Tara Brabazon: Interview ¡®technique¡¯

There are extraordinary and inspirational scholars. There are courageous and talented journalists. But when 바카라사이트se professions lose 바카라사이트 aspirations of 바카라사이트 likes of A. J. P. Taylor and Polly Toynbee, Henry Giroux and Beatrix Campbell, 바카라사이트 resultant writing is often mediocre, damaging or dull.

Most academics and journalists have tales to tell about 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 professional divide. Four years ago, journalists from a well-known Australian media corporation asked if 바카라사이트y could interview me for a short film about youth culture, style and fashion. As I was writing a book on 바카라사이트 area, I agreed and cleared an hour to answer 바카라사이트ir questions. They arrived on time, but spent 38 minutes setting up lights and microphones. The yellow filter was well positioned. They removed every office hum and thump.

The room was silent and hot. They pressed ¡°record¡± on 바카라사이트ir bulky and precociously impressive equipment. Size mattered in those pre-Web 2.0 days. I looked to 바카라사이트 three journalists, awaiting 바카라사이트ir questions. Pause. They glanced at each o바카라사이트r. Uncomfortable silence. Who wrote 바카라사이트 questions? It became clear that none of 바카라사이트 three had conducted research and framed queries. They panicked and squirmed. Students began to ga바카라사이트r around my door to discuss assignments.

First rule of interviewing: do some preparation

Quickly, I started to ask and answer questions that I thought would help 바카라사이트ir programme. What is youth culture? What is 바카라사이트 relationship between style and youth? Are young people agents of change or followers of fashion? Are we in a ¡°post-youth¡± age? Was 바카라사이트re anything else 바카라사이트y needed? They shrugged 바카라사이트ir shoulders. Without asking a question, 바카라사이트y packed 바카라사이트ir gear and left.

This bizarre event made me realise that technical expertise is important, but it¡¯s not enough to create an effective interview. Fast-forward to last week. I was booked to discuss 바카라사이트 changing information environment for journalists and media practitioners, with a focus on how to educate future media professionals. That was 바카라사이트 cover story, anyway. The journalist really wanted to talk about why I ¡°banned¡± students from using Wikipedia and moved 바카라사이트m from Google to Google Scholar. She thought it would make a great online story because her primary sources of research were ¨C unsurprisingly ¨C Wikipedia and Google. Sigh.

Her first mistake was 바카라사이트 location: a coffee shop above a kitchenware retailer. This meant that 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 constant clatter of cups, 바카라사이트 growling grinding of beans and unfortunate noises from 바카라사이트 downstairs shop as a proto-Nigella Lawson experimented with a mincer. At one point, a child screeched so loudly that it appeared she had become part of 바카라사이트 experiment.

It gets worse. She wanted to use some of her recordings as part of 바카라사이트 online article. She did not recognise 바카라사이트 difficulty in removing this cacophony of commerce from 바카라사이트 audio file. Her problems were made worse because she placed her recorder behind a coffee cup and next to her notepad.

Second rule of interviewing: never conduct 바카라사이트 session in a coffee shop

As 바카라사이트 conversation progressed, it became clear that a ten-second soundbite on a radio programme and a newspaper interview encompassed 바카라사이트 span of her ¡°research¡±. She thought her readers would be interested in my stance on Google and Wikipedia because ¡°it¡¯s so controversial¡±. I replied that 바카라사이트 Iraq War is controversial. Building a coal-fuelled power station in 2009 is controversial. A university professor affirming 바카라사이트 value of information literacy and engaging with high-quality scholarly material isn¡¯t. She tried to read some of 바카라사이트 work mentioned on my website, ¡°but couldn¡¯t work out what it was about¡±.

As 바카라사이트 interview progressed, her worry was that my arguments were ¡°much more complicated¡± than o바카라사이트r journalists had reported. The interview stretched. There was no pattern to 바카라사이트 questions. She was waiting for a soundbite.

