To record or not to record?
As you know, interviews are an integral part of the freelance writing life. And, as with most things, the only way to become a better interviewer is to practice by conducting interviews.
There’s no one way to go about them and some people believe the best interviewers have natural abilities– like charisma and superb interpersonal communication skills– that can’t can’t be taught.
Various other skills, however, can be learned. For instance, when is the best time to ask the hard questions? (Answer: toward the end of the interview.) Should you interview people in their homes? (Answer: whenever possible.) Should you use a recorder? Well…
Part of my homework over the weekend was to read about the interview process in Feature Writing for Newspapers and Magazines: The Pursuit of Excellence, by Edward Jay Friedlander and John Lee, where the authors not only offer suggestions for becoming a better interviewer, they also offer other journalists’ opinions for and against the use of recorders.
Some writers are firmly on one side of this issue or the other, and they’re not budging. I’ve conducted interviews with and without recorders, I’ve fallen into the trap of trusting my recorder too much– meaning: I didn’t take thorough notes only to find the recording either was useless or that there was an equipment failure. And, I’ve recorded interviews I never listened to.
Here’s what I think: I like the safety net recorders provide. People are less likely to come back and say you misquoted them, people seem more thoughtful about their answers and it allows me to go back and clarify my notes if it turns out I scribble-scrabbled something important in an effort to keep up with the conversation. I have learned my lessons, though (see above). I’ll always take copious notes… just in case.
Something else that I’ve learned: it’s important to have a good, user-friendly recorder. The first recorder I bought was a big, clunky thing that was more distraction that help. The second was bought on the fly; it was cheap and, though it was a step up, eventually broke– scrambling several interviews still waiting to be downloaded to my computer. I’ve yet to find the recorder of my dreams, but I’m always asking other journalists about their recorders and keeping my eye on the market. I’ve found a couple of iPhone recorders. They’re good in a pinch, but they’re not going to cut it for most assignments.
Another big lesson: recording etiquette. When conducting a face-to-face interview, you want to ask permission before hitting the record button and try to place the machine some place that will allow it to catch the conversation without being a focal point.
When conducting interviews via phone, I often put the interviewee on speakerphone so I can type or scribble without worrying about dropping the phone or a steep chiropractic bill.
Once, however, I forgot to tell someone– who also happens to be a writer– that I was recording them until the end of the conversation. Whoopsi. She wasn’t pleased, but since she knows I’m still making my way around the learning curve she let me go with a story about how she’s goofed up with recorders and refuses to use them anymore.
She also shared her hatred of transcribing, and I concur. Unless you absolutely have to, don’t go to the trouble. It’s a time consuming process that’s rarely as useful as you think it will be.
Bottom line: using recorders will always be a matter of personal choice, but I’m for them. I think we should use the tools available to us. However, be sure to double check it before entering the interview, carry extra batteries and, even if you’re totally sure it will work properly, take notes. And, know your state’s laws for recording telephone conversations… you don’t want to get in trouble, now do you?
