By Precious D. Freeman
The Managing Editor of the INQUIRER Newspaper, Atty. Philip N. Wesseh, has urged correspondents of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) to conduct interviews without preconceived minds.
Speaking yesterday at the LBS compound auditorium during a training workshop, Mr. Wesseh, lectured on Interview techniques to the young reporters to always conduct interviews with open minds, adding, a preconceived mind would not help you get the facts.
The week-long LBS workshop for its correspondents who are in the various counties is intended to sharpen their skills and increase the quality of broadcast generally in news coverage; both in hard and soft news development, thus enhancing their overall skills as broadcast journalists.
The subjects to be covered are all tailored towards weaving their news reporting ability into achieving successful broadcast news production; the training support for staff will include basic and higher level skills and techniques in contemporary broadcast journalism with a focus on the broadcast environment.
Mr. Wesseh explained that “interview” means two different things as Inter means between or among while View means to get comments or information because when interviewing, it involves two or more persons.
He also mentioned that interview is one of the ways media people get stories and while conducting interviews; the appearance of the journalist matters in order to be respected by the interviewee.
“Before conducting an interview, it is necessary that you do a research on that particular matter so the conversation can flow; we should also know that not all interviews can be planned but instead the background matters,” he lectured.
According to Mr. Wesseh, as a journalist, one should always have a retentive memory and learn to take mental notes because recording gadgets might fail and advised that it is good to look your interviewee face to face to show how brave you are.
“When conducting an interview dress code matters, a journalist should be courteous, respectful and complementary, befriend your subjects don’t be argumentative, when you have a planned interview be there on time so you can’t be embarrassed. ‘’He mentioned.
The owner of News Public Trust, Frank Sainworla, who was also one of the Facilitator speaking on how correspondents can develop story ideas and pitching the stories as well as making local stories national and even international said is a writer’s description of a potential story; and why it should matter to an editor.
Mr. Sainworla told journalists to spend more time outside the newsroom talking to sources and developing new sources; ask them what’s important and in the newsroom ask what’s the best story that haven’t been covered yet.
He also explained how journalist can put news in context by asking whether other communities, people or agencies are experiencing the same things.
Meanwhile, correspondents are expected to know how to write effective cues or intros and coloration to news production and ability to write new stories that are under 60 seconds.