The Journalist and the Murderer – the art of interviewing
Interviewing and ethics
“In The Journalist and the Murderer (1990), [Janet] Malcolm described the inevitable betrayal involved in the journalist-subject encounter; the subject will regress like a patient in psychoanalysis, childishly trusting their questioner, only to discover that the journalist is not a compassionate listener but a professional with an agenda and a story to construct.
Thus, according to the book’s oft-quoted opening: “Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible.”
(Taken from The Journalist and the Biographer – Sydney Morning Herald)
Frost Nixon
This snippet of the Nixon interviews with David Frost in 1977 (sorry – it can’t be embedded – you have to click on that link) encapsulates the point perfectly. It shows Frost poised, concentrating. Head down a touch, eyes up. Meanwhile Nixon’s body language is defeatist: shoulders thrown back, head bobbing about, hands outstretched before him.
It’s a fascinating snapshot of the journalist at work.
Interviewing as an art
Interviewing is a learned art as much as a natural-born skill. I thought I’d add some examples below of encounters – some famous, some not – that have stuck in my mind.
All of these interviews throw up different challenges. Some have more successful outcomes than others.
1. David Dimbleby runs into a grumpy Gore Vidal on the night of Obama’s presidential victory in 2008.
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2. Devina McCall in caught wretchedly in a clash of style – between pop tv and rock music in this interview with James Dean Bradfield.
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3. Al Capp takes on John Lennon at his Bed-In in Montreal
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4. Jeremy Paxman interviews George Galloway on election night 2005 – and goes straight for the throat
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5. Trouble between interviewees – a famous incident between Gore Vidal and William Buckley in 1968
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6. And back to Lennon again. This is an old favourite and great work of art: a 14 year-old Beatle fan meets Lennon at around the same time as the Al Capp incident
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image credit: taijofj on Flickr
3 Responses to “The Journalist and the Murderer – the art of interviewing”
“The Journalist and the Murderer – the art of interviewing” : http://bit.ly/d0wlhW #journ
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Oh come on now, you think every interviewer is out to set up the guest to achieve the agenda of the interviewer? No way! I am a talk show host coach and I can tell you that there are plenty of instances to support what you say. That said, there are plenty of interviewers using open ended questions that allow the interview to take it’s own course. In the final analysis, it depends on the show it runs in if it is a broadcast interview. Some shows insist on an agenda because their audience does. On the other hand some shows have an audience that will not tolerate this kind of interview.
Hi Ed. I’m not suggesting that all interviews run to the same agenda – I’m just interested in the journalist/subject relationship that exists within them.