Cameron Krakowiak

May 13, 2020

“How do journalists shape the stories they tell to a large audience?  How do you approach storytelling- especially distinguishing hard news versus opinion such as that on a round table talk show or podcast discussion? ADD, (March 31st): How can I translate my critical thinking skills to the traits and tools of a quality journalist?”

 

Question: What have you discovered about your process, your habits?

Now, what do you know you don’t know? Circle back to your essential question.

 

I’ve discovered that during my process I have perfected writing and researching to figure out information for the interviewer.  Even reading whole books and old articles is something I do to understand who the journalist is and to understand the nature of the interview.  After researching and doing a full background of an interviewee, I then go into the first draft of writing questions.  A lot of the questions are repettive of what I’ve already asked in the past to past interviews that meld well with this new interview.  I am trying to understand the purpose of them being journalists and how they answer my essential question.  So for some interviews, I ask them to open up more into how they got their start in journalism or the media field and then expanded and branched out.  After the first draft of questions I then bold the questions I want to ask the most and I don’t put them in order.  Whichever way the conversation is going in the interview that is how I shape the interview.  I usually ask questions that correspond to the answer before.  This has made me a better listener.  After I ask all the questions I want, I sometimes go off script and ask questions that correspond to the person more, and their life, so the podcast can be fulfilled and not just questions about journalism.  This is how I better the interview myself because if it’s all hard-core questions it isn’t a good listen for the viewer.  That is how I’ve fulfilled the end of my essential question.  I’m learning how to story tell and ask questions profoundly well.  My critical thinking skills come into the interviews because I listen to what the other person is saying and respond to it accordingly.  Some habits are that when I don’t  have an interview to do I usually read a book, listen to podcasts, or read some articles online to understand how I can better myself.  I think I’m answering my question because I’m doing it in many ways to try and understand the life of a journalist/media member by creating my own content and the amount of time I’m spending on it.