TASK 1
Hard News,
Hard
news is defined as news which features in a newspaper of television
report which deals with formal or serious topics and events. This style of reporting is typically found in News programs such as BBC News, or News Night.
Interviewer approach –
The style of the interviewers approach to the interviewee tends to
contain serious features. The interviewer doesn’t share any lighthearted
jokes or humorous anecdotes. They get straight to the point at hand and deliver the news as quickly and as clearly as possible. This is often because the news stories are serious and not a subject suitable for a light-hearted approach.
Some
hard news programs contain a huge amount of adversarial styles as there
is often disagreement between both the interviewer and the interviewee
or in some cases such as election programs the several interviewees with
have disagreements, which will lead to arguments.
Question Types – The
questions asked in a hard news program are there to get as much
information out of the interviewee as possible. ‘Open’ questions are
used so the interviewee has to give proper sentences and go into more
detail than a ‘closed’ question where you just answer ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. Suggestive
questions are also asked. These are questions which people already sort
of know the answer. They lead the interviewee into talking about the
subject and giving the answer.
Structuring – Hard News programs often start by saying the main stories and headlines. They make sure to keep reminding the audience of the headlines especially if there is a big story breaking. They
then move onto smaller stories which aren’t as important but still
worthy of featuring in the report. Finally they finish with a ‘feel
good’ story. They leave this until last as they don’t want to leave the
viewer felling like the world is full of bad things. An example of a ‘feel good’ story would be an animal doing something funny/remarkable, a child being found or even a new discovery.
Hard
news might also feature sound-bites, which are interviews and questions
recorded beforehand but are included in the news program. This is often used in the news on radio.
The Purpose of Interviews - The purpose of hard news interviews is to enhance the audience’s understanding of the story. The audience watches the news to learn and understand more and the interviews help this. The interviews allow a great deal of audience insight to the situation.
Combative,
This
technique means that the interviewer, interviewee and the general
questions are very antagonistic and hostile. There are often arguments
and disagreements in the interview; it is this which gives the interview
technique of combative.
Interviewer approach –
The interview is nearly always adversarial and challenging in their
style of questioning. Sometimes they are even trying to get the
interviewee to become angry as this makes excellent television. However
most of the time they don’t need to try and make the interview
confrontational as it often happens naturally. Jeremy
Paxman in a notorious combative interviewer who hosts a lot of
programs, most of which are political such as Newsnight. He is often
very rude to the guests and grills them on topics which they don’t
necessarily want to talk about. In the past he has been criticized for
his intimidating approach but also praised by others for being tough and
incisive. Paxman is often bought in to interview big names normally in
politics.
Below show some examples
of a Combative interview. The first example is Paxman interviewing
Michel Howard. This famous interview took place on Newnight and shows
Paxman’s technique of interviewing very well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI
Question Types – the
questions asked in these combative interviews are often direct. They get
straight to the point. This is very good for the audience as if the
interviewee has done something wrong, the audience wants to know why it
happened. Normally the questions are open, however, in some cases the
person in question will waffle on about something not to do with the
question. In cases like this a closed or ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question will be
asked. Such as from the Newsnight link above ‘Did you threaten to
overrule him?’. These questions
can often be suggestive as the audience probably knows that it happened
but they want the interviewee to say it.
Structuring – in these
interviews there is quite a lot of structuring. The questions asked are
written down before and it is the interviewer’s job to make sure the
questions get asked and the interview moves on. They all start with an
introduction where the interviewer introduces the person in question to
the audience, at this point there isn’t a huge amount of debate or
arguments. However, as the interview continues it develops and
progresses to a stage where there is confrontation, and sometimes in the
case of FOX News both the people on camera loose their temper and loose
the structure of the interview and just fight.
Purposes of Interviews –
The main purpose of these interviews are to allow audience
understanding of the topic. This can be because the audience is angry
and wants to know why it has happened. This might led onto the fact that
the purpose is linked to emotion. If people are angry then they will
watch a program where the person responsible is questioned and grilled
on TV.
