Alanna EatonWriting Project 5

Interview Lessons worth Learning

Social media-“make your footprint now”. Those words are just one of the lessons that Jace Larson, one of two investigative reporters at 9News, has about interviewing individuals. Larson goes on to explain that by having a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account, you’re marketing yourself, to the world.

Larson, a native of Evergreen, studied at Principia College in Illinois before making the move to morning anchor at a news station in Quincy, Illinois then to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He moved back to Denver four years ago to be a part of what he thinks one of the two best news stations in the United States, 9News. What he loves about investigative reporting? It’s fun, spontaneous and he gets to help people that don’t have the resources to help themselves.

Larson is a prime example of what to do when it comes to interviewing people. First, he explains that ensure you research everything you can find about the person you’re interviewing. Nothing’s worse than going into an interview and having nothing to talk about. Second, be sure to “Google, Google, Google” anything and everything possible. (Google is Larson’s favorite search engine). Third, Larson explains that niceness gets you everywhere. You don’t want to burn your sources, in case you need them in the future, so make sure to be pleasant with everyone you meet.

Sometimes it’s not all that easy. There are obstacles that reporters and journalists have to go through. Some of Larson’s are that he’s young and people don’t trust him, even though he’s been doing this for ten years now. Also, you need to be aware of your competition. Larson says that it bothers him like nothing else when another station gets a story before him.

Information is what is key to interviewing. Larson explains that it is an awesome power to use, that you have to keep in check and make sure you use information for good. The last valuable lesson of this enthusiastic reporter: “be in control of as much information as you can”.