Comments on: How to interview children http://www.newslab.org/2009/12/17/how-to-interview-children/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:57:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: 3 wheeler buggy http://www.newslab.org/2009/12/17/how-to-interview-children/comment-page-1/#comment-2777 3 wheeler buggy Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:21:24 +0000 http://www.newslab.org/?p=1767#comment-2777 You wouldn't believe how long ive been searching for something like this. Scrolled through 7 pages of Yahoo results without finding anything. One search on Bing. There this is... Really gotta start using that more often You wouldn’t believe how long ive been searching for something like this. Scrolled through 7 pages of Yahoo results without finding anything. One search on Bing. There this is… Really gotta start using that more often

]]> By: Deborah Potter http://www.newslab.org/2009/12/17/how-to-interview-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1578 Deborah Potter Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:48:15 +0000 http://www.newslab.org/?p=1767#comment-1578 What a great example, Cin. Thanks for your tips, especially the one about letting kids play with the equipment. I'll add it to the list! What a great example, Cin. Thanks for your tips, especially the one about letting kids play with the equipment. I’ll add it to the list!

]]> By: Cin http://www.newslab.org/2009/12/17/how-to-interview-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1577 Cin Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:32:04 +0000 http://www.newslab.org/?p=1767#comment-1577 Some of the most important interviews I''ve ever done for radio were with children. They profoundly changed my view of the story or issue. One thing I always, always did is let them play with the mic at the beginning, recording whatever sounds they wanted, holding it themselves. I found it helped them to more calm for the "real interview" and sometimes gave me great sound. I also have let children "interview" their friends and siblings -- also great sound. At the end of an interview with any child, I always asked if they had anything else they wanted to say, about what we'd talked about, or about anything at all. I have gotten some amazing clips from that question. My favourite child interview was with a little girl who was her school's star track runner. I asked what she was thinking when she ran, what the words were in her head. She thought about it, and then said, "I think, 'Faster. For Daddy. Faster. For Daddy.' " Her father was a former runner and a parapeligic. Some of the most important interviews I”ve ever done for radio were with children. They profoundly changed my view of the story or issue.

One thing I always, always did is let them play with the mic at the beginning, recording whatever sounds they wanted, holding it themselves. I found it helped them to more calm for the “real interview” and sometimes gave me great sound.

I also have let children “interview” their friends and siblings — also great sound.

At the end of an interview with any child, I always asked if they had anything else they wanted to say, about what we’d talked about, or about anything at all. I have gotten some amazing clips from that question.

My favourite child interview was with a little girl who was her school’s star track runner. I asked what she was thinking when she ran, what the words were in her head. She thought about it, and then said, “I think, ‘Faster. For Daddy. Faster. For Daddy.’ ” Her father was a former runner and a parapeligic.

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