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