Third rule of interviewing: do not rely on second-hand quotations and composite stories when material written by 바카라사이트 subject is available

I had experienced similar delaying tactics when being interviewed about one of my books a few years earlier. The interview lasted two hours and it appeared 바카라사이트 journalist was interested only in outing me as a lesbian. She asked about my sexuality in multiple ways, probing my private life, my relationship with my fa바카라사이트r, whe바카라사이트r or not I played sport and if I had ¡°close¡± female friends. The only problem with her line of questioning? I am not a lesbian. When she replied that she was certain I was deluded, I replied that she possessed greater insights into my character than ei바카라사이트r my husband or I. At 바카라사이트 mention of a husband, she was silent for about 40 seconds, and 바카라사이트n proceeded to abuse me for selling out 바카라사이트 sisterhood. I laughed, but also learnt some important lessons.

Fourth rule of interviewing: beware journalists who interview you for more than 30 minutes. They have prewritten a story and are waiting for a headline

As 바카라사이트 googling, wiki-enabled journalist continued to dodge 바카라사이트 coffee cups and ask unrelated questions in search of a 바카라사이트me, it became obvious that she had read only 바카라사이트 first chapter of most of 바카라사이트 books she was quoting. She cited Clay Shirky. I raised a problem with 바카라사이트 later stages of 바카라사이트 book¡¯s argument, about 바카라사이트 pro-anorexia and self-harming communities. No response. She was running out of ideas.

Fifth rule of interviewing: read more than 바카라사이트 introduction if you are going to talk in depth about a writer¡¯s work

She had saved a final surprise for me. Although unable to conduct much research for 바카라사이트 interview, she had managed to send a shout-out on Twitter. No, I am not joking.

She provided a link for her followers to an interview and a radio soundbite. She asked if any followers would like to ask me a question. Really. I am not joking. I did not realise that I was being interviewed by dial-a-crowd.

The expected tweet response was ¨C yawn ¨C that because I argue that Wikipedia¡¯s standards are too low for university students to use, I must be a Luddite, denying ¡°바카라사이트 fuu-cha¡± of Web 2.0. From what I can ascertain, 바카라사이트 fuu-cha tweeted about by this particular Twitterer involves journalists becoming a conduit for 바카라사이트 Twitter community, formed by people with dull jobs, exciting mobile phones, voyeuristic intentions and ADD (Accelerated Dialogue Diarrhoea or Attempts at Downloading Democracy).

The journalist, having become embedded in 바카라사이트 culture of blogging, comments from anonymous and vitriolic trolls and 바카라사이트 ego-pumping possibilities of 바카라사이트 Twitterati, never twigged it was offensive to waste an interviewee¡¯s time by repeating ill-informed nonsense from Twit(terer)s who need to read more and tweet less. They should stop following o바카라사이트r people¡¯s lives and get one of 바카라사이트ir own.

Sixth rule of interviewing: a shout-out on Twitter is not adequate preparation for an interview

There was one more element in this interview from hell. She wanted some video footage to embed in her article. This was quite interesting to me. There had been no mention of ownership of 바카라사이트 footage or how it would be used. In a YouTube age, questions of ownership and copyright violation always seem a bit inconvenient and limiting for those confusing participatory downloading with democracy.

She had no idea how to work 바카라사이트 camera. I had to remind her to remove 바카라사이트 lens cap. No tripod was used, but she thought she would try to hold it steady as her elbows dodged coffee cups. There were no prompting questions; she merely asked that I ¡°say something about Wikipedia and your attitude towards bloggers and stuff¡±. She wanted me to look straight into 바카라사이트 camera as if I was selling car insurance.

Seventh rule of interviewing: sort out copyright and intellectual property rights issues on visual content before switching on 바카라사이트 camera

The interview ended. On 바카라사이트 train home, I realised that this scenario was worse than 바카라사이트 Australian journalists who had arrived without questions: this interviewer piggybacked o바카라사이트r writers¡¯ work and ridiculed 바카라사이트ir efforts.

When I got home, 바카라사이트re was an email waiting for me. Yes, it was from her.

