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Investigative Interviewing with Julian Sher

Julian Sher, Senior producer, CBC's The Fifth EstateAll interviews – but especially investigative ones -- are battlegrounds. The journalist and the subject are fighting for control of the interview. Your target has an agenda and a list of talking points – your job, much like a prizefighter in a boxing ring, is to seize and keep control of the match, throw your opponent off balance and push them into corners they don't want to go. What are the tricks and traps to avoid?

3rd & 7 37yd

3rd & 7 37yd

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  Carol Off's interview with Conrad Black on allowing Rob Ford to slander Daniel Dale is a classic example of use of the four Cs. Here's the transcript: read.thestar.com

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 6:55:31 PM
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  "It's always your fault if your interview doesn't go well because that's your job."

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 6:57:33 PM
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  by SylviaHrnandzRssvng via twitter 5/10/2014 6:57:48 PM
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  You get the answers you deserve: don't blame the interviewee.

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 6:58:34 PM
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  The five basic rules of the interview:
  1.Ask open-ended not closed questions--- don't limit the person's answers.

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 7:00:39 PM
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  ...unless you're Oprah. See a great yes or no here:
  m.youtube.com

  by sunny.freeman via YouTube 5/10/2014 7:01:38 PM
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  2.Don't give people easy escape routes. A double-barreled question is a classic example...an either or allows them to escape. A question mark is the end of your talking. Ask and shut up! Don't keep talking after the question.

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 7:06:16 PM
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  Charlie Rose, you're a great interviewer...why did you give President Obama an opening here?
  m.youtube.com

  by sunny.freeman via YouTube 5/10/2014 7:08:07 PM
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  A question mark is the end of a question. It's not a comma. If you utter a question mark, stop talking. #interviewskills @juliansher #CAJ14

  by Karla Karcioglu via twitter 5/10/2014 7:08:18 PM
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  by meagan.gill via twitter 5/10/2014 7:11:30 PM
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  Curious if interview master @juliansher has seen this "personal relations question" reporter posed to #Obama thedailybanter.com/2014/04/jon-ka… #CAJ14

  by Mike Hager via twitter 5/10/2014 7:15:44 PM
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  The worst question is not asking one. Don't make a statement and put a question mark at the end. Ask a real question, avoid making statements, opinions or getting into a debate.

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 7:19:41 PM
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  And...possibly the most memorable soundbite in Canadian media came at the end of an interview that went off the rails. If you're going to confront power,don't get into a debate. Take a look at how Trudeau arrived at his "just watch me" answer:
  m.youtube.com

  by sunny.freeman via YouTube 5/10/2014 7:25:28 PM
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  5.Listen, listen, listen--grab their words, make them yours and throw them back. Shift the weight back to the subject.

  by sunny.freeman 5/10/2014 7:26:14 PM

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