Real-World Interview Skills: The Press Conference
Developed by:
Sandy Scragg
www.sandyscragg.com
Murry Bergtraum HS
New York, NY

Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to learn to prepare for an interview: they will create a list of questions, do research and find background information, and decide what other witnesses and statements they would seek out.
 

Time Required: 3 45-minute classes
 

Advance Preparation: Teacher should be prepared to enter the role of Conrad as well as any other characters or witnesses the class requests to interview.
 

Materials/Resources required: website containing Conrad background (scenario adapted from Felix Kessler, Dept. of Journalism, New York University)
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/mbhs/scragg/conrad.html
 

Procedures:

DAY ONE
1) Ask students to read the scenario on the Conrad web page.

2) Have them create a list of questions that they would want to ask this man.

3) Have them create a list of the research they would do before they sat down at the interview.

4) Then ask them to create a list of other people they would want to talk to before writing the story.

HOMEWORK: Prepare for the Conrad interview; hand in questions, interview list, and research list.
 
 

DAY TWO:
Next day, teacher is in role as Conrad.
1) Teacher holds a press conference with the class as reporters. The teacher must act appropriately; for example, if a student misphrases a question, or asks an inappropriate question, refuse to answer.

2) After the conference, come out of role and review some of the information presented.

3) Ask the students whom else they would want to interview.

4) Teacher goes into role again depending on whom the students want to hear from.

HOMEWORK: Write up a rough draft of the Conrad story based on your interview(s).
 
 

DAY THREE:
1) Students type up their rough draft of the Conrad interview and read some of their selections aloud.

2) Students are permitted to search for background information about the story online (statistics, information on Bushwick, etc.)

HOMEWORK: Write up a final draft of the Conrad story.
 
 

TIP FOR TEACHERS:
Make sure you are well-versed in this story and can imagine what "really" could have happened. Other than Officer Conrad and the Police Chief, my students requested interviews with: the deli owner, the mother of Peter, the partner of Conrad, a teacher of Peter, and a friend of Peter. I tried to use different voices or literally wearing different hats (I'd borrow from the students!) to distinguish myself. You may even want to have a student volunteer to play a role.

My students also got emotionally involved in this story. It was not too long after several police incidents in New York and emotions ran high. However, it proved to be a teachable moment : Will you get answers from someone who you insult and badger? Do you even know the whole story? Students composed themselves and asked fair questions of Conrad, however, when it came time to write the story, they often wrote inflammatory and highly opinionated articles. I wouldn't warn them ahead of time, since their words led perfectly into the objectivity lesson. I anonymously posted some of the most subjective statements and illustrated why this was poor journalism. It worked!