Coverage of Medieval Day

 To cover the “Medieval Day” we will be using a “team reporting” concept much like we used at The Washington Post to cover events like the big marches on Washington to protest the Vietnam War, and the method used at The Wall Street Journal to write what were called “trend stories.” ("Trends" means, more or less, tendencias.)

     All of you will go out and observe the events of the day, and then write up a report of what you observed running roughly 500 words. Most of you will also be assigned some specific aspect of the event to cover. All of the reports will then be collected and Lucia will write a story based on them (plus, of course, her own observations). Send the memos to me at boldt27@gmail.com.

     You will get a mark based on the quality of your report, or memo, but your real goal will be the same as that of the reporters on these teams at the Post and Journal – to get the material you reported into the final article that appears in the paper. Reporters, of course, didn’t get grades on their memos. This was the way they got their reward.

     How do you get your stuff into the main article? Well, of course, the most important thing was to have a good eye for telling details, a good feeling for the best little stories (anecdotes), and a good ear for the great quotes that told the story best.

    But also important was the way you presented the material. You wanted to put the different pieces you assembled into ready-made “chunks” that the main writer could lift directly out of your memo and put into the main story.

     These memos do not have to be written in a way that they could stand on their own. They do not have to be connected by a narrative thread. In fact each little piece could be separated by a blank line or a centered “bullet” like this:

*

        The memo does NOT have to have a “5Ws and an H” lead, or any other kind of lead. You can just plunge right in to telling what you saw and heard. You do want to have the best things at the top where they will be easy to find. By the same token you don’t have to explain the whole event in your memo.

      Think of it this way: You are just providing the bricks. Someone else will make them into a wall.

      Therefore you should be able to write these up fairly quickly and I hope that you can get them at least partially done and sent in on the day of the event, before you forget the nice little touches that can “brighten” the story. Those of you who cannot do that need to be especially careful to take good notes that you can read. If you get your memos done before next Tuesday (our next class) you will get free time during that class period, as is our custom.

      There will be two versions of our story. One, for the website, will be relatively short, 1200-1500 words. Then there will also be a long version (of indeterminate length) that will be shown to the committee that comes to accredit the school next year and to other official visitors to the school.

      Here are your individual reporting assignments:

      Manuel Saavedra – Interview Hudson Thurston, probably after you get out of chemistry. He is one of the two main people putting this event together (along with Alvaro Ludueña). The main thing we want to know from him is how this event came about, and what its goals are. Who thought it up? Is it supposed to teach history or be a way to build cohesion and school spirit? (Probably both.) But let him tell you the story in his own way. Be ready to follow up on anything interesting he says.

       Andrea Gutierrez – Interview Alvaro Ludueña, who is the other principal person running this show. Same instructions as for .Manuel (above).

       Sebastian Vedia – Pay special attention to describing the event – the buildings, the costumes, whatever.  Make sure that from your memo we can give a good picture of what the event looked like.  

       Ximena Fagan – Take pictures and talk to kids. When you take their pictures that gives you a perfect opening to start a conversation with them (when you ask for their names and class). Asked them what they liked about the event, and if they learned anything. Is it fun?

      Nicolas Aguirre and Nicolas Handal – Pay particular attention to the various contests they will have. It’s not that important to get who won and lost. In fact I´m not sure we’ll even use that. It’s more important to describe what happens: There will be funny things, sad things, interesting things said.

      Lucia Landivar – Try to get a sense of the whole event. Be thinking of what you will need to explain and describe this event. Observe and talk to people to get an overall impression.

      Everyone should be watching and listening and talking with students, teachers, and any parents who show up. (They have been invited.)

     As I understand it, you will be available as follows: (I will be there all day. Please check in and out with me as you come and go)

     E Block and break (8-9:40) -- Everybody

     F Block (9:45-11:15) – Manuel Saavedra, Nicolas Aguirre (after chemistry quiz)

                                           Lucia Landivar, Andrea Gutierrez, Ximena Fagan (after pre-

                                               calc test)    

     G Block (11:15-12:40) – Manuel, Nicolas Aguirre (after first 30 minutes)

                                              Lucia, Andrea, Ximena (after chemistry quiz)         

     Flex Block (12:40-13:10) – Medieval Day participants are at lunch

     Lunch (13:10-13:45) Everyone (after eating lunch)

     H Block (13:50-1510) – Lucia, Andrea, and Ximena (right?)

