This interview of Sandra Good was definitely not what I would consider to be standard. Throughout the interview Sandra ignored Barbra Frum's questions and continually went off on her own psychotic rantings. Good appeared to be extremely hostile and very confrontational throughout the interview, however Frum managed to keep "her cool" and ask the questions she believed to be important. She did this by asking her the important questions even though she knew she would not get a straight answer. Then when Sandra went on talking about something crazy and not pertaining to the question, Frum would ask the question again in hopes she would get a straight answer. When this failed she would move on to the next question in order to keep the interview going.
If Frum had have been more aggressive or confrontational I believe the interview would have went very differently. If she had have been more aggressive I believe the interview would have been much shorter because Good was always looking for a reason to hang up the phone. Frum also could have crossed a line during the interview and in turn lost her job. Also, with the nature of whom she was interviewing, Frum could have ended up on the bad side of the Manson Family and got into serious trouble with them. However, she managed to keep calm and continue, which was necessary with the type of person she was speaking to because Good was looking to make Frum upset.
One question Frum asked that I believe was very effective was, "Ms. Good, how come, you are talking about trees that you care about and yet you don't mind killing men?" I believe that this was an effective question because it put Good on the spot and made her think for a second about her moral beliefs. Frum is making her think about how she could be so upset over the environment and how corrupt the world is, yet it does not bother her to see a man killed. This question evoked a weak and quickly conceived answer that allowed Frum to continue asking Good important questions for the interview.
There are many things to think about and remember when preparing interview questions or doing an interview. One major thing is to know the type of person you are interviewing. It is important to have some background information on whoever you are interviewing and to know their personality so you can ask important questions while not crossing any sort of personal line with them. It is also important to be straightforward when asking questions and to ask questions that will make the interviewee think and evoke a quotable answer rather than a simple yes or no. Another thing to remember is to maintain your cool during the interview when faced with an evasive person. You have to keep a level head and not give in when the person you are interviewing tries to get to you. Getting upset will only get you in trouble and give the other person the satisfaction that they have gotten under your skin.
As a student journalist there are a lot of things you can learn from Frum's technique in case you ever have an interview the "went wrong". One thing is to calm and not get frustrated with whoever you are interviewing. If you get upset it can cause many complications and Frum managed to hold herself well when speaking with Good. Another thing you can learn is to focus on what is important. Even when something goes wrong you should continue asking the questions that are important and not let anything keep you from getting you answer. As well, be persistent and don't give the other person the upper hand. If they do not give you a straight answer than ask them again until they tell you what you need to know.
If I had the opportunity to interview one person it would be Sir Paul McCartney. I would want to interview him over anyone else because I love his music both before and after the demise of the Beatles. I think it would be interesting to get a chance to speak with him and ask him some questions about his music, his personal life and also some of his inspirations. I believe that an interview with Paul McCartney would be easy because he seems to be very laid-back and after watching previous interviews he has done he does not appear to be hostile or aggressive in any way.
Here is a link to listen to the interview of Sandra Good by Barbra Frum.
