Navy public affairs offices have adequate referencelibraries. To do any extensive research, learn to use thefacilities of the nearest Navy, public or college library.Here you can find the necessary books, encyclopedias,almanacs, magazines, atlases, directories, indexes andsimilar references. The Naval Historical Center(OP-09BH), Washington, D.C., is a good source ofadditional information about the Navy.INTERVIEWSAbout 90 percent of everything in a news story isbased on some form of interviewing — either in person,by telephone, or occasionally, by correspondence.As a Navy journalist in search of information, youmust learn who to get information from and how torecord facts. You must learn techniques for handlingdifferent kinds of people — how to draw some out, howto keep others on the topic and how to evaluate themotives or honesty of others. In short, you must learnhow to get along with people and how to treat them withtact and understanding while still accomplishing yourpurpose.Types of InterviewsA distinction must be made between news storiesthat are merely based on interviews and actual interviewstories. Very seldom is a journalist present at the sceneof an accident as it takes place — for example, at acollision between two automobiles. A story of this typemust be based entirely on interviews — either in personor by telephone — with the police, with eyewitnesses,with the victims themselves, and depending upon thegravity of the accident, with the garage mechanics,hospital attendants, relatives of the victims and others.In news stories of this kind, the journalist isconcerned with a news event that requires interviewingpeople to learn the facts. The interview story, on theother hand, is essentially a feature built around theviews, personality or exploits of an individual or groupof individuals. The difference, in most cases, is largelyin the emphasis. In writing the interview-based newsstory, you stress the news, whereas in the interviewstory, you place the stress on the person beinginterviewed.Interviews are as varied as the people who grantthem, the journalists who conduct them and the newsthat suggests them. Rarely are interviews so mechanicalthat they can be reduced to standard formulas orcategories. Several types, however, deserve specialattention because they are the ones that occur mostfrequently. They are as follows:News interviewTelephone interviewCasual interviewPersonality interviewSymposium interviewNews conferencePrepared question interviewNEWS INTERVIEW.— The news interview isbased on “hard news,” some event or development ofcurrent and immediate interest. Suppose you are ajournalist assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval AirForce, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVAIRLANT), anda new supercarrier has been launched for the Navy.Later, you learn the earner will be assigned to theAtlantic Fleet, and you are assigned to write the story.The original news announcement released by theshipyard or naval authorities would most likely containonly the broad, straight facts — cost, size andconstruction details.A story of this scope is of major interest to the localcommunity of the supercarrier’s home port. Media wantmore information than is offered in the initial report. Byinterviewing competent news sources, such as keyofficers on COMNAVAIRLANT’s staff, and askingwell-defined, carefully considered questions, you canlocalize, illuminate, expand and add depth to the originalstory. When will the ship be commissioned? How willthe ship’s presence affect the local economy? What willits mission be? When is it expected to join the fleet? Towhich carrier division will it be assigned? Will there bea flag officer embarked? Has a prospective CO beenselected? How will this new carrier strengthen ournational defense effort?In any interview, try to speak to the best authorityavailable. Do not settle for the supply clerk if theinformation you need should come from the CO.TELEPHONE INTERVIEW.— The telephoneinterview, a modified version of the news interview, hasa number of obvious advantages, and at the same time,it has several limitations that challenge a resourcefuljournalist. Ingenuity and clear thinking are sometimesneeded to locate a news source when a big story breaks;the power of persuasion is often necessary to elicitinformation from a reluctant person who can easily hangup the receiver, and a sympathetic telephone voice is7-4
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