The schedule of Medieval Day (which was passed out Monday) is as follows:   

MIDDLE AGE KINGDOMS

Student`s Day Schedule September 21, 2011

The MS Middle Ages program, is a group of activities and games, in which the students represent “Kingdoms”. The program includes dancing, medieval games, knights jousting, sand castles, a costume contest, and “The Holy Grail hunt”; all presented in a Medieval theme atmosphere. Through these activities, the students not only have the chance to express themselves and explore creativity, but also step back into history and get information about life for people who lived in the medieval times.

Schedule:

8:00 FLEX

8:10 Kingdoms set up

9:20 Recess

9:45 Kingdoms Presentation: Coat of Arms, Dancing, Customs, and Mascot

10:30 Middle Ages Fair Games

·         Catapults: Taylor Barton

·         Crowns: Nancy Moya

·         Crossbows: Seth Gibson

·         Darts: Patrick St. Amand

·         Horseshoes: Alejandro Adachi

·         Towers: Rebecca Battistoni

·         Joust Relay: Alvaro Luduena

·         Catch a Mouse: Hudson Thurston

·         Axes: Nicolaas Mostert & Ken Davis

11:40 Save the Damsel in Distress

12:35 Lunch

13:15 Games (Soccer Field)

·         Sand Castles: Nancy Moya

·         Damsels Jousting: Patrick St. Amand

·         Holy Grail Hunt: Alvaro Luduena

13:50 Games (Soccer Field)

·         Knights Jousting: Hudson Thurston & Seth Gibson

·         Knights Battle: Taylor Barton & Alejandro Adachi

·         The Lost Symbol: Rebecca Battistoni

14:40 Closing Ceremony in the Coliseum

·         Certificates for the best costumes

·         Final Results and Awards

Coverage Assignments for SCISL Games

(Junior varsity games start at 3:30 and the varsity games start immediately after the JV game is over. The JV volleyball games can be over very quickly, sometimes in less than an hour, and the varsity games are almost always underway by 4:30. The soccer games take longer, and the varsity game usually doesn't start before 5.) 

Match 3 – SCCS vs. Christian Learning

Tuesday, 27 Sept.  

JV volleyball  Boys – 

Varsity volleyball Boys – 

JV soccer girls – 

Varsity soccer girls –  

Thursday, 29 Sept

JV Volleyball girls – 

Varsity Volleybal l girls – 

JV soccer boys –  

Varsity  soccer boys –
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JV stories are usually short and simple, 200 words or so -- the outcome, a general description of the action, the score at half time. That's about all. Varsity game stories are longer -- 300-400 words, and sometimes more if the game was interesting. Include more description of the action. Later in the season the stories become larger as the games become more important (and you become better writers).


We like to have the game story right after the game is played, but the deadline is noon the next day. If we have class the following day you may write the story in class. If you have already done the story you may have the class time as a study hall (to do the work you would have done if you weren't covering the game). Make sure that the score of the game is reported right after the game. Send the score and story to David Boldt at boldt27@gmail.com. If you are not assigned a game there will be another assignment for you in that class.


You have many sources of information. The scorekeepers have been told to let you have the line-up cards submitted by the coaches after they have put the names on the scoresheet, and you can look at the scoresheet at the end of the game. When we have team rosters you will have a copy. If you don't understand the game well sit next to people who know it well, and ask them if you have questions. (Don't be shy.) Often there will be players in the stands from the other game being played that day. I will be on campus during the games, watching one or the other, and available to help. A good place to sit is often right behind the players' benches. After the game you can interview the players and coaches. Quotes from them can add life and interest to a story.

If for emergency reason you can't cover an assignment, please do any and all of the following:

1. Call David Boldt at 343 8425 or 70822475.. If worse comes to worst I can do it. (I used to cover all eight games.) But if I don't know you're not there I can't give your game the extra attention it would need.

2. If you have more time, try to trade assignments with another classmate. Phone numbers are in the class roster. 

3. Set up an alternate way of covering the game through a player(s), coach, or Mr. Luduena. I used to write stories from just the information on the scoresheet.

Project Assignments

Lucia Landivar -- SCCS participation in Habitat for Humanity Project Sept 10, including background on the program and SCCS' involvement in it. 500 words. Start writing Tuesday, Sept. 13. Deliver Thursday Sept 15. Pictures: Canelas.

