Blog 19: Answer 2

• Provide a rough draft in how you plan to address the following:
• EQ: What is most important to success in journalism?
• Answer 2: One of the most important keys to success in journalism is through using the TEA methods to have effective interviews. Interviewing is a vital source for stories, as most stories will be based off interviews with the "players" of a scenario/case in which you are reporting. 
• The TEA method consists of: 
• Telling the interviewee how questions will be used
• Preparing effective questions
• Creating a comfortable atmosphere
• Evidence/Sources= 3 pieces (facts and examples)
• 1. 13 Simple Journalist Techniques for Effective Interviews by Sarah Stueville: This article provided me with tips about the atmosphere of an interview. I had never thought about how much the setting of an interview can affect the interviewee and their responses. For example, the article states that "people are more comfortable in a familiar place". This can aid the interviewee provide insightful and useful information.
• 2. Interview Questions by Media College: This article was aimed toward the importance of having questions prepared ahead of time before an interview. This is essential for having a base of questions to start off from. Of course, an journalist should have the ability to think on their feet, but having a few set questions will allow for more time.
• 3. Interviewing: The Ignored Skill by Poynter.org: This article by Poynter.org refers to how society tends to believe that anyone can ask questions and interview, however, this is an incorrect assumption. Example:  "If we aren’t proficient at asking the right questions at the right time, we’ll miss on accuracy, fall short on context, and stumble on fairness."
• 4. Personal Interview with Cecily Arambula, EIC of Poly Post: My interview with my mentor at my service learning facility, The Poly Post, spoke to me about the importance of having effective questions prepared. This, she explained, can be achieved by doing sufficient research. She explained this to me by talking about her own experience when tracking down the University's president. She only had a few minutes between two of his meetings on campus to get an insightful story for the newspaper. She did this by researching and having a set of prepared questions beforehand.