Interviewing in the age of technology

Incase you don't already know, I teach a writing and reporting class at a local university. I learn a lot from these "kids" and I genuinely love teaching. My students are about 10-12 years younger than me and I am constantly amazed at how journalism has changed since I started studying it in 1996 -- mostly due to technology.

While technology is great it can cause problems when it comes to things like interviews. My students see no problem at all emailing their subjects a list of questions for them to answer instead of a phone interview or, gasp, actually meeting face to face. This has caused some problems.

My students had a first draft of a profile piece due on Tuesday. They had to write a feature length story on a person or group. We have talked all about how to write a profile and it's been on their syllabus and a topic of discussion in class for weeks. I get at least 5 emails from students over the weekend that their subject hasn't answered the questions they sent them via email and they don't know what to do!

Lets pretend that you are a busy business person, police officer, stock car driver, whatever, and an undergraduate student wants to interview you for a story that for a class that probably won't be published anywhere. Even though you are extremely busy at work and have 5 children at home and your husband has a broken leg, or whatever, you agree -- because you are a good person. Then you get an email from said student with 20 questions that you need to sit down, think about, and answer. You need to spell check because you are an adult and don't want to look foolish. You also have 97 other emails in your inbox from other people. Is this student's paper really high on your priority list? My hunch is that it's not.

If you are writing a story on a deadline DO NOT depend on email to get you anywhere. Pick up the phone. Make an appointment. Interview the person face to face. You will get candid, colorful answers that can't be captured in an email. You'll get to see what the person looks like, how they dress, what their voice sounds like. You can see if they have a messy office, if they have photos of their family on their desk, if they wear a suit or steel-toed boots. All things you can't find out over email.

Sure, an email interview might be easier for YOU -- you don't even have to look presentable or brush your teeth! But it's not a good idea. Unless, of course, you have to interview someone who lives in Australia or a place you can't get to or call easily.

The moral: don't use technology to cut corners when it comes to interviews. Do the legwork and you'll get a much more compelling story -- and you won't miss your deadline.