Andrea Gutierrez and Ximena Fagan -- Story on SCCS students going to GIN conference in Lima, Peru, to discuss and debate a variety of global issueswith other students from all over Latin America. Story will include background on the GIN program and SCCS involvement in it. Ready to write Thursday, Sept. 15, complete before Spring Break.

Sebastian Vedia and Manuel Saavedra -- Story abiout new administration building. Do reporting on Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 13 and 15. Story discussion in class on Sept. 15. Set deadline then.

Manuel Saavedra -- New House system. To be done after completing article on new executive offices. Deadline to be set later.
 
Nicolas Handal and Nicolas Aguirre -- Spirit Week (to go with pictures. Write and deliver Tuesday, Sept. 13. 300 words or less. Pick new assignments.

Fernando Monasterio -- Wallpaper based on SCISL blog. (scisl.blogspot.com). Set deadline Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Media Writing Project Plan

Name: ________________________________Date:____________________________

Description of project planned _____________________________________________

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Reporting plan __________________________________________________________

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Estimated length (number of words): __________ ______________________________

Estimated date for completion of draft: _______________________________________

Style Notes

All publications have a "style book" that covers its policies in regard to punctuation, syntax, usage, and similar matters in cases where several different methods are acceptable. This is the start of our list of such rules for articles written as assignments for this course, particularly articles for the SCISL News weblog. 


1. Avoid the use of initials for school names because they are too similar (SCCS, SCIS, SCCLC, SCISL, etc.) On first mention  the name of the school should be given as Cooperative, International, Christian Learning, or Cambridge. In sports stories you may use the school mascots as a substitute for the school name (the Jaguars, the Griffins, the Eagles, and the Knights). When referring to the Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League (SCISL), generally just say "the League" (note capital).

2. In sports stories and most news stories use the past tense to describe actian that has occurred. There is a way of using the present tense in such stories, but we don't use it.

3. Indent for paragraphs. Don't skip a line. (This is a change from past practice when the weblog did not allow a paragraph indent.)

4.Give a person's full name on first mention, and last name on second mention. We don't use "honorifics" like Mr., Sr. Mrs. Ms., Miss, Srta., Sra. Lic., etc., with the exception of Dr. for medical doctors.

5. To the maximum extent possible use Times New Roman 12 pt.type. (On the weblog this is "normal" size.)

6. Headlines use the same type font, but are boldfaced and printed in "largest" size on the weblog.

7. By-lines can appear either cenered at the top of an article or flush right in italics at the end, but should be consistent in any given project.

How to Write a Sports Story

A sports story is, basically, just another kind of news story, and the simplest way to write it is to use the traditional "5Ws and an H" news lead. The opening paragraph should tell WHO did WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and, sometimes, HOW. (Actually, the WHY part is often obvious and may not have to be stated explicitly.)

Thus a story about a 2-1 socccer victory by the International School boys team over Cambridge might go as follows:

"The International boys varsity soccer team started its season on a winning note, defeating Cambridge 2-1 Thursday afternoon on the Griffins home field by scoring twice in the second half while a tenacious defense kept the Knights out of scoring range most of the game."

That has it all -- who, what, where, when, why and how.

The next paragraph might pick up some of the highlights -- who scored the goals, how the game fit into the long rivalry between the schools, how the outcome affected the League standings. Stuff that somebody just skimming the story might like to know. For instance. if Cambridge missed two penalty shots in the last minute of the game, or something like that, you might want to mention that up here in the "top" part of the story.

We have used a soccer game as an example. A volleyball game would be done the same way, except that sometimes it's necessary to have a second sentence if the set scores are complicated. But the point is to get all the key facts in at the beginning, even if you are trying some artful different kind of opening (see below).

The rest of the article simply tells the story of the game. The wonderful thing about sports writing is that a game naturally has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You don't have to construct some sort of logical chain to link things together (as is the case in some other kinds of writing).

Now this doesn't mean we tell everything that happened. We give a general picture of the action, skipping over the dull parts and zeroing in on a couple of key moments that were crucial to the outcome. (Sometimes it's just one key moment, with the rest of the game just sketched in lightly.)

And that's all there is to it. You're done. These stories can be written (and are written on some newspapers) by a computer. You feed in the facts. It spits out the story. (This is usually done for high school games on big papers that have to cover dozens of such games.)

However, there are other ways to start the story that might make it a little more interesting or exciting. The only limit is your skill as a writer. Say that the Cooperative Jaguars were leading the International Griffins 3-1 with only five minutes left to play in a game. Say that the Jaguars scored three goals in those five minutes and won the game 4-3. (This really happened, by the way.)

