/interview-prep

name: interview-prep
description: Prepare for journalism interviews with research checklists, question frameworks, and attribution guidelines. Use when preparing to interview sources, planning follow-up questions, or managing interview logistics. Covers consent, recording laws, and professional protocols.

Interview preparation

Interviews fail in the preparation, not the conversation. This skill covers pre-interview research, question design, logistics, and follow-up.

When to use

• Preparing to interview a source
• Developing question frameworks for recurring interview types
• Managing interview logistics and consent
• Planning follow-up after initial interviews
• Training new reporters on interview technique

Pre-interview research checklist

Background research

## Source background check

### Public records
- [ ] Professional licenses verified
- [ ] Court records checked (civil/criminal)
- [ ] Business registrations confirmed
- [ ] Property records (if relevant)
- [ ] Campaign finance (if political figure)
- [ ] SEC filings (if corporate)

### Professional background
- [ ] LinkedIn profile reviewed
- [ ] Current employer confirmed
- [ ] Previous employers noted
- [ ] Published work reviewed
- [ ] Conference appearances checked
- [ ] Professional associations

### Social media audit
- [ ] All platforms identified (X, Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Substack, etc.)
- [ ] Post history reviewed
- [ ] Connections/followers analyzed
- [ ] Previous statements on topic found
- [ ] Any deleted content recovered? (See **web-archiving** skill for Wayback / Archive.today retrieval)

### Media appearances
- [ ] Previous interviews found
- [ ] Statements consistent with current position?
- [ ] Other journalists' assessments
- [ ] Any retractions or corrections involving them?

Context research

## Topic preparation

### Essential knowledge
- [ ] Key facts about the topic confirmed
- [ ] Timeline of events established
- [ ] Other stakeholders identified
- [ ] Conflicting accounts noted
- [ ] Documents/data reviewed

### What to know before you dial
- [ ] How do they fit into the story?
- [ ] What do I NEED from this interview?
- [ ] What might they be reluctant to discuss?
- [ ] What have they said publicly before?

Question framework

The essential questions

Every interview should be built to answer: 1. **What happened?** (Facts) 2. **Why did it happen?** (Causes) 3. **What did you do/decide/see?** (Actions) 4. **What does it mean?** (Significance) 5. **What's next?** (Implications)

Question types

| Type | Purpose | Example | |------|---------|---------| | **Open-ended** | Get the full story | "Walk me through what happened that day." | | **Clarifying** | Pin down details | "When you say 'soon after,' do you mean minutes or hours?" | | **Probing** | Go deeper | "Why do you think that happened?" | | **Follow-up** | Catch inconsistencies | "Earlier you said X, but now you mentioned Y. Help me understand." | | **Confrontational** | Challenge statements | "Documents show [fact]. How do you respond?" | | **Closing** | Ensure completeness | "Is there anything I didn't ask that you think I should know?" |

Question templates by interview type

**Profile interview:**

1. Background: "Tell me about where you grew up / how you got started."
2. Turning point: "When did you realize [X] was your path?"
3. Challenge: "What was the hardest moment in [period]?"
4. Values: "What principle guides your work?"
5. Future: "What are you working on next?"

**Investigative interview:**

1. Establish rapport: Non-threatening background questions first
2. Timeline: "Walk me through [event] from the beginning."
3. Details: "Who else was there? What did you see/hear?"
4. Documentation: "Do you have any records of this?"
5. Corroboration: "Who else can confirm this?"
6. Response: "What did [other party] say when you raised this?"

**Expert/explainer interview:**

1. Credentials: "What's your expertise in this area?"
2. Plain language: "Explain [concept] as if I'm not a specialist."
3. Context: "How common/unusual is [situation]?"
4. Significance: "Why does this matter?"
5. Sources: "Where can I learn more? Who else should I talk to?"

**Victim/sensitive interview:**

1. Control: "Take your time. You can stop at any point."
2. Open: "Tell me what you're comfortable sharing."
3. Specific: "Can you describe [specific detail]?"
4. Impact: "How has this affected you?"
5. Agency: "What do you want people to understand?"
6. Check-in: "Are you okay to continue?"

Recording and consent

Recording laws by state

State recording-consent law is jurisdiction-specific and shifts. Some states distinguish telephone from in-person recording; others treat electronic communications under a separate statute; case law in several states (e.g., Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut) has narrowed or expanded the original statutory rule.

**The single most reliable reference is the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press *Reporter's Recording Guide*** at `rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide`. It is maintained continuously and provides per-state breakdowns covering one-party vs. all-party consent, phone-vs-in-person distinctions, hidden-recording rules, and federal preemption.

**General categories:**

• **One-party consent (federal default).** You can record without telling the other person if you are a party to the conversation. You *should* tell them anyway for ethical reasons.
• **All-party (two-party) consent.** All participants must consent. As of 2025-2026 this category includes (non-exhaustive, verify against RCFP before relying): California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington. Several other states (Connecticut, Michigan, Oregon, Delaware, Vermont, Hawaii) apply two-party rules in some contex