Why? and How?: An Interviewer’s Best Friends
Six questions every video interviewer needs to know.
There are six well-known questions all journalists employ. They are called the five Ws and an H. Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why? and How?.
The first four are of less value to video interviewers because the answers to the questions do not encourage complete sentences.
- Who is leading this ministry? Answer: John and Mary Doe.
- What are the plans? Answer: To help the homeless.
- When will your event take place? Answer: Friday morning.
- Where will this happen? Answer: Central Park
That makes for a boring and ineffective video interview. Would you stay tuned?
The last two staple questions can help you turn the first four Ws into dialog. Why and How questions are open-ended. You can get the information you are seeking in the first four Ws by asking good Why and How questions.
- How did your group decide on this ministry? Answer: Every Sunday, John and Mary Doe passed a man pushing a shopping cart with all his possessions down the street. At first they didn’t know how to help but . . .
- Why did this man’s plight move John and Mary? Answer: They remembered the stories their parents had told them of hard times in the Depression. They were always taught to appreciate God’s blessings and . . . . .
- How can the neighborhood support you? Answer: You can come to the rally in Central Park next Friday morning at 9 am and be prepared to . . .
You can see how careful wording of questions will elicit colorful, meaningful answers. It just takes a bit of practice. Ask a friend to rehearse with you or stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself your intended questions. Role play the answers. You will quickly learn how to phrase questions to draw good, colorful, story-telling answers.
Make best friends with Why and How and the other four Ws will tag along.