Why not start the story like this:

"The Cooperative boys varsity soccer team came back from the dead Thursday afternoon."

That would get people's attention, which is the real first rule of writing. And it would fulfill all the requirements of newswriting so long as we got the score, where and when the game was played, and at least some hint of how the Jaguars managed this amazing comeback into the next paragraph. (In news writing, almost every sentence is a paragraph.)

The opening of the story can get even more complex and literary than that. Consider the most famous sports lead ever written. It was by a sports writer named Grantland Rice, and (eventually) it told how Notre Dame University won a football game against the US Military Academy. It went like this:

"Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below."


But remember, he was a professional. You may not want to try that at home. At least not right away. 

Practice Story on Boys Soccer Game

Boys Soccer Game Facts

Winner:  Cooperative  Jaguars

Loser. Christian Learning Eagles

Score: 5-3

Where played: Cooperative

When played: Thursday afternoon 

What was at stake:  Cooperative’s undefeated season, Christian Learning’s chance to end  winless season  with a victory. It’s the last game of the regular season.

Game conditions: Small crowd with more Christian Learning than Cooperative supporters. Weather clear and sunny with gusty wind blowing across the field

Background. Jaguars are undefeated and are trying  for their first ever perfect season. Eagles haven’t won a game all year, but have come close and are improving. Beating Cooperative would make their season a success.

Your notes on the game:

First half:  Jaguars score first on breakaway by Jose Manuel Vasquez . . .  Eagles tie the game on long free kick by Andre Larsen into upper right corner of goal from 30 meters out . . . Jaguars take the lead again when Jean Bretel heads in a corner kick . . . Eagles tie game at 2-2 when Richard Enns takes control of a ball bouncing around in front of Jaguar goal and threads it by Jaguar goalie. First half ends 2-2.

Second half:  Jaguars get the lead again when Santiago Paz brings the ball upfield, beats a defender, and gets ball past Eagle goalie . . . .game now seems to be going Jaguars way as they  fire many shots at the Eagle goal. Vasquez hits crossbar  . . .  But Eagles strike back as Richard Ling breaks away at midfield and fires in a shot from just outside the penalty box . . . Eagles come within  inches of taking the lead with five minutes to go. Larsen takes ball up left side of field, gets the ball past two Jaguar defenders, gets off a crossing pass to Trevor Reed. Reed in midair  gets his head on the ball,  but it goes just over the crossbar. . . . Eagles seem to lose hope, Jaguars seem to have new energy. Jaguars score twice in closing minutes – one by Juan Alfredo Abuawad and one by Juan Carlos Laguna. Final score: Jaguars 5, Eagles 3. 

THE SOLUTION: The key thing in this "scenario" is to understand the drama involved: Winless Christian Learning came close to upsetting Cooperative, but the Jaguars met the test and finally won decisively. There are several ways to write this. I would have done it the following way in an effort to give equal emphasis to both of the key facts: 

"The  undefeated Cooperative boys varsity soccer team avoided a serious attempt Thursday afternoon to upset them and spoil their championship hopes by previous winless Christian Learning. 

"After the dust settled at the Jaguars field in the semi-final  game, the Jaguars had a 5-3 victory, and stood only one game away from an undefeated championship season. They had been given a severe test -- and they had passed it.

"The Eagles were left to nurse their remorse and contemplate what might have been. A victory would have made up for all their painful losses this year since there is nothing the Eagles fans enjoy more than a victory over the Jaguars. An Eagle win would also have marked the second year in a row that Cooperative's championship hopes had been foiled by a team with a vastly inferior record (Cambridge had done it to the Jaguars in last year's championship game.)

The game had started off with the Jaguars loking as though they would easily continue their winning ways, as Cooperative star Jose Manuel Vasquez scored the first goal of the afternoon on a breakway.

However Eagle Andre Lasen got a chance to even things up with a long free kick that he threaded into the upper right-hand corner of the goal. 

The Jaguars took the lead back when Jean Andre Bretel headed in a corner kick, but the Eagles retaliated a few moments later when Richard Enns took charge of a ball that was pinballing back and forth in front of the Jaguar goal, and slammed the ball in to tie the score at 2-2, where it stood at halftime.

