{"id":29284,"date":"2024-06-23T15:39:47","date_gmt":"2024-06-23T14:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rogerdarlington.me.uk\/nighthawk\/?p=29284"},"modified":"2024-06-23T17:53:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-23T16:53:47","slug":"how-can-one-obtain-a-revealing-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rogerdarlington.me.uk\/nighthawk\/?p=29284","title":{"rendered":"How can one obtain a revealing interview?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this weekend’s “Observer” newspaper, there’s a long and revealing interview<\/a> by Charlotte Edwards of the Leader of the Labour Party, soon to be Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. It reminded me of when I was interviewed as a Parliamentary candidate and of when recently I conducted a series of interviews of staff and residents in the block of flats where I live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sympathise with Keir Starmer. When I was a local Labour candidate being interviewed by a local newspaper reporter, it was evident that the reporter thought that I was too conventional, too boring even. She wanted some colour. I wanted to avoid any embarrassment. She wanted to maximise her readership. I wanted to maximise my votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sympathise with Charlotte Edwards. Over the last year, I’ve carried out 40 interviews with staff and residents in Rennie Court and River Court in central London where I live. The book has just been published as “Rennie & River: Tales From Two Courts”<\/a>. In most cases, my interviewees hardly knew me and had never done an interview exploring their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I obtained some fascinating stories and some amazing revelations. How? I like to think that I was probing, that I was empathetic, and that I was kind. However, I think the key factor was that I told every interviewee in advance that they would have final say over my text of their profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some did not change a word. Some rewrote a few sections which became better once they had thought more about what they really wanted to say. One person pulled the entire interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder if journalists could try this technique – or some version of it – when they interview public figures – or am I being too naive? The deal could be: as interviewee, you sign off on the whole text or simply that you have the right to suggest any changes that you want but the final decision is that of the writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suspect that this type of collaboration would give the interviewer 70% of what they want instead of the 40% that they will otherwise obtain. I guess that it would build up trust between interviewee and interviewer so that the next interview between them would be even better. Just a thought …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"