A good interview is a good conversation

When I was a newbie journalist, I suffered from a vicious case of imposter syndrome. It affected pretty much every area of my job, from pitching stories (my ideas are not good enough) to writing scripts (everything I put on paper is terrible). 

But there was one area in particular that terrified me: interviewing. 

I was a producer for an international affairs public radio documentary, which meant that my stories were dense and policy-heavy. I might interview the former ambassador to Lebanon one day and a historian on governance in Iraq the next — people who were often known as ‘experts’ in their chosen fields. 

It was the word ‘expert’ that tripped me up. They knew something I didn’t. I was terrified that they would see right through me, that I would show up with my oversized headphones, my shotgun mic, and my exhaustive list of questions, and they would figure out that I didn’t know what I was doing, that I didn’t know what they were talking about. I spent more time thinking about what I would ask next than listening to what my interviewees were actually saying.

I can’t pinpoint when exactly something began to shift, but over time experience chipped away at my anxiety. Underneath I found what had driven me to journalism in the first place — curiosity and a genuine reverence for the stories of others. 

Interviewing is now one of my favorite parts of my work at Xerophile. Among the most valuable lessons I’ve learned over the years is this: a good interview is a good conversation. You can bring your list of questions (and know what you need to cover), but hold it loosely. The conversation can go off in all sorts of directions, often surprising and illuminating. Listening skills are often more important than reems of background research.

The profound sense of discomfort I felt in my own skin in those early years has also taught me another key ingredient in interviewing: empathy. I’m more aware of body language and all of the different ways people communicate. I understand the nervousness when the lights and camera are on you, the vulnerability and generosity that is asked of anyone sharing their story. I also understand how important it is to build rapport and trust, to make your subject feel at ease. After all, their stories are the backbone of any video, and it all begins with a good conversation.

— Monica