As the second half opened, Cooperative seemed to take charge of the game. First Sanitago Paz brought the ball upfield, beat an Eagle defender, and whacked the ball into the goal putting the Jaguars ahead 3-2. After that the Jaguars seemed to turn the Eagle goal into a shooting gallery, firing shot after shot that goalie Wesdley Ordoñex just managed to save, or that went wide. Vasquez at lone point slammed a point blank shot into the crossbar.

Then the tide reversed yet again. The Jaguar defenders, apparently feeling overconfident, had moved way upfield. As a result when Eagle Richard Ling took charge of a bounding ball at midfield, and headed at full speed toward the Jaguar goal, there was no one between the ball and the back of the net but the Jaguar goalie, and Ling made sure the goalie had no chance when he let loose a hard shot to the left-hand side of the goal from right outside the penalty box. Score tied 3-3. 

Buoyed by this sudden turn of events in their favor, the Eagles seemed to open open some fresh cans of Whip-Ass, and suddenly were playing the Jaguars once again on an even basis. And then came the crucial moment for the Eagles. With just five minutes to go Eagle forward Andre Larsen took the ball up the left side of the field and beat two attempts to get the ball away from him.

 Finally he stood alone in the corner of the field, with the two Jaguar defenders lying helpless on the ground, and with Larsen's teammate Trevor Reed zooming down the center of the field toward the goal with no defender covering him. The realization spread through the large contingent of Eagle fans: They might be about to take the lead.

Unfortunately for the hopes of the Eagle fans Larsen's pass came in slightly behind Reed, who had to twist himself in midair to get his head on the ball. The ball then bounced up just over the goal, rather than into it. 

The near-miss seemed to deflate the Eagles and energize the Jaguars. In the closing moments Jaguar defender Juan Alfredo Abuawad took the ball from his end to the Eagle end to score. Moments later Jaguar Juan Carlos Laguna threaded his way through a seemingly exhausted Eagle defense to add an "insurance" goal, and make the final count Jaguars 5, Eagles 3.      

Girls Volleyball Game Facts

l Winner : SCCS Jaguars

Loser: International  Griffins

Scores of sets: SCCS won first set 25-23, SCCS won second set 25-19 (There was no third set)

What was at stake:  League Championship

Where played: in the SCIS gym

When: Friday afternoon

Game Conditions: Big crowd of International fans. Only a handful of SCCS supporters. Both teams were at full strength with no significant injuries. Weather was not a factor.

Background: The two teams have always been closely matched. International won last year, also in “straight sets.” In the two “regualr season games,” SCCS had won the first, and International had won the second .

Your notes on the play:

First set – SCCS took early lead 8-4. International tied game at 15-15. Teams stayed even to 23-23 when SCCS made two quick points, one on a spike by Aldana Roda, and the other on an International  error when attempted set-up went into the net and couldn’t be retrieved. Both teams played very well. On some points the ball passed back and forth as many as 20 times. Many great “digs” and retrievals of balls headed out-of-bounds.

Second set – International took charge early, going ahead 10-6. SCCS came back slowly ,not getting even until the score was 18-18. At that point International seemed to lose concentration and make unforced errs while SCCS played without making mistakes, though both teams made great play. Aldana Roda spiked one ball down the line with her back to the net. Griffin Stefania Gioto blocked three attempted spikes by the Jaguar front line.  Both teams served hard, neither had a server that could dominate play. SCCS seemed to surge through the last seven points to win.

Other interesting points:

It was clear that both teams had a lot of respect for the other. After the final handshake they stayed on the court and applauded one another. . . . Internatioinal obviouisly felt that though beaten, they were not disgraced . . . . The SCCS players knew how close they had come to losing control of the second set and having to go to a third, tie-breaking 15-point game. . . . The SCCS players dumped the wáter container on their coach, Aleksander Mahdik. . . . International coach Eli Vilar gathered her players and congratulated them for a good effort. “You game it your all,” Vilar told them. “You didn’t leave anything out there on the court.” . . . . .SCCS captain said, “I thought they had us in the second set but we showed that we could take the pressure and come back.” . . . . . The SCCS players did a “victory lap” around the gym hold the chapionship trophy high.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION:

The Cooperative girls varsity volleyball team captured the League Championship with a hard-fought, but convincing, straight sets victory over International in the Griffins gym Friday afternoon. The Jaguars took the opening set 25-23, then came from behind to win the second set 25-18.

