Corrie MacLaggan is Health and Human Services Reporter at the Austin American-Statesman. As part of her reporting, Corrie conducts interviews with newsmakers and covers press conferences. When the Legislature is in session, Corrie writes a blog. mynews@school asked Corrie how she prepares for interviews and press conferences. mynews@school also asked how she gets her story ideas, the guidelines she uses for writing questions and using verbatim quotes. Finally, mynews@school asked about blogging vs. writing for the print edition of the newspaper.
Q: On TV, we sometimes see reporters asking questions at press conferences or interviewing newsmakers. Can you describe how press conferences and interviews are part of your work as a reporter?
A: Sometimes, press conferences are called in advance about a certain topic and we have time to prepare questions. Other times, a public official or state agency (such as the Office of Attorney General) will call a press conference but will not tell the media what the topic is. That makes it difficult to prepare questions, but I just ask the questions that pop into my head when I hear the news. Sometimes, press conferences will occur as news is developing. For example, when Hurricane Rita was heading towardTexas in 2005, I was assigned to spend a lot of time at the state emergency operations center in Austin. The governor and state emergency officials would hold press conferences to update the media on where the hurricane was and how they were preparing. In general, if you want to get your question answered at a press conference, you can’t be shy. You have to call out “Governor!” or “Senator!” and ask your question loudly, or you may miss the opportunity.
Q: Which format—press conference or interview—is best for generating news that you can write about? Why?
A: I don’t think the format makes a difference about whether I can write about it. If it’s important news, that will come across in either a press conference or an interview. Naturally, I prefer an interview — especially if it’s one-on-one — so that I get ample time to ask all my questions rather than having to jostle with other reporters to get my questions answered. But sometimes, officials like to speak to all the reporters at once.
Q: What are some of the other ways that you get news or ideas for reporting a story?
A: Talking to people: friends, neighbors, relatives, the guy bagging my groceries, the woman cutting my hair, the college student sitting next to me on the airplane.
Q: What research do you do in advance of covering a press conference or interviewing a newsmaker and how important is it to do advance research?
A: It’s important to do research but, as I mentioned above, it’s not always possible.
Q: Do you write your questions in advance for press conferences and interviews? Why or why not?
A: Yes, when possible. It’s good to have something to start with, though frequently other questions will come to mind during the press conference or interview.
Q: What guidelines, if any, do you use for writing questions for newsmakers?
A: Like others who cover state government, I always want to know things like: How many people does this affect? How much money does this cost?
Q: How important are verbatim quotes to your story and how do you determine which quotes to use in your story?
A: Very important. The best quotes convey emotion or colorful details or the person’s character rather than just facts. For example, there’s no need to use a quote from the mayor saying that a proposed city project will cost$50,000. You can include that information in the story — and attribute it to the mayor — without using a direct quote. But if the mayor says something like: “This is the most important project we’ve ever attempted in Austin,” that may be worth putting in the story. Even more important than what the quote says is the fact that you know it’s 100% accurate. If you aren’t absolutely sure the person used those exact words, you shouldn’t put those words between quotes.
Q: As a reporter, you also blog. What do you blog about and why do you blog? How is blogging different from writing a story for thenewspaper?
A: I blog along with the Statesman’s other state government and politics reporters at Statesman.com/postcards. Blog posts are usually shorter andwritten in a less formal style than newspaper stories. Our blog is especially important when the Legislature is in session. The newspaper comes out just once a day, but the blog can be updated all day long, so it’s a great tool to use when news is happening quickly, as it does duringthe legislative session. A hearing I covered last session lasted until around 2 a.m. By then, my last deadline had already passed for the print edition of the newspaper. But I could still update blog readers on what had happened at the end of the meeting. Also, blogs — and online stories —give readers the opportunity to give instant feedback by posting comments.
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