ABSTRACT
It’s not much good doing a brilliant interview if you can’t remember a word of it once you step outside the door. Some form of system is required to ensure that you are able to remember what was said in order to write the story and also prove that it was said in case of later dispute. A court hearing a defamation action, for instance, might require evidence that the interviewee said what you claimed. More routinely, your editor might also require such evidence. If the interview is for broadcast, then there will be some sort of tape, whether audio or video, and this will be sufficient for both the court and your editor. Make sure original tapes, of contentious interviews at least, are kept for a minimum of a year. Broadcasters are obliged to keep tapes of transmissions, but not for long enough to protect against a defamation action.
