ABSTRACT
Some journalism tutors advise starting with 'must-know' facts. The thinking behind this idea is that questions like these are safe and easy to confirm. They reassure the interviewee that journalists are a stickler for accuracy. Beginners can sometimes be hampered by nerves and a lack of interviewing experience but try to be self-assured and upbeat. However nervous journalists feel, walk in with an air of confidence and they will find that the interview gets off to a good start. The first four minutes of an interview are critical. Some interviewees are nervous and take a bit of time to settle down while others may talk confidently from the outset. Empathy is a quality that all interviewers need. 'Empathy is vital,' says freelance editor and writer Melanie Whitehouse. Novelist Shirley Conran said that when she travelled across the world to promote her books every interviewer asked her exactly the same four questions – one of which was 'always about the goldfish'.
