Best way to interview without a recorder

[Rhouston]

Like the subject head says.

I usually use a voice recorder for interviewing, but seeing as I start a job pretty soon that requires me to call up coaches for previews and type out their quotes as they say it, I'm a little worried that I'm not going to be able to type as fast as they're talking. What's the best way to ensure I get their quotes correct?

 

[wickedwritah]

You need to develop your own shorthand.

 

[Idaho]

type faster

write faster

tell the coach if there's an awkward pause it's because you are writing that down carefully because you don't want to misquote them

or record your phone interviews with permission

 

[mike311gd]

Just listen very carefully and try to catch everything he or she is throwing. You'll get used to it. Like Wicked said, you've got to develop your own shorthand. Once you're comfortable with the phone interviewing, everything will work itself out.

If all else fails, ask the subject something you know you won't need, so you can catch up on typing the important stuff.

I despise doing phone interviews, but I can't be everywhere at once.

 

[Ace]

So if you are resigned to doing this by phone and typing in the answers I would suggest.

1. Don't type everything, only the good stuff.

2. If you have some kind of formatted questions, type those in advance (but don't just stick to them)

3. If you have a good, but long answer and are behind, ask a bad question just to buy yourself time. Or repeat, ah, ummm, I see. So you think that Johnny Jockstrap is a cinch for the Heisman Trophy, huh?

4. Realize that interviewing over the phone should not be your first option if you can avoid it.

5. Why can't you get one of those recorder thingies for the phone?

 

[Some Guy]

Basically, you need to listen for two things:

1) Ideas
2) quotes

Ideas can be paraphrased. You don't need to write them down or type them verbatim. Just make sure you understand what is being said well enough that you can accurately repeat it in your own words.

Quotes are almost like soundbites. One sentence. Two tops. You should be able to write those down word-for-word fairly easily. If you can't, then they are too long-winded to be good quotes.

 

[maumann]

I just broke down and bought an earpiece recorder in the last month. You plug one end into your recorder and stick the other in your ear -- and it records both ends of the conversation. Mine cost $30 -- and I'm certain it's already paid for itself.

I've used it half a dozen times, especially for a number of Q&As that are purely transcriptions.

It's invaluable, especially when someone calls your cellphone when you're away from your desk.

A few tips ...

1. Tell the subject when you've started the recorder and when you've stopped it.

2. Make sure you state clearly to your subject WHILE THE RECORDER IS GOING that you're asking his/her permission to record the conversation so you have accurate quotes.

3. Before you hang up, ask them to wait just a minute while you check to make sure the recorder worked properly.

That'll insure two things: your behind is covered if someone decides to pull the "I didn't know you were recording me" and you won't be embarrassed having to call them back because the recorder glitched.

 

[Spartakate]

Wow great advice Maumann. I'm going to have to get one of those.

 

[Angola!]

You could just learn how to type faster.

 

[Rhouston]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Maumann, I'm really interested in this earpiece recorder dealy. Where did you get it?

 

[John]

The key to typing during a phone interview, other than going fast, is to keep going. Don't worry about spelling or spacing or anything like that, just keep getting down as much as you can. Remember, you can clean it up later.

And I agree about paraphrasing and quoting. I very rarely use long quotes from a phone interview.

 

[maumann]

Editor's Note: I have no financial interest in such a product.

You can do a google search for "earpiece recorder" -- there are a number of folks selling the same exact thing from between $30 and $80. I got mine online from Brickhouse Security.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

I have the Sony ECM-TL1 Electret Condenser Microphone. It's awwwesome.

 

[DGRollins]

As an aside, I recently interviewed for a job where I was told by the SE that he didn't allow his reporters to use recorders unless the subject being interviewed requested it.

Everything had to be done from notes. He felt that transcribing tape slowed the writing process down too much.

 

[mike311gd]

As an aside, I recently interviewed for a job where I was told by the SE that he didn't allow his reporters to use recorders unless the subject being interviewed requested it.

Everything had to be done from notes. He felt that transcribing tape slowed the writing process down too much.

I'd rather take an extra 10 minutes and be completely accurate than risk misquote someone for the purpose of being done quicker. I take notes while the recorder is going, so I can go back to the important parts to cut down on some time. But I always make sure I've got my recorder before I leave me place.

 

[Ace]

As an aside, I recently interviewed for a job where I was told by the SE that he didn't allow his reporters to use recorders unless the subject being interviewed requested it.

Everything had to be done from notes. He felt that transcribing tape slowed the writing process down too much.

I think on some stories, writers get bogged down. If you are calling 10 people for a possible comment in a 18-inch story, I don't think you need to record the conversations.

If you are doing a Q&A or in-depth interview, you absolutely should record it if at all possible.

 

[Some Guy]

As an aside, I recently interviewed for a job where I was told by the SE that he didn't allow his reporters to use recorders unless the subject being interviewed requested it.

Everything had to be done from notes. He felt that transcribing tape slowed the writing process down too much.

I kind of agree with this, though I would never make a hard and fast rule against using a recorder. But I've seen the guys in the press box -- they have 30 minutes of tape to transcribe before they can even think about writing their gamer. They never make deadline.

If you can't go into a post-game locker room and get a few punchy, one- or two-sentence quotes down verbatim on a notepad, I don't know what to tell you.

That said, I typically use a recorder on stories where I have more time.

 

[sportsnut]

If I need to interview someone over the phone I inform them that this conversation will be recorded and then I get them on the speaker phone.

But this only works in your own office or in a private conference room etc. If not your own shorthand works great after working on it for a few weeks.

 

[friend of the friendless]

Sirs, Madames,

Years back I went out to Newfoundland to do a feature on Bob Cole, the Hockey Night broadcaster and a famously print-media-shy guy. After meeting up with him in St John's after a lengthy dance to piece this together I start working down my list of Qs. 1. Are you from St John's? 2. When were you born?

At # 2 he looks at my tape recorder--might as well as been the devil's pitchfork aimed at his rectum--and freezes. "We're into some difficult territory now," he said.

So I put away my tape recorder and notebook. Only hope of him opening up. I had told him I was quite ill when I went out to Newfoundland--true, I had the flu--but every 10 or 15 minutes I took a break and went to the john (letting him think I had the stomach flu) and wrote down quotes.

Msg: Do whatever it takes and listen hard.

YHS, etc

 

[huntsie]

I agree, recording slows the writing process. I take notes while I record and you knowthat way where the punchiest quotes are. You remember the gist of them and check them for exact accuracy later.
It's rare anyone resists being recorded during a phone interview in my experience. It protects both the reporter and the subject.