Light-hearted,
This style of
interviewing does not tend to feature in news programs, but in
entertainment programs. A light-hearted approach to the interview would
be found on sports programs such as BBC Sport. Here an interviewer would
question the guests as to what they thought of the game or race and
what is next for the players. A great example of this is Jake Humphries
talking about F1 in this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE8xxapX5ys&feature=related.
Interviewer approach –
Normally in a light-hearted interview the approach is up beat and
positive. The approach of the interviewer tends to be slightly humorous
as well as making sure that all the right questions get asked. They
often show active listening with their body language which shows both
the interviewee and the viewers at home that they are listening. ‘Noddy’
shots are very common, this is where the camera cuts quickly back to
the interviewer who is shown nodding their head. This again helps with
the image that they are listening, even though these shots are normally
filmed later and then edited in to the interview.
Question Types – A
variety of questions are asked in these interviews as this makes the
program a lot more interesting for the viewer to watch. Open questions
are clearly used more than Closed ones as they will want the interviewee
to open up and to talk as much as possible. There isn’t much point
booking someone to question and then only asking them ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
questions. They don’t often tend to ask suggestive questions as this
doesn’t fit into the style of interview. Unless the question is based on
a topic which everyone thinks the same about.
Structuring – An
introduction is often used in a light-hearted interview. It often brief
as the interviewer will quickly introduce who is in the studio and who
will be interviewed and then move onto another subject. For example a
sports interview in the studio will develop and follow the structure of
the game itself. They will start with what happened at the beginning of
the game and slowly move through the match or race. Interviews will
normally say ‘thank you’ to the interviewees and sometimes even
summarize the interview to help wind-up and finish the interview.
Purposes of Interviews –
these light-hearted interviews are often to enhance the audience’s
understanding of a subject, e.g. BBC Sports interviews. They also offer a
platform for interviewees’ opinion. These interviews can sometimes act
like discussion groups, talking and discussing a subject. Even though
most light-hearted interviews are up beat, they can also be about an
upsetting subject as a ‘light- hearted’ interview is about the style of
the interview not the subject. Nevertheless light-hearted interviews can
also be simply for entertainment purposes.
Entertainment,
These interviews are
often taken place on chat shows. Programs such as Top Gear and Loose
Women are great examples of an entertaining interview. There is normally
comedy in the interview which make both the interviewee laugh and the
audience at home.
Interviewer Approach –
Interviewers often host the interview in a very comedic way. They ask
questions which will make people laugh and the interviewee as well. They
talk to the person in question very informally, like they are friends.
This is a completely different technique to Hard News and Combative
interviews as the interviewer is trying to get the interview to go well.
They often build rapport with the interviewee and sometimes get them to
admit something there maybe not allowed to give a statement for yet.
These interviews can be very cheeky and close to the line. You also get
positive body language, the interviewee will be greeted with a hand
shake or a kiss and throughout an interview the interviewer shows active
listening by nodding their head or smiling.
Question
Types – Open questions are nearly always asked in every form of
interview. However they are used here as much as possible to get the
guests to speak and for example share comedic anecdotes like in the Top
Gear interview. However, here interviewers don’t have to work as hard to
get the guests to open up as they do in Combative interviews. This is
because they aren’t trying to hide anything and will talk about whatever
subject, within reason. These interviews often contain questions which
might have a funny answer to, as well as asking big stars about little
problems the people at home might relate to. This creates a positive
bond between the star and their audience.
Structuring – Typically
there is a short introduction to these interviews where the host stats
some of the recent activity of the interviewee before they come in to
talk. Then throughout the interview, sound-bites are cut to. This again
shows the audience what the person is famous for and gives the interview
a subject to start off on. Such as ‘we saw you there doing…’ and ‘what
was it like?’ The interviewer and interviewee relationship progresses as the interview develops. Some interviews have even made friendships.
