Not Really Impressed
I found myself in a unique position on Monday covering the Eric Robert Rudolph sentencing in Birmingham. There were so many photographers and so many reporters that I was pretty much able to stand back and watch the others work.
It was a different perspective. There were reporters from Birmingham and Atlanta. Those are TV markets size 40 and 9, I believe.
What I saw as I stood there and as I listened to the tape later, wasn't that impressive. It's not what you would expect from reporters who've made it that far in this business. Most of them wouldn't let the person being interviewed finish what they were saying.
One of the things you learn about reporting is something called the pregnant pause. The person you interview will finish what they're saying. You don't start in with another question right away, you just let that pause hang there for a second. Often times, the person will start up again, and you get some of your best interview sound that way.
Yet, these reporters today didn't seem to know that or didn't care. I got the sense that Reporter B didn't care what Reporter A had asked. Reporter B just wanted to get his question asked. Then as the person was trying to answer, Reporter C would fire away with her question.
Something else I heard one reporter say, just wasn't right in my opinion. I believe reporters, especially in cases like Eric Rudolph, should stay as neutral as possible. This reporter said before her question to Emily Lyons, "you are just so impressive to me." I stood there and thought, "what does your personal statement to Emily Lyons have to with the story you are writing?" I just don't like that kind of, I'm going to tell my interview just what I feel, operation.
Who cares how I feel about Emily Lyons? Who cares how I feel about Eric Rudolph? Who cares how I feel about President Bush? Who cares how I feel about Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid? Reporters should ask questions of their interviews, not make statements to them.
It was a different perspective. There were reporters from Birmingham and Atlanta. Those are TV markets size 40 and 9, I believe.
What I saw as I stood there and as I listened to the tape later, wasn't that impressive. It's not what you would expect from reporters who've made it that far in this business. Most of them wouldn't let the person being interviewed finish what they were saying.
One of the things you learn about reporting is something called the pregnant pause. The person you interview will finish what they're saying. You don't start in with another question right away, you just let that pause hang there for a second. Often times, the person will start up again, and you get some of your best interview sound that way.
Yet, these reporters today didn't seem to know that or didn't care. I got the sense that Reporter B didn't care what Reporter A had asked. Reporter B just wanted to get his question asked. Then as the person was trying to answer, Reporter C would fire away with her question.
Something else I heard one reporter say, just wasn't right in my opinion. I believe reporters, especially in cases like Eric Rudolph, should stay as neutral as possible. This reporter said before her question to Emily Lyons, "you are just so impressive to me." I stood there and thought, "what does your personal statement to Emily Lyons have to with the story you are writing?" I just don't like that kind of, I'm going to tell my interview just what I feel, operation.
Who cares how I feel about Emily Lyons? Who cares how I feel about Eric Rudolph? Who cares how I feel about President Bush? Who cares how I feel about Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid? Reporters should ask questions of their interviews, not make statements to them.
posted by Carson Clark @ 9:07 PM
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