Best Books/Resources on Interviewing

Hi All,

First time post. I have lurked for a while but thought it was time to come in and kick a few tyres.

I'm just wondering whether anyone can point me in the direction of a good book/articles/website for Interviewing skills. I am attempting to cover the history of an amateur Australian Rules Football club.

Over the next year I will be interviewing ex players, coaches, supporters and the like about their time and relationship with the club. There will be some life story type interviews also.

It is a monumental task for a hack like myself but I want to make sure I get it right and do the Club's story justice.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Jack

 

The classic is Eric Nalder's "Loosening Lips: The Art of the Interview," a handout which you can read here for free:

http://home.earthlink.net/~cassidyny/naldertip.htm

 

Thanks for the link. Most appreciated.

 

Listen to Howard Stern. Not when he's interviewing a porn star, but when he's talking to someone like Chris Rock or some other celeb. Nobody does it better and nobody gets more interesting information out of people. Go on you tube and find his Paul McCartney interviews.

 

great suggestion, mizzou; i'd have never thought of him. but stern does what we all want to do: draw out the subjects in surprising ways. the one caveat? he has the implicit power of the microphone, the fact that millions are listening, pressing the subject to come up with SOMETHING in answer to a question. most of us are one guy, sitting in front of another guy, trying to get some answers. if he says no? or fuck off? or just signals indifference? he doesn't risk alienating his audience. the tv and radio guys have a great advantage: they can literally thrust the mic in front of someone and say: "your defense?" and joe hoopster will feel compelled to speak, make up the question AND answer. the newspaper reporter doesn't have that, and it forces us all to become more creative....a good thing, too.

 

Nobody builds to the tough question better than Howard.

 

A second vote cast for The New New Journalism. My copy has been read three times by me, three times by others and has new marks and highlights from every reading. Great thoughts on process in there.

 

Larry King on interviewing - http://www.youtube.com/user/GWUSMPA#p/f/6/IGlzAYHXCLc

Again, like Howard Stern, he has the power of the microphone. But it doesn't mean you can't pick up bits and pieces to use for yourself.

 

I wouldn't recommend watching Larry King to anyone who is looking to learn how to interview.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Larry King is the best to watch if you want to learn how not to interview.

"Were you shocked?"

Pathetic. If you want XXX-rated interviewing watch Hardtalk on BBC News. Why any politician would go on that show is beyond me.

YHS, etc

 

There had to be a time when Larry King didn't suck.

I mean, there had to be. I maybe wasn't alive when it was happening, but I'm sure it occurred at some point.

I'm relatively sure he's gone entirely senile and his producers just aren't telling CNN.