TEXT D The importance and focus
of the interviewing the work of the print and broadcast journalist is reflected
in several books that have been written on the topic. Most of these books, as
well as several chapters, mainly in, but not limited to, journalism and
broadcasting handbooks and reporting texts, stress the "how to" aspects of
journalistic interviewing rather than the conceptual aspects of the interview,
its context, and implications. Much of the "how to" material is based on
personal experiences and general impressions. As we know, in journalism as in
other fields, much can be learned from the systematic study of professional
practice. Such study brings together evidence from which broad generalized
principles can be developed. There is, as has been suggested, a
growing body of research literature in journalism and broadcasting, but very
little significant attention has been devoted to the study of the interview
itself. On the other trend, many genera texts as well as numerous research
articles on interviewing in fields other than journalism have been written. Many
of these books and articles present the theoretical and empirical aspects of the
interview as well as the training of file interviewers. Unhappily, this
plentiful general literature about interviewing pays little attention to the
journalistic interview. The fact that the general literature on interviewing
does not deal with the journalistic interview seems to be surprising for two
reasons. First, it seems likely that most people in modern Western societies are
more familiar, at least in a positive manner, with journalistic interviewing
than with any other from of interviewing. Most of us are probably somewhat
familiar with the clinical interview, such as that conducted by physicians and
psychologists. In these situations the professional person or interviewer, is
interested in getting information necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of
the person seeking help. Another familiar situation is the job interview.
However, very few of us have actually been interviewed personally by the mass
media, particularly by television. And yet, we have a vivid acquaintance with
the journalistic interview by virtue of our roles as readers, listeners, and
viewers. Even so, true understanding of the journalistic interview, especially
television interviews, requires thoughtful analyses and even study, as this book
indicates. Who is the interviewee in a clinical interview