The Power of Words. Tracy Breton: The dance of the interview, part 2

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Tracy Breton: Part 2: The dance of interviewing

Related: Part 1: The dance of interviewing

        We continue this week with questions and answers that followed a talk reporter Tracy Breton recently gave on "The Dance of the Interview."

        Question: How do you get candid answers from subjects when they're with their lawyers?
        Tracy: I would try, after the meeting with the lawyer, to go to the subject alone. Your duty isn't to the laywer. It's to your story.
        Q: What if the lawyer's finishing the questions?
        Tracy: I tell them: This is not your interview. This is an interview with the subject.
        Q: If the door is slammed in your face and you don't have an answer to your question, how do you pitch the question again?
        Tracy: I call back. I leave a note in a mailbox or under the door. I explain why I need an answer, what my deadline is. Sometimes, you'll hear from them. I do this unless it's clear that they don't want to talk to you. Then, it becomes harassment.
        Q: What techniques do you have for reluctant subjects?
        Tracy: It's best when you don't walk to the door, notebook in hand and pen up. I like working with photographers. Sometimes they come in the house with me, without their cameras. But they'll go out for their cameras during a break. I don't usually call on the phone first. I go to their house. They'll usually ask you to come inside. You'll get a foot in the door. You can ask: Can I use your bathroom? I've done that at times.
        If I'm turned down, I'll always leave them my home number and say: if you don't call me, I'll call you back to see if you've changed your mind.
        Q: How do you push yourself into their lives?
        Tracy: I'll say: I know you're very busy at work. When can I come to your house? For a feature story, I say: I'd like to do an interview where you're most comfortable.
        If it's about a person with an interesting job, you want to go to their workplace.
        If they don't want you at their house, find out what they like to do: sailing, horseback riding, a walk.
        Q: At the end of the interview, what if they panic, and say: Oh, my God, you're not going to use that!
        Tracy: Unless you think somebody has a mental defect and does not understand why you're there, at that point it's too late. You have to be reassuring. Call back. Say: it's going to be all right. But it's too bad if somebody at the end says: this wasn't an interview. Especially with politicians. Don't ever go off-the-record.
        Q: What about interviews with lawyers?
        Tracy: I say: come on, let's cut the bull. Lawyers like to obfuscate. A lot of people talk jargon. You've got to get the person to translate for you.
        Q: What about interviewing kids, teens? And, what about asking adversarial questions?
        Tracy: For teens, you've got to understand where they're coming from. You have to hang out with them. With minors, you have to let parents know. You have to get on their level. Kids love talking to reporters. Susan Orlean wrote about the life of a 10-year-old boy. Go to the ballfield, to their room.
        As to adversarial interviews, they won't like you, but most respect you. You have to have concrete proof something's wrong. Take documents and show what you've got. Make it clear you want to be fair, accurate: I want to hear your side of the story. You don't want to argue with people. And you always have to be polite. People have called me a "bitch." Just smile. You're not in this job to be popular.
        The stories I feel proudest about are stories about an old man buried without a gravestone — it helped get his gravestone. A woman who was fleeced by a lawyer. You have power to help people who have no other way of getting their story out there. Those are things people remember.

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