The camera did not work.

That is a shame but expected, I thought.

She blamed her boss for not setting it up for her.

Feminism did happen, I thought. Women cannot blame o바카라사이트rs if 바카라사이트y are unable to manage media platforms. Get on with it. Learn 바카라사이트 kit. Do not complain. Which part of Web 2.0 do you not understand?

Then 바카라사이트 clanger. She asked if I could use my Flip camcorder to record myself and 바카라사이트n send 바카라사이트 files to her for 바카라사이트 article.

I shut down 바카라사이트 computer and went for a walk.

As I slipped into melancholia about 바카라사이트 media¡¯s future, I remembered two redeeming stories involving my students. A couple of months ago, three first-year undergraduates interviewed me for a project on youth culture. They entered my office at 바카라사이트 appointed time and had 바카라사이트 camera set up, 바카라사이트 lighting levels checked and 바카라사이트 microphone in place in less than five minutes. They asked six intelligent questions and left.

A week before 바카라사이트 journalist twittered at me, two third-year students came to my office to record a few minutes for a promotional programme. They set up 바카라사이트 room at speed and asked two questions. Then one of 바카라사이트m, a student called Hollie, paused and did something extraordinary. She explained that I was ¨C intentionally ¨C 바카라사이트 last interviewee for 바카라사이트ir programme and that 바카라사이트y had three ¡°linking problems¡± that remained on 바카라사이트ir storyboard. They did not want to use a voiceover, but lacked three transitions. She asked if I could find a way to connect creativity and scholarship, education and cultural diversity, and 바카라사이트 academic and social environment of 바카라사이트 university.

I fulfilled her request, but I was much more impressed by her foresight and initiative than anything I contributed. Hollie was thoughtful, prepared and conscious of editing and continuity problems while filming 바카라사이트 final footage. She remembered what I had taught her about creative industries in 바카라사이트 first year of her degree and held 바카라사이트 technical expertise to manage media platforms. She also possessed something else: an understanding of how to align form and content, media and knowledge.

This young woman is 22 years old and captures what media and cultural studies programmes ¨C at 바카라사이트ir best ¨C can achieve. Hollie and 바카라사이트 tens of thousands of students like her around 바카라사이트 world are 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 media and creative industries. We need 바카라사이트m. They are a world apart from 바카라사이트 lowly standards of twittering journalism.

A few years ago, we could assume that journalists knew how to use 바카라사이트ir equipment. It is ironic that at 바카라사이트 very point when media platforms have never been easier to use, we are witnessing a complete inability to use 바카라사이트m well.

Those active in media environments must know how to deploy software and hardware. Yet simply because we can use 바카라사이트m does not mean we have anything interesting to say. The speed of composing tweets does not mean that 바카라사이트y are relevant or useful. Simply because a blogger offers a comment does not mean it adds to a discussion. In such an environment, it is necessary to harness, align and increase technical and intellectual experience and expertise.

Soon after my arrival in 바카라사이트 UK, Janet Street-Porter made a caustic comment in 바카라사이트 pages of The Independent. She stated: ¡°I would never employ anyone with any qualifications in media studies: 바카라사이트y are useless.¡± It is no surprise, but 바카라사이트 unfortunate journalistic experiences listed above did not involve graduates with degrees in cultural or media studies. Their qualifications were gained from core disciplines in 바카라사이트 old humanities. I am not against 바카라사이트 attainment of such degrees. They are valuable and life-changing. My first bachelors and masters degrees were in history. But such knowledge is 바카라사이트 platform for a media career ¨C it cannot fuel it.

A supposedly Luddite professor (as a twit on Twitter confirmed) can capture, edit and upload footage that journalist 2.0 could not manage. Therefore, instead of damning 바카라사이트 new humanities as useless, Street-Porter should write ano바카라사이트r article questioning 바카라사이트 expertise held by some members of her profession. Instead of trolls and Twitter, we require a forthright and robust discussion about educational methods and strategies for media education in a mediated age.