One of the most important points from the chapter was the reminder to show genuine interest and enthusiasm in the interviewee. I think this is something people sometimes overlook, but it is key to a meaningful conversation. Finding common ground or showing curiosity in what the interviewee is saying helps build empathy and rapport. When someone feels like you truly care about what they’re sharing, they’re more likely to open up and give honest, thoughtful responses. This makes the interview more than just a Q&A as it becomes a real connection. Building trust also gives the interviewee a sense of comfort, and that safety often leads to more personal stories being revealed. Without this trust, the conversation may stay on the surface level, and important insights could be missed. For me, this stood out because I see how crucial it is for clear, authentic communication. It makes the difference between getting basic answers and uncovering meaningful truth.
The second element that stood out was the importance of asking mindful, open-ended questions. The chapter explained how yes-or-no questions can shut down a conversation quickly, while thoughtful, open questions encourage people to share more in-depth responses. What really caught my attention, though, was the warning against asking questions that force interviewees into a preconceived answer. Doing this shows the interviewer already has a conclusion and isn’t seeking the authentic truth. I think this is a huge ethical issue in journalism. Reporting is supposed to be about honesty, truth, and giving others the chance to tell their stories in their own words. If journalists shape a narrative to match their own agenda, then they aren’t reporting, they’re controlling. Unfortunately, this kind of bias does exist in today’s media, but learning how to ask questions with fairness and objectivity is an important skill. For me, this shows how interviewing is not just a technique, but a responsibility.
Question: How would you go about showing empathy and building rapport with an interviewee while still maintaining professional distance and objectivity?
The most important element of this chapter was the kind of questions that you should and shouldn’t ask. The author describes how certain questions can be inappropriate for many different reasons. Whether they’re too nosey, poorly timed, or simply just not the questions that readers actually want answers too. Knowing your audience and your interviewee is so important in order to be sure you ask the right questions for each scenario. Most of these questions should allow room for more than just a yes or no answer.
This chapter also describes how necessary it is to act a certain way while asking these questions, which obviously goes hand in hand. Being confident and staying on track while also avoiding being unpleasant and going over the top is understandably difficult. However, reporters have to learn how to master this skill in order to receive the most information while building some trust with the stars. This includes discussing basic topics as well rather than only what your readers care to know. It was simply put to treat each interview like a respectful conversation rather than an automated Q & A. Have a discussion that demonstrates curiosity and genuine interest, and your interviewee will likely want to speak to you again.
Question: How would you decide what questions are appropriate for your interviewee? What makes a question acceptable?
One part of chapter five that stood out to me was when they were explaining the basic parts of conducting an interview. They first started by talking about the prep part of it. To conduct an efficient and good interview make sure you pick an interesting topic that the person being interviewed would want to talk about. As well as picking a topic that you can ask a lot of questions about. The topic you choose should be something that you at least have a little understanding of or if you don’t you should research your topic before hand. As making sure to notify the person being interviewed with enough time before the interview to give them time to prepare. As well as picking a good time and place is also crucial for a good interview. A good place would be somewhere that you will have the full attention of the person you are interviewing and will not be disturbed or disturb anyone else. Do basic research before hand so you are not spending your time asking basic questions.
Question: What would be a good starting question for an interview?
A second point that stood out to me was when they talked about recording the interview either with a recorder or a notepad. Recording the interview is a crucial part of the interview process as your most likely not going to remember everything said during the interview. Ideally you would record with a recorder and a notepad as they both have pros and cons. A recorder would capture every second and every individual word said but they could also run out of battery or just malfunction. As well as even when your done you still need to write out the interview from the recorder. Which is why it is a good idea to also record using a notepad because that cannot break and it will always be there. The only problem is that most likely you will not be able to record everything said on the notepad only the bigger main points so you may miss some of the smaller ones when using a notepad.
Question: Do most interviewers like notepad or recorder versions of an interview?
Chapter five dives into the basics of how to write a strong sports story and gives readers the tools they need to get started. One interesting part of the chapter is the way it explains different story structures and what makes something newsworthy in the first place. It covers things like game summaries, feature stories, and columns, while also showing why strong leads and nut grafs matter so much. Leads are important because they pull the reader in, while nut grafs help explain the bigger picture of the story. Another cool part of the chapter is that it doesn’t just talk about these ideas—it also includes practice exercises and discussion questions. These give students the chance to try writing leads, organize their stories, and think about current sports topics. Overall, the chapter is helpful because it teaches the key parts of writing while also encouraging practice and improvement.
In chapter five, one of the main points that was discussed throughout the whole chapter was showing the basics of writing a strong sports story. The chapter also focused on the essentials of sports writing and then its explanation of how stories can be structured and how certain events can be considered big news, as the key to developing a solid story is of course having a strong headline that would capture the reader’s attention. The chapter outlined the differences between the types of sports writing as well. The chapter then went on to show how to engage a reader to potentially pay attention to your headline. I understood this topic for the most part, because as a very big fan of the NBA for example, headlines happen all the time, whether it be a player that wants to be on the move, or a coach that can potentially be on the hot seat, or the latest trades, and me seeing these types of headlines definitely make me want to click on to read them, as it’s a potentially big move or story that can effect the league as a whole.
