npr: espn's art of the interview

interesting story, heard it today on my npr most e-mailed stories podcast

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5625218

 

Caught Sawatsky's seminar at Poynter this spring. Easily the most informative session of its type I've ever attended, and that includes college.

I recommend anything by Sawatsky to all. It's so odd that he works for the Evil Empire and it's quite clear many of the Empire's personalities don't take his advice to heart.

 

The seminars are great, although I disagree with him about Mike Wallace ...

 

You all must listen to the CBC "beaver" interview Sawatsky lauds. The interviewer's style is indeed good, but the Beaver Bites Man story the interviewee tells is priceless...it seems like some fantastic SNL parody of Canadians.

 

Sirs, Madames,

I attended the same Sawatsky session twice at Poynter just so I could drink it in.

I wish I could do the whole deal. Mrs Miler did it during her stint at CBC. she says the beaver on the bridge clip is just about the funniest thing she's ever seen, certainly in broadcast journalism.

I have to say that I noticed an immediate improvement in interview quality (not me, that is, but the stuff in my notebook) just applying a few of the basic Sawatsky principles. It does, however, remind me just how terrible an interviewer I've been. I sorta count on Columbo-esque fumbling to disarm subjects. Often worked, tho' Red Berenson, a real unco-operative, conceited dick, once asked me, "How long have you been doing this?"

I can't recommend Sawatsky more highly--yet some of my friends at ESPN, smart guys, blow him off completely.

YHS, etc

 

Not everyone can be his beat writer at UM... consider yourself lucky....

 

Apparently, Joe Schad went through 17 hours of learning how to interview seminar before he began at ESPN. This must be it...