Day: February 16, 2017

     Both videos with Brandon Stanton, creator of HONY, and the IIT Institute of Design complemented and emphasized the interviewing skills learned from Telling True Stories. The importance of the subject, and especially the ethical consideration of making sure their ideas aren’t skewed or put in a larger political context without explicit consent was a significant issue raised by Stanton in his interview. Although Stanton’s ideas are very noble, I believe his intent to avoid larger political and societal issues is fundamentally impossible and perhaps a little narrow minded. As thinking, feeling, human beings we naturally use our past experiences and understandings of the world to constantly make connections between the micro and the macro. Therefore, the political and societal connections arise naturally as a product of how we observe and analyze these narrative stories, counter to what Stanton’s vision for HONY is. The lesson of greatest value from the interview, especially for the purposes of my own interviews, is to follows Stanton’s advice in recognizing and making attempts to circumvent an interviewee’s “pre-constructed answers.” It’s very understandable that the interviewee would feel uncomfortable and less willing to disclose truthful information during the early stages of the interview. I am now very aware of the importance of establishing rapport and making sure the interviewee is as comfortable as possible before asking very deep personal questions. 

     IIT Institute of Design’s video focused primarily on ethnography which was defined as seeing the world through another’s eyes. On a deeper level, it seems that ethnography is about truly connecting with the person in front of you and understanding who they are. The take away from this video was the different approaches to get others to talk and how to make them comfortable and at ease. For example, the location where the interview is taking place (busy place vs. quiet place) or even the initial question you’re asking can be instrumental in getting the best, unadulterated account from your subject.

     In summary, I think the lessons learned from both videos will prove to be very useful in my own interview journeys. I am now much more aware of how the ethnographic process unfolds in practice and more confident in my ability to steer the conversation towards clarity and truth.

The Right Way to Interview

“Getting People to Talk: An Ethnography & Interviewing Primer” is a video about the proper and the best way to interview people. A lot of the strategies that are presented in the video is also suggested in Telling True Stories, A Nonfiction by Mark Kramer. Like many experienced journalists have pointed out, it is important to make the interviewee to feel comfort. Either the interview must be outside or in a kitchen, it is necessary to let the interviewee feel no pressure. The opening of “Getting People to Talk: An Ethnography & Interviewing Primer” shows that not many people are comfortable talking to a stranger on the streets. Many people just ignore the interviewer or reject the invitation. When the interviewee once feel comfortable, the interviewer can start to ask basic questions to warm up. one of the experts has noted that you want to connect with the interviewee so he or she can open up to you. The questions can be easy question, but the ultimate goal is to allow the interviewee to tell the interviewer a story relating to the subject. It is crucial to stay focus and interested as an interviewer so the interviewee can feel the need to tell something more. However, it is not good to overreact to certain story because it might scare the interviewee and eventually lose the connection between interviewee and the interviewer. The expert also has said that it is good to see the interviewee more emotionally because it is a sign that they are trusting you and telling you everything they know.

Harvard Political Review on the other hand is a different type of interview. The setting is intimating because it is in a conference room of Institute of Politics at Harvard College. The interviewer introduced herself or himself and jumped straight into the questions. The body language of the interviewees often to be very stiffen at the beginning of the interviews. The questions allow the interviewees to tell stories, but the questions are very specific. This type of interviews is what I have often watched on television or internet. The format is very rigid and intense to watch. The audience does not feel like connecting with the interviewee, but rather like a short session to know about the interviewee. The audience will not learn much about the life and the motive of the interviewee, but more on the topic of subject.