5 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 3”
One of the most important points from the chapter was the reminder to show genuine interest and enthusiasm in the interviewee. I think this is something people sometimes overlook, but it is key to a meaningful conversation. Finding common ground or showing curiosity in what the interviewee is saying helps build empathy and rapport. When someone feels like you truly care about what they’re sharing, they’re more likely to open up and give honest, thoughtful responses. This makes the interview more than just a Q&A as it becomes a real connection. Building trust also gives the interviewee a sense of comfort, and that safety often leads to more personal stories being revealed. Without this trust, the conversation may stay on the surface level, and important insights could be missed. For me, this stood out because I see how crucial it is for clear, authentic communication. It makes the difference between getting basic answers and uncovering meaningful truth.
The second element that stood out was the importance of asking mindful, open-ended questions. The chapter explained how yes-or-no questions can shut down a conversation quickly, while thoughtful, open questions encourage people to share more in-depth responses. What really caught my attention, though, was the warning against asking questions that force interviewees into a preconceived answer. Doing this shows the interviewer already has a conclusion and isn’t seeking the authentic truth. I think this is a huge ethical issue in journalism. Reporting is supposed to be about honesty, truth, and giving others the chance to tell their stories in their own words. If journalists shape a narrative to match their own agenda, then they aren’t reporting, they’re controlling. Unfortunately, this kind of bias does exist in today’s media, but learning how to ask questions with fairness and objectivity is an important skill. For me, this shows how interviewing is not just a technique, but a responsibility.
Question: How would you go about showing empathy and building rapport with an interviewee while still maintaining professional distance and objectivity?
Chapter 5:
The most important element of this chapter was the kind of questions that you should and shouldn’t ask. The author describes how certain questions can be inappropriate for many different reasons. Whether they’re too nosey, poorly timed, or simply just not the questions that readers actually want answers too. Knowing your audience and your interviewee is so important in order to be sure you ask the right questions for each scenario. Most of these questions should allow room for more than just a yes or no answer.
This chapter also describes how necessary it is to act a certain way while asking these questions, which obviously goes hand in hand. Being confident and staying on track while also avoiding being unpleasant and going over the top is understandably difficult. However, reporters have to learn how to master this skill in order to receive the most information while building some trust with the stars. This includes discussing basic topics as well rather than only what your readers care to know. It was simply put to treat each interview like a respectful conversation rather than an automated Q & A. Have a discussion that demonstrates curiosity and genuine interest, and your interviewee will likely want to speak to you again.
Question: How would you decide what questions are appropriate for your interviewee? What makes a question acceptable?
One part of chapter five that stood out to me was when they were explaining the basic parts of conducting an interview. They first started by talking about the prep part of it. To conduct an efficient and good interview make sure you pick an interesting topic that the person being interviewed would want to talk about. As well as picking a topic that you can ask a lot of questions about. The topic you choose should be something that you at least have a little understanding of or if you don’t you should research your topic before hand. As making sure to notify the person being interviewed with enough time before the interview to give them time to prepare. As well as picking a good time and place is also crucial for a good interview. A good place would be somewhere that you will have the full attention of the person you are interviewing and will not be disturbed or disturb anyone else. Do basic research before hand so you are not spending your time asking basic questions.
Question: What would be a good starting question for an interview?
A second point that stood out to me was when they talked about recording the interview either with a recorder or a notepad. Recording the interview is a crucial part of the interview process as your most likely not going to remember everything said during the interview. Ideally you would record with a recorder and a notepad as they both have pros and cons. A recorder would capture every second and every individual word said but they could also run out of battery or just malfunction. As well as even when your done you still need to write out the interview from the recorder. Which is why it is a good idea to also record using a notepad because that cannot break and it will always be there. The only problem is that most likely you will not be able to record everything said on the notepad only the bigger main points so you may miss some of the smaller ones when using a notepad.
Question: Do most interviewers like notepad or recorder versions of an interview?
Chapter five dives into the basics of how to write a strong sports story and gives readers the tools they need to get started. One interesting part of the chapter is the way it explains different story structures and what makes something newsworthy in the first place. It covers things like game summaries, feature stories, and columns, while also showing why strong leads and nut grafs matter so much. Leads are important because they pull the reader in, while nut grafs help explain the bigger picture of the story. Another cool part of the chapter is that it doesn’t just talk about these ideas—it also includes practice exercises and discussion questions. These give students the chance to try writing leads, organize their stories, and think about current sports topics. Overall, the chapter is helpful because it teaches the key parts of writing while also encouraging practice and improvement.
Khalil Cook
Chapter 3
In chapter five, one of the main points that was discussed throughout the whole chapter was showing the basics of writing a strong sports story. The chapter also focused on the essentials of sports writing and then its explanation of how stories can be structured and how certain events can be considered big news, as the key to developing a solid story is of course having a strong headline that would capture the reader’s attention. The chapter outlined the differences between the types of sports writing as well. The chapter then went on to show how to engage a reader to potentially pay attention to your headline. I understood this topic for the most part, because as a very big fan of the NBA for example, headlines happen all the time, whether it be a player that wants to be on the move, or a coach that can potentially be on the hot seat, or the latest trades, and me seeing these types of headlines definitely make me want to click on to read them, as it’s a potentially big move or story that can effect the league as a whole.