seek?

9. I am planning to structure the interview in this way (name the structure) because:
ADVICE There are several basic interview structures and myriads of styles that play off of these.
y FUNNEL
This is a way of working toward increasingly specific answers. The interviewer first asks questions that provide
general information or that reveal a person's general philosophy. Questions increasingly lead the interviewee
toward more specific answers. For example, a beginning question might be “For any construction project, what
is the role of the college’s project manager? ”
A question later in the interview might be “Given what you have explained about the responsibilities of the
project manager, why wasn’t the project manager aware until after construction that the natural gas pipes
were installed so low that the roof of almost any truck, from a pickup to a semi, would run in the pipes?”
y INVERTED FUNNEL
This begins with specific questions: “Since all of the plans for renovation of the basement were required to be
reviewed by the college project manager before the project was put out to bid, why didn’t he catch that the
specs for the gas pipes not only did not conform with building codes but were so low that no truck could enter
the delivery area?
The interviewer broadens into general questions: “Do you think the process for review of architectural
drawings, plans and specs need reforming? Why? And how would you reform the process?
“The purpose of the inverted funnel interview,” says Shirley Biagi, “is to reach for an opinion, based on a
foundation of gradual expansion from a specific incident or fact. Reporters who seek opinion or comment often
use this approach, which gives the source credibility as an expert and then uses the source's comments to
explain the story.”
y TUNNEL
This and-then-what-happened interview is used to get specific information about an incident or event.
y COVERTLY SEQUENCED
Says Biagi: “The interviewer in a covertly sequenced interview is trying to trick the interviewee by interspersing
difficult with simple questions, open-ended with closed-ended questions, and friendly with antagonistic
questions. In this type of interview, the interviewer mixes critical questions with unrelated questions in what
seems like a random sequence…By alternating different types of questions, the interviewer hopes to surprise the
interviewee into an unexpected response. The interviewee often forgets what was said at the beginning of the
questioning, and the interviewer uses this to juxtaposition earlier responses with the answer to a later
question.”
y FREE FORM
A free form interview follows the interviewee rather than directing the interviewee. It, says Biagi, “invites open-
ended responses…a valuable approach when you are doing a profile or when time is unlimited. The interviewer
tries to test the interviewee's intellect, understand the interviewee's reasoning and judge the intensity of the
interviewee's opinions…Follow-up questions are essential, however, and although the interview is open-ended
it is not without direction.”

10. I have these worries/concerns about doing this interview?

\7\ information needs and preinterview assessments preinterview, continued /7/

11. Consider how the answers to these questions about your bias could affect the way you phrase
questions and the way you hear answers.
I need to understand the following about myself before I interview:
These type of terms, and specific terms, trigger reactions in me:
I think these stereotypes are basically true for these social, economic, ethnic or cultural
groups:
I feel strongly about these social issues:
I already know these things about my listening habits:

From information and ideas from “BEFORE THE STORY Interviewing and Communication Skills for Journalists”
by George M. Killenberg and Rob Anderson (St. Martin's Press, New York, 1989) and “INTERVIEWS THAT WORK
A Practical Guide for Journalists, Second Edition” by Shirley Biagi (Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont,
Calif., 1992