Purpose of Interviews –
These interviews can be simply to let the audience know and understand
the interviewee better. A lot of the time these interviews are used for
promotional material. For example a star guest will come into the studio
to promote their new film or album whatever it may be. So these two
techniques can be linked closely together.
Promotional,
A promotional interview
is one where a guest comes in and ‘plugs’ and advertises a new item they
are bringing out. This could be anything from a new cloths line, to a
new film, or even the latest album. These interviews can sometimes be
found in the form of what is called a ‘Junket’. Junkets are mainly for
new films. This tends to be for the bigger stars and is where the
interviewers go to question them rather than they go to the studio. They
are normally held in hotels with big posters of the film in the back.
Interviewer Approach –
In these interviews the Interviewer tends to be light-hearted. However
some are a lot more serious than others. For example if you compare the
Harry Potter Junket to the Freshly Squeezed interview you will see a lot
of difference between the interviewers and their style of asking
questions. The Freshly Squeezed interview is a lot jokier and doesn’t
take itself too seriously. This I would say is more entertaining
approach to promotional interview than the Harry Potter interview, which
asks questions people would think would be in a promotional interview.
So in some cases the interviewer is very humorous and funny and in other
cases a more serious approach is taken.
Question Types – In a
standard promotional junket the star can get very bored with the
interviewers who come in one after the other. This is because they all
seem to ask the same questions. Questions about the filming and the
other actors they worked with. These questions tend to be open and even
if they are closed they will then tell them to explain their answer.
Nevertheless, taking the more jokey approach to the interview the
questions can be not at all about the film! They can be asked about
anything. This link shows the
somewhat random questions asked by T4. Which is a program notorious for
not taking itself too seriously. You can easily compare this junket to
the first Emma Watson interview shown above. This one is a lot funnier
and even contains a short quiz at the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZWisRkbfcY&feature=related
Structuring – Again,
like all interviews there is a short introduction which tells the viewer
who the interviewee is and why they are famous. This is normally
followed by a short clip of the film or music video to show them in
action. Throughout the interview they will keep cutting back to the
clips of the film or video to break up and help separate the questions.
An example of use of sound-bites in a promotional interview is linked
here. This is an interview again by Freshly Squeezed with the rapper
Tyler and the Creator, and his new album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEzHcy_FHEE.
In this interview you don’t see or hear the interviewer but you get an
understanding of the questions asked by the way he answers them.
Purposes of Interviews –
Clearly the purpose of the interviews from the guests’ point of view is
for them to publicize their new product. However these interviews also
allow a chance for the audience to see the real person. So they allow an
enhancement of audience understanding as well as gaining insight into
the film, song or whatever is being promoted.
Investigative,
These
interviews are set up to investigate. So in a case where not a lot is
known about the subject an investigative interview is set up to try and
find out more. Interviewees tend to be experts and witnesses.
Interviewer Approach –
In this case the interviewer will show lots of body language telling the
reader that they are listening to what is being uncovered. This is
important as if the interviewer looks like they are listening closely to
the interviewee and understanding what is being said, it will help the
viewer to follow the questions and answers being asked. Again ‘Noddy’
shots are used to help get this message across to the people at home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-62kEWdO84s This link shows an interview which contains a great example of the interviewer showing active listening.
Question Types – The
most common question types asked in these types of interviews are open,
direct and multiple questions. All three of these question types open up
the answer allowing the interviewee to open up and talk about the
subject at hand. You would defiantly not find closed questions here as
the aim of these interviews are to gain as much information as possible
and a closed question stops this from happening.
Structuring – There
doesn’t tend to have that much of an introduction to the interview apart
from the interviewer stating who they are talking to. However, there
tends to be a lot of development and progression as the interview goes
on as the interviewer and the audience at home finds out more about the
subject. The interviews don’t really contain sound-bites, although in
some cases there might be.
Purposes of Interviews –
These interviews allow audience insight into a situation as before the
interview not much would have been known about the subject. It can also
be used for research and enhancement of audience understanding. These
interviews are used to uncover and investigate the headline situation.