In an outstanding example of good sportsmanship and mutual respect, the two teams stayed on the court and applauded one another after the final handshake, and before the Jaguar girls took a victory lap around the gym holding the championship trophy high.

The game was a worthy chapter in what has been a close and intense rivalry between the two teams. International had won the championship a year ago in a similarly intense chamìonship game against the Jaguars, and in the two regular season games this year each team had won the game played in its home gym.

In terms of spectator support, International had a clear advantage, as there were only a handful of Jaguar fans present. However, it was the Jaguars who jumped out to an early lead, 8-4, in the early going. And the Jaguars stayed in front until the Griffins caught up and tied the score at 15-15. From that point the teams seemed to trade points on long rallies in which the ball was sometimes volleyed back and forth across the net twenty times or more.

One great play by one side seemed to invite a great play on the other.   Both teams served hard -- and both teams returned serves well. The action sparkled with outstanding defensive plays as defenders thwarted attempted spikes with last-second, one-hand digs, or retrieved balls seeming headed irretrievably out of bounds.

Then with the score tied 23-23 the Jaguars came up with the two successive points they needed -- one on a spike and the second on a Griffing setting error -- to win the first set 25-23.

In the second set it was International that seemed to have the momentum, taking a 10-6 lead, and apparently well on its way to forcing a third and deciding set.

However, the Jaguars made a slow. steady comeback. As in the first set, play seemed evenly balanced. Jaguar captain Aldana Roda scored on a spike she hit down the line with her back to the net. But then Griffin Stephanie Gioto responded with three great blocks at the net. What made the difference was that International was making a few mistakes, while the Jaguars were making almost none.

When the Jaguars tied the score at 18-18 the International players seemed to lose focus, while the Jaguar performance continued to be almost flawless. The end came with remarkable suddenness as the Jaguars won seven points in a row, mostly on long rallies, taking the set 25-18 to win the match and the championship.

Welcome to SCCS Media Writing 2011

This is the personal blog of David Boldt, the instructor in the Media Writing Course at Santa Cruz Cooperative School in the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year. This is the place to look for current assignments, and other news involving the course. All assignments in the course should be written as Microsoft Word documents and be submitted as attachments to e-mail to messages sent to boldt27@gmail.com. Watch the right hand column for new assignments. This is not NOT the class blog. To see that go to sccsomelette.blogspot.com.

Interviews: Getting "Up Close and Personal"

Rules for Interviews

1. If possible, contact the person you are interviewing, explain who you are and what you are doing, and make an appointment. Avoid situations where the interviewee feels "ambushed."

2. Do as much research as you can before going to the interview. At least Google the person to be interviewed.

3. Write out your key questions in advance, and write them on the inside of your notebook cover where you can find and refer to them easily. Write open-ended questions; avoid questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" (unless that's what you want).

4.. Identify yourself and explain what you are doing, even if you have already. Try to put the person as ease and establish rapport. Observe the source and surroundings. Sometimes the way a person is dressed, or little details (like the fact that he has a ring in his tongue) can add interesting touches. Similarly, the things he or she has on the desk or wall may be interesting. In short, be alert. Bolivia needs more lerts.

5.. Don't waste the interviewee's time. Get what you need and get out. (However, don't be afraid of allowing a moment of silence, or pause, in the conversation. People hate pauses in a conversation and will often do anything to fill them, sometimes telling you interesting stuff you wouldn't otherwise have gotten.) In any event, give your source time to respond, and don't interrupt.

6. Sometimes -- though not always -- saying something that shows you kn ow a fair amount about the subject being discussed, will loosen up your source. People like to talk about things when they know the reporter understands what they are talking about. On the other hand, there are times when it is better to "play dumb" and pretend to be clueless. Invite the source to "explain" things for you. It depends on  the situation. Interviewing is an art, not a science.

7. Make sure you understand, ultimately, what the source told you. Otherwise you won't be able to explain it to the reader.

8. Sometimes (as we get to more complicated and sophisticated topics) a source will ask you to go "off the record," usually meaning that you can use the information but not attribute it to the source. Sometimes the source means the you shouldn't use it at all, and is only telling you to help you "understand" the situation. You should try to avoid those situations, but, if you get into one because there seems to be no other choice, try to "bargain" to get as much "on the record" as you can. In any event, do not leave the interview unless you have a clear understanding of what the deal is, and keep any promise you make. In the US failing to keep a promise can open you to a "breach of contract" lawsuit, as well as a libel lawsuit.