Persistence and Assertiveness
Maybe networking is crucial to being an effective reporter.
As a novice, I didn't realize how challenging it would be to get people to make statements. Yesterday, I was interviewing some adult students about the football game and one man, even though he knew the article would not be published and even though his statement was not controversial, would not allow me to use it. It was difficult, as well, to get people who had previously expressed negative feelings to make a statement, even when my request was merely for their comments. Depending on who the person is, I do not feel comfortable recontacting someone who has not responsed to my request.
Several years ago, I had worked for an unpopular executive dean of a local community college, who in addition to her frequent absences, was not from the area and traveled a considerable distance to return home each weekend. Anyway, a local Pittsburgh Post Gazette reporter had arranged an interview under the ruse that he was doing a public relations piece. The executive dean asked me to sit with her during the interview, which started out benign. The tension escalated, however, when the reporter asked her where she lived in Pittsburgh and how much time she spent here. It ended with him requesting a copy of her resume. I honestly do not know if I could have done that or if that was good journalism. Ironically, it turned out that what the executive dean was really hiding was her cancer which she died from not long after that interview.
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It's common for people to give a reaction, allow you to speak with them for several minutes (or hours) and then rescind everything they told you by not providing their name or age or residence, or just by changing their mind.
When I started writing articles, I learned that you begin by asking this kind of information. Instead of taking years off of your life by getting frustrated, you move on to someone else who wants to contribute.
For some articles, though, many people will not contribute. In that kind of situation, you may need to step back and ask yourself what kind of questions you are asking. Are they boxing your subject into one answer?
That is truely a sad story, Nancy.
But, yes, it is hard to get people to comment on things. This is especially true when they know that even one person will read it.
Networking is a plus. Being able to just contact people that you know, and trust, can not always be a reliable thing. I set in this computer room right behind Amanda, for example. I could talk to her right now. Or wait to email her considering she just left. Or I could talk to one of her friends, and they could contact her for.
When I went to Triangle Tech, we learned the importance of networking. I will say this, get people and friends of people that you can contact easily--it